The above story is noticeable as indicating that the social position
of the Lohar is somewhat below that of the other artisan castes, or
at least of those who work in metals. This fact has been recorded in
other localities, and has been explained by some stigma arising from
his occupation, as in the following passage: "His social position
is low even for a menial, and he is classed as an impure caste, in
so far that Jats and others of similar standing will have no social
communion with him, though not as an outcast like the scavenger. His
impurity, like that of the barber, washerman and dyer, springs solely
from the nature of his employment; perhaps because it is a dirty one,
but more probably because black is a colour of evil omen. It is not
improbable that the necessity under which he labours of using bellows
made of cowhide may have something to do with his impurity," [103]
Mr. Nesfield also says: "It is owing to the ubiquitous industry of
the Lohar that the stone knives, arrow-heads and hatchets of the
indigenous tribes of Upper India have been so entirely superseded
by iron-ores. The memory of the stone age has not survived even in
tradition. In consequence of the evil associations which Hinduism has
attached to the colour of black, the caste of Lohar has not been able
to raise itself to the same social level as the three metallurgic
castes which follow." The following saying also indicates that the
Lohar is of evil omen:
Ar, Dhar, Chuchkar
In tinon se bachawe Kartar.
Here _Ar_ means an iron goad and signifies the Lohar; _Dhar_ represents
the sound of the oil falling from the press and means a Teli or oilman;
_Chuchkar_ is an imitation of the sound of clothes being beaten against
a stone and denotes the Dhobi or washerman; and the phrase thus runs,
'My Friend, beware of the Lohar, Teli, and Dhobi, for they are of evil
omen.' It is not quite clear why this disrepute should attach to the
Lohar, because iron itself is lucky, though its colour, black, may be
of bad omen. But the low status of the Lohar may partly arise from the
fact of his being a village menial and a servant of the cultivators;
whereas the trades of the goldsmith, brass-smith and carpenter are of
later origin than the blacksmith's, and are urban rather than rural
industries; and thus these artisans do not commonly occupy the position
of village menials. Another important consideration is that the iron
industry is associated with the primitive tribes, who furnished the
whole supply of the metal prior to its importation from Europe: and it
is hence probable that the Lohar caste was originally constituted from
these and would thus naturally be looked down upon by the Hindus. In
Bengal, where few or no traces of the village community remain, the
Lohar ranks as the equal of Koiris and Kurmis, and Brahmans will take
water from his hands; [104] and this somewhat favours the argument that
his lower status elsewhere is not due to incidents of his occupation.