The caste has two principal divisions according to locality, named
Raipuria and Ratanpuria, Raipur and Ratanpur having been formerly
the two principal towns of Chhattisgarh. Within these are several
other local subdivisions, _e.g._ Navagarhia or those belonging to
Nawagarh in Bilaspur, Sonakhania from Sonakhan south of the Mahanadi,
Chatarrajiha from Chater Raj, in Raipur, and Sarangarhia from Sarangarh
State. Some other divisions are either occupational or social; thus
the Baghurra Dewars are those who tame tigers and usually live in
the direction of Bastar, the Baipari Dewars are petty traders in
brass or pewter ornaments which they sell to Banjara women, and the
Lohar and Jogi Dewars may be so called either because their ancestors
belonged to these castes, or because they have adopted the profession
of blacksmiths and beggars respectively. Probably both reasons are
partly applicable. These subdivisions are not strictly endogamous,
but show a tendency to become so. The two main subcastes, Raipuria
and Ratanpuria, are distinguished by the musical instruments which
they play on while begging. That of the Raipurias is a sort of rude
fiddle called _sarangi_, which has a cocoanut shell as a resonator
with horsehair strings, and is played with a bow. The Ratanpurias
have an instrument called _dhungru_, which consists of a piece of
bamboo about three feet long with a hollow gourd as a resonator and
catgut strings. In the latter the resonator is held uppermost and
rests against the shoulder of the player, while in the former it is
at the lower end and is placed against his waist. The section names
of the Dewars are almost all of Dravidian origin. Sonwania, Markam,
Marai, Dhurwa, Ojha, Netam, Salam, Katlam and Jagat are the names of
well-known Gond septs which are also possessed by the Dewars, and
Telasi, Karsayal, Son-Mungir and others are Kawar septs which they
have adopted. They admit that their ancestors were members of these
septs among the Gonds and Kawars. Where the name of the ancestor
has a meaning which they understand, some totemistic observances
survive. Thus the members of the Karsayal sept will not kill or eat
a deer. The septs are exogamous, but there is no other restriction
on marriage and the union of first cousins is permissible.