Again the Manjhis appear to be connected with the Kawar tribe. Mr. Hira
Lal states that in Raigarh they will take food with Kewats, Gonds,
Kawars and Rawats or Ahirs, but they will not eat rice and pulse,
the most important and sacred food, with any outsiders except Kawars;
and this they explain by the statement that their ancestors and those
of the Kawars were connected. In Mirzapur the Kaurai Ahirs will take
food and water from the Majhwars, and these Ahirs are not improbably
derived from the Kawars. [147] Here the Majhwars also hold an oath
taken when touching a broadsword as most binding, and the Kawars
of the Central Provinces worship a sword as one of their principal
deities. [148] Not improbably the Manjhis may include some Kewats,
as this caste also use Manjhi for a title; and Manjhi is both a
subcaste and title of the Khairwars. The general conclusion from the
above evidence appears to be that the caste is a very heterogeneous
group whose most important constituents come from the Gond, Munda,
Santal and Kawar tribes. Whether the original bond of connection
among the various people who call themselves Manjhi was the common
occupation of boating and fishing is a doubtful point.