The Rajputs still recognise the Bhils as the former residents and
occupiers of the land by the fact that some Rajput chiefs must be
marked on the brow with a Bhil's blood on accession to the _Gaddi_ or
regal cushion. Tod relates how Goha, [311] the eponymous ancestor of
the Sesodia Rajputs, took the state of Idar in Gujarat from a Bhil:
"At this period Idar was governed by a chief of the savage race of
Bhils. The young Goha frequented the forests in company with the Bhils,
whose habits better assimilated with his daring nature than those of
the Brahmans. He became a favourite with these _vena-putras_ or sons of
the forest, who resigned to him Idar with its woods and mountains. The
Bhils having determined in sport to elect a king, their choice fell
on Goha; and one of the young savages, cutting his finger, applied
the blood as the badge (_tika_) of sovereignty to his forehead. What
was done in sport was confirmed by the old forest chief. The sequel
fixes on Goha the stain of ingratitude, for he slew his benefactor,
and no motive is assigned in the legend for the deed." [312]
The legend is of course a euphemism for the fact that the Rajputs
conquered and dispossessed the Bhils of Idar. But it is interesting
as an indication that they did not consider themselves to derive a
proper title to the land merely from the conquest, but wished also to
show that it passed to them by the designation and free consent of
the Bhils. The explanation is perhaps that they considered the gods
of the Bhils to be the tutelary guardians and owners of the land,
whom they must conciliate before they could hope to enjoy it in
quiet and prosperity. This token of the devolution of the land from
its previous holders, the Bhils, was till recently repeated on the
occasion of each succession of a Sesodia chief. "The Bhil landholders
of Oguna and Undri still claim the privilege of performing the _tika_
for the Sesodias. The Oguna Bhil makes the mark of sovereignty on the
chief's forehead with blood drawn from his own thumb, and then takes
the chief by the arm and seats him on the throne, while the Undri Bhil
holds the salver of spices and sacred grains of rice used in making
the badge." [313] The story that Goha killed the old Bhil chief,
his benefactor, who had adopted him as heir and successor, which
fits in very badly with the rest of the legend, is probably based
on another superstition. Sir J. G. Frazer has shown in _The Golden
Bough_ that in ancient times it was a common superstition that any
one who killed the king had a right to succeed him. The belief was
that the king was the god of the country, on whose health, strength
and efficiency its prosperity depended. When the king grew old and
weak it was time for a successor, and he who could kill the king
proved in this manner that the divine power and strength inherent
in the late king had descended to him, and he was therefore the fit
person to be king. [314] An almost similar story is told of the way
in which the Kachhwaha Rajputs took the territory of Amber State from
the Mina tribe. The infant Rajput prince had been deprived of Narwar
by his uncle, and his mother wandered forth carrying him in a basket,
till she came to the capital of the Minas, where she first obtained
employment in the chiefs kitchen. But owing to her good cooking she
attracted his wife's notice and ultimately disclosed her identity and
told her story. The Mina chief then adopted her as his sister and the
boy as his nephew. This boy, Dhola Rai, on growing up obtained a few
Rajput adherents and slaughtered all the Minas while they were bathing
at the feast of Diwali, after which he usurped their country. [315]
The repetition both of the adoption and the ungrateful murder shows
the importance attached by the Rajputs to both beliefs as necessary
to the validity of their succession and occupation of the land.
The position of the Bhils as the earliest residents of the country
was also recognised by their employment in the capacity of village
watchmen. One of the duties of this official is to know the village
boundaries and keep watch and ward over them, and it was supposed
that the oldest class of residents would know them best. The Bhils
worked in the office of Mankar, the superior village watchman, in
Nimar and also in Berar. Grant Duff states [316] that the Ramosi or
Bhil was employed as village guard by the Marathas, and the Ramosis
were a professional caste of village policemen, probably derived from
the Bhils or from the Bhils and Kolis.