_Mang-Garori._--This is a criminal subdivision of the Mang caste,
residing principally in Berar. They were not separately recorded at
the census. The name Garori appears to be a corruption of Garudi,
and signifies a snake-charmer. [188] Garuda, the Brahminy kite, the
bird on which Vishnu rides, was the great subduer of snakes, and hence
probably snake-charmers are called Garudi. Some of the Mang-Garoris are
snake-charmers, and this may have been the original occupation of the
caste, though the bulk of them now appear to live by dealing in cattle
and thieving. The following notice of them is abstracted from Major
Gunthorpe's _Notes on Criminal Tribes_. [189] They usually travel about
with small _pals_ or tents, taking their wives, children, buffaloes
and dogs with them. The men are well set up and tall. Their costume
is something like that worn by professional gymnasts, consisting
of light and short reddish-brown drawers (_chaddi_), a waistband
with fringe at either end (_katchhe_), and a sheet thrown over the
shoulders. The Naik or headman of the camp may be recognised by his
wearing some red woollen cloth about his person or a red shawl over his
shoulders. The women have short _saris_ (body-cloths), usually of blue,
and tied in the Telugu fashion. They are generally very violent when
any attempt is made to search an encampment, especially if there is
stolen property concealed in it. Instances have been known of their
seizing their infants by the ankles and swinging them round their
heads, declaring they would continue doing so till the children died,
if the police did not leave the camp. Sometimes also the women of a
gang have been known to throw off all their clothing and appear in a
perfect state of nudity, declaring they would charge the police with
violating their modesty. Men of this tribe are expert cattle-lifters,
but confine themselves chiefly to buffaloes, which they steal while out
grazing and very dexterously disguise by trimming the horns and firing,
so as to avoid recognition by their rightful owners. To steal goats
and sheep is also one of their favourite occupations, and they will
either carry the animals off from their pens at night or kill them
while out grazing, in the following manner: having marked a sheep or
goat which is feeding farthest away from the flock, the thief awaits
his opportunity till the shepherd's back is turned, when the animal is
quickly captured. Placing his foot on the back of the neck near the
head, and seizing it under the chin with his right hand, the thief
breaks the animal's neck by a sudden jerk; he then throws the body
into a bush or in some dip in the ground to hide it, and walks away,
watching from a distance. The shepherd, ignorant of the loss of one
of his animals, goes on leisurely driving his flock before him, and
when he is well out of sight the Mang-Garori removes the captured
carcase to his encampment. Great care is taken that the skin, horns
and hoofs should be immediately burnt so as to avoid detection. Their
ostensible occupation is to trade in barren half-starved buffaloes
and buffalo calves, or in country ponies. They also purchase from
Gaoli herdsmen barren buffaloes, which they profess to be able to make
fertile; if successful they return them for double the purchase-money,
but if not, having obtained if possible some earnest-money, they
abscond and sell the animals at a distance. [190] Like the Bhamtas,
the Mang-Garoris, Major Gunthorpe states, make it a rule not to give
a girl in marriage until the intended husband has proved himself
an efficient thief. Mr. Gayer [191] writes as follows of the caste:
"I do not think Major Gunthorpe lays sufficient emphasis on the part
taken by the women in crimes, for they apparently do by far the major
part of the thieving, Sherring says the men never commit house-breaking
and very seldom rob on the highway: he calls them 'wanderers, showmen,
jugglers and conjurors,' and describes them as robbers who get their
information by performing before the houses of rich bankers and
others. Mang-Garori [192] women steal in markets and other places of
public resort. They wait to see somebody put down his clothes or bag
of rupees and watch till his attention is attracted elsewhere, when,
walking up quietly between the article and its owner, they drop their
petticoat either over or by it, and manage to transfer the stolen
property into their basket while picking up the petticoat. If an
unfavourable omen occurs on the way when the women set out to pilfer
they place a stone on the ground and dash another on to it saying,
'If the obstacle is removed, break'; if the stone struck is broken,
they consider that the obstacle portended by the unfavourable omen
is removed from their path, and proceed on their way; but if not,
they return. Stolen articles are often bartered at liquor-shops for
drink, and the Kalars act as receivers of stolen property for the
Mang-Garoris."
The following are some particulars taken from an old account of the
criminal Mangs; [193] Their leader or headman was called the _naik_
and was elected by a majority of votes, though considerable regard
was paid to heredity. The _naik's_ person and property were alike
inviolable; after a successful foray each of the gang contributed a
quarter of his share to the _naik_, and from the fund thus made up
were defrayed the expenses of preparation, religious offerings and
the triumphal feast. A pair of shoes were usually given to a Brahman
and alms to the poor. To each band was attached an informer, who was
also receiver of the stolen goods. These persons were usually bangle-
or perfume-sellers or jewellers. In this capacity they were admitted
into the women's apartments and so enabled to form a correct notion
of the topography of a house and a shrewd guess as to the wealth
of its inmates. Like all barbarous tribes and all persons addicted
to criminal practices the Mangs were extremely superstitious. They
never set out on an expedition on a Friday. After the birth of a child
the mother and another woman stood on opposite sides of the cradle,
and the former tossed her child to the other, commending it to the
mercy of Jai Gopal, and waited to receive it back in like manner in
the name of Jai Govind. Both Gopal and Govind are names of Krishna,
The Mangs usually married young in life. If a girl happened to hang
heavy on hand she was married at the age of puberty to the deity. In
other words, she was attached as a prostitute to the temple of the god
Khandoba or the goddess Yellama. Those belonging to the service of
the latter were wont in the month of February to parade the streets
in a state of utter nudity. When a bachelor wished to marry a widow
he was first united to a swallow-wort plant, and this was immediately
dug up and transplanted, and withering away left him at liberty to
marry the widow. If a lady survived the sorrow caused by the death
of two or three husbands she could not again enter the holy state
unless she consented to be married with a fowl under her armpit;
the unfortunate bird being afterwards killed to appease the manes of
her former consorts.