The Charan Banjaras, Mr. Cumberlege states, [189] first came to the
Deccan with Asaf Khan in the campaign which closed with the annexation
by the Emperor Shah Jahan of Ahmadnagar and Berar about 1630. Their
leaders or Naiks were Bhangi and Jhangi of the Rathor [190] and Bhagwan
Das of the Jadon clan. Bhangi and Jhangi had 180,000 pack-bullocks,
and Bhagwan Das 52,000. It was naturally an object with Asaf Khan to
keep his commissariat well up with his force, and as Bhangi and Jhangi
made difficulties about the supply of grass and water to their cattle,
he gave them an order engraved on copper in letters of gold to the
following effect:
Ranjan ka pani
Chhappar ka ghas
Din ke tin khun muaf;
Aur jahan Asaf Jah ke ghore
Wahan Bhangi Jhangi ke bail,
which may be rendered as follows: "If you can find no water elsewhere
you may even take it from the pots of my followers; grass you may
take from the roofs of their huts; and I will pardon you up to three
murders a day, provided that wherever I find my cavalry, Bhangi
and Jhangi's bullocks shall be with them." This grant is still in
the possession of Bhangi Naik's descendant who lives at Musi, near
Hingoli. He is recognised by the Hyderabad Court as the head Naik of
the Banjara caste, and on his death his successor receives a _khillat_
or dress-of-honour from His Highness the Nizam. After Asaf Khan's
campaign and settlement in the Deccan, a quarrel broke out between
the Rathor clan, headed by Bhangi and Jhangi, and the Jadons under
Bhagwan Das, owing to the fact that Asaf Khan had refused to give
Bhagwan Das a grant like that quoted above. Both Bhangi and Bhagwan
Das were slain in the feud and the Jadons captured the standard,
consisting of eight _thans_ (lengths) of cloth, which was annually
presented by the Nizam to Bhangi's descendants. When Mr. Cumberlege
wrote (1869), this standard was in the possession of Hatti Naik,
a descendant of Bhagwan Das, who had an estate near Muchli Bunder,
in the Madras Presidency. Colonel Mackenzie states [191] that the
leaders of the Rathor clan became so distinguished not only in their
particular line but as men of war that the Emperors recognised
their carrying distinctive standards, which were known as _dhal_
by the Rathors themselves. Jhangi's family was also represented
in the person of Ramu Naik, the _patel_ or headman of the village
of Yaoli in the Yeotmal District. In 1791-92 the Banjaras were
employed to supply grain to the British army under the Marquis of
Cornwallis during the siege of Seringapatam, [192] and the Duke of
Wellington in his Indian campaigns regularly engaged them as part of
the commissariat staff of his army. On one occasion he said of them:
"The Banjaras I look upon in the light of servants of the public,
of whose grain I have a right to regulate the sale, always taking
care that they have a proportionate advantage." [193]