_Nat, [337] Badi, Dang-Charha, Karnati, Bazigar, Sapera._--The term
Nat (Sanskrit Nata--a dancer) appears to be applied indefinitely
to a number of groups of vagrant acrobats and showmen, especially
those who make it their business to do feats on the tight-rope or with
poles, and those who train and exhibit snakes. Badi and Bazigar mean a
rope-walker, Dang-Charha a rope-climber, and Sapera a snake-charmer. In
the Central Provinces the Garudis or snake-charmers, and the Kolhatis,
a class of gipsy acrobats akin to the Berias, are also known as Nat,
and these are treated in separate articles. It is almost certain that
a considerable section, if not the majority, of the Nats really belong
to the Kanjar or Beria gipsy castes, who themselves maybe sprung from
the Doms. [338] Sir D. Ibbetson says: "They wander about with their
families, settling for a few days or weeks at a time in the vicinity
of large villages or towns, and constructing temporary shelters of
grass. In addition to practising acrobatic feats and conjuring of
a low class, they make articles of grass, straw and reeds for sale;
and in the centre of the Punjab are said to act as Mirasis, though
this is perhaps doubtful. They often practise surgery and physic
in a small way and are not free from suspicion of sorcery." [339]
This account would just as well apply to the Kanjar gipsies, and
the Nat women sometimes do tattooing like Kanjar or Beria women. In
Jubbulpore also the caste is known as Nat Beria, indicating that
the Nats there are probably derived from the Beria caste. Similarly
Sir H. Risley gives Bazigar and Kabutari as groups of the Berias
of Bengal, and states that these are closely akin to the Nats and
Kanjars of Hindustan. [340] An old account of the Nats or Bazigars
[341] would equally well apply to the Kanjars; and in Mr. Crooke's
detailed article on the Nats several connecting links are noticed. The
Nat women are sometimes known as Kabutari or pigeon, either because
their acrobatic feats are like the flight of the tumbler pigeon, or
on account of the flirting manner with which they attract their male
customers. [342] In the Central Provinces the women of the small Gopal
caste of acrobats are called Kabutari, and this further supports the
hypothesis that Nat is rather an occupational term than the name of
a distinct caste, though it is quite likely that there may be Nats
who have no other caste. The Badi or rope-dancer group again is an
offshoot of the Gond tribe, at least in the tracts adjoining the
Central Provinces. They have Gond septs as Marai, Netam, Wika, [343]
and they have the _damru_ or drum used by the Gaurias or snake-charmers
and jugglers of Chhattisgarh, who are also derived from the Gonds. The
Chhattisgarhi Dang-Charhas are Gonds who say they formerly belonged to
Panna State and were supported by Raja Aman Singh of Panna, a great
patron of their art. They sing a song lamenting his death in the
flower of his youth. The Karnatis or Karnataks are a class of Nats
who are supposed to have come from the Carnatic. Mr. Crooke notes
that they will eat the leavings of all high castes, and are hence
known as Khushhaliya or 'Those in prosperous circumstances.' [344]