The social status of the Kurmi appears to be that of the cultivator. He
is above the menial and artisan castes of the village and the impure
weaving and labouring castes; he is theoretically equal to the
artisan castes of towns, but one or two of these, such as the Sunar
or goldsmith and Kasar or brass-worker, have risen in the world owing
to the prosperity or importance of their members, and now rank above
the Kurmi. The Kurmi's status appears to be that of the cultivator
and member of the village community, but a large proportion of the
Kurmis are recruited from the non-Aryan tribes, who have obtained
land and been admitted into the caste, and this tends to lower the
status of the caste as a whole. In the Punjab Kurmis apparently do
not hold land and are employed in grass-cutting, weaving, and tending
horses, and are even said to keep pigs. [83] Here their status is
necessarily very low as they follow the occupations of the impure
castes. The reason why the Kurmi as cultivator ranks above the village
handicraftsmen may perhaps be that industrial pursuits were despised
in early times and left to the impure Sudras and to the castes of
mixed descent; while agriculture and trade were the occupations of
the Vaishya. Further, the village artisans and menials were supported
before the general use of current coin by contributions of grain from
the cultivators and by presents of grain at seed-time and harvest;
and among the Hindus it is considered very derogatory to accept a
gift, a man who does so being held to admit his social inferiority to
the giver. Some exception to this is made in the case of Brahmans,
though even with them the rule partly applies. Of these two reasons
for the cultivator's superiority to the menial and artisan castes
the former has to a large extent lost its force. The handicrafts are
no longer considered despicable, and, as has been seen, some of the
urban tradesmen, as the Sunar and Kasar, now rank above the Kurmi, or
are at least equal to him. Perhaps even in ancient times these urban
artificers were not despised like the village menials, as their skill
was held in high repute. But the latter ground is still in full force
and effect in the Central Provinces at least: the village artisans are
still paid by contributions from the cultivator and receive presents
from him at seed-time and harvest. The remuneration of the village
menials, the blacksmith, carpenter, washerman, tanner, barber and
waterman is paid at the rate of so much grain per plough of land
according to the estimated value of the work done by them for the
cultivators during the year. Other village tradesmen, as the potter,
oilman and liquor-vendor, are no longer paid in grain, but since the
introduction of currency sell their wares for cash; but there seems
no reason to doubt that in former times when no money circulated
in villages they were remunerated in the same manner. They still
all receive presents, consisting of a sowing-basketful of grain at
seed-time and one or two sheaves at harvest. The former are known as
_Bijphuti_, or 'the breaking of the seed,' and the latter as _Khanvar_,
or 'that which is left.' In Bilaspur the Kamias or village menials also
receive as much grain as will fill a winnowing-fan when it has been
threshed. When the peasant has harvested his grain all come and beg
from him. The Dhimar brings waternut, the Kachhi or market-gardener
some chillies, the Teli oil and tobacco, the Kalar some liquor if he
drinks it, the Bania some sugar, and all receive grain in excess of
the value of their gifts. The village menials come for their customary
dues, and the Brahman, the Nat or acrobat, the Gosain or religious
mendicant, and the Fakir or Muhammadan beggar solicit alms. On that
day the cultivator is like a little king in his fields, and it is
said that sometimes a quarter of the crop may go in this way; but
the reference must be only to the spring crop and not to the whole
holding. In former times grain must have been the principal source
of wealth, and this old custom gives us a reason for the status of
the cultivator in Hindu society. There is also a saying:
Uttam kheti, madhyam ban,
Kanisht chakri, bhik nidan,
or 'Cultivation is the best calling, trade is respectable, service
is menial, and begging is degraded.'