_Andh._ [30]--A low cultivating caste of Berar, who numbered 52,000
persons in 1911, and belong to the Yeotmal, Akola and Buldana
Districts. The Andhs appear to be a non-Aryan tribe of the Andhra or
Tamil country, from which they derive their name. The territories
of the Andhra dynasty extended across southern India from sea to
sea in the early part of the Christian era. This designation may,
however, have been given to them after migration, emigrants being not
infrequently called in their new country by the name of the place from
which they came, as Berari, Purdesi, Audhia (from Oudh), and so on. At
present there seems to be no caste called Andh in Madras. Mr. Kitts
[31] notes that they still come from Hyderabad across the Penganga
river.
The caste are divided into two groups, Vartati or pure and Khaltati or
illegitimate, which take food together, but do not intermarry. They
have a large number of exogamous septs, most of which appear to have
Marathi names, either taken from villages or of a titular character. A
few are called after animals or plants, as Majiria the cat, Ringni
a kind of tree, Dumare from Dumar, an ant-hill, Dukare from Dukar,
a pig, and Titawe from Titawa, a bird. Baghmare means tiger-killer
or one killed by a tiger; members of this sept revere the tiger. Two
septs, Bhoyar and Wanjari, are named after other castes.
Marriage between members of the same sept is prohibited, and also
between first cousins, except that a sister's son may marry a brother's
daughter. Until recently marriage has been adult, but girls are now
wedded as children, and betrothals are sometimes arranged before they
are born. The ceremony resembles that of the Kunbis. Betrothals are
arranged between October and December, and the weddings take place
three or four months later, from January to April. If the bride is
mature she goes at once to her husband's house. Polygamy is allowed;
and as only a well-to-do man can afford to obtain more than one wife,
those who have several are held to be wealthy, and treated with
respect. Divorce and the remarriage of widows are permitted, but
the widow may not marry her husband's brother nor any member of his
clan. If an unmarried girl becomes pregnant by a man of her own or a
superior caste she is fined, and can then be married as a widow. Her
feet are not washed nor besmeared with red powder at the wedding
ceremony like those of other girls. In some localities Andh women
detected in a criminal intimacy even with men of such impure castes
as the Mahars and Mangs have been readmitted into the community. A
substantial fine is imposed on a woman detected in adultery according
to her means and spent on a feast to the caste. All the members thus
have a personal interest in the detection and punishment of such
offences. The dead are usually buried, and water and sugar are placed
in a dying man's mouth instead of the sacred objects used by Hindus;
nor are the dying urged to call on Rama. The dead are buried with
the head to the south, in opposition to the Hindu custom. The Andhs
will eat the flesh of fowls and pigs, and even cats, rats and snakes
in some localities, though the more civilised have abjured these
latter. They are very fond of pork, and drink liquor, and will take
food from Kunbis, Malis and Kolis, but not from Gonds. They have
a caste _panchayat_ or committee, with a headman called Mohtaria,
and two officers known as Phopatia and Dukria. When a caste offence
is committed the Dukria goes to call the offender, and is given the
earthen pots used at the penalty-feast, while the Phopatia receives
a new piece of cloth. The Mohtaria or headman goes from village to
village to decide cases, and gets a share of the fine. The caste are
_shikaris_ or hunters, and cultivators. They catch antelope, hares,
pig and nilgai in their nets, and kill them with sticks and stones,
and they dam up streams and net fish. Birds are not caught. Generally,
the customs of the Andhs clearly point to an aboriginal origin, but
they are rapidly being Hinduised, and in some tracts can scarcely be
distinguished from Kunbis.
They have Marathi names; and though only one name is given at birth,
Mr. Slaney notes that this is frequently changed for some pet name,
and as often as not a man goes regularly by some name other than his
real one.