The Manjhis of Sarguja, like those of Raigarh, appear to be of Munda
and Santal rather than of Gond origin. They have no subdivisions,
but a number of totemistic septs. Those of the Bhainsa or buffalo sept
are split into the Lotan and Singhan subsepts, _lotan_ meaning a place
where buffaloes wallow and _singh_ a horn. The Lotan Bhainsa sept say
that their ancestor was born in a place where a buffalo had wallowed,
and the Singhan Bhainsa that their ancestor was born while his mother
was holding the horn of a buffalo. These septs consider the buffalo
sacred and will not yoke it to a plough or cart, though they will drink
its milk. They think that if one of them killed a buffalo their clan
would become extinct. The Baghani Majhwars, named after the _bagh_
or tiger, think that a tiger will not attack any member of their sept
unless he has committed an offence entailing temporary excommunication
from caste. Until this offence has been expiated his relationship with
the tiger as head of his sept is in abeyance and the tiger will eat
him as he would any other stranger. If a tiger meets a member of the
sept who is free from sin, he will run away. When the Baghani sept
hear that any Majhwar has killed a tiger they purify their houses by
washing them with cowdung and water. Members of the Khoba or peg sept
will not make a peg or drive one into the ground. Those of the Dumar
[149] or fig-tree sept say that their first ancestor was born under
this tree. They consider the tree to be sacred and never eat its
fruit, and worship it once a year. Members of the sept named after
the _shiroti_ tree worship the tree every Sunday.