The Rautias had formerly three subdivisions, the Barki, Majhli and
Chhotki Bhir or Gorhi, or the high, middle and low class Rautias. But
it is related that the Barki group found that they could not obtain
girls in marriage for their sons, so they extended the privileges
of the _connubium_ to the Majhli group after taking a caste
feast. Possibly the Barki Rautias formerly practised hypergamy with
the Majhli, taking daughters in marriage but not giving daughters, and
in course of time this has led to the obliteration of the distinction
between them. The different status of the three groups was based on
their purity of descent. The Majhli and Chhotki were the descendants
of Rautia fathers and mothers of other castes; the offspring going to
the Majhli group if the mother was a Gond or Kawar or of respectable
caste, while the children of impure Ganda and Ghasia women by Rautia
fathers were admitted into the Chhotki group. These divisions confirm
the hypothesis previously given of the genesis of the Rautia caste;
and it is further worth noting that the Khandaits have also Bar and
Chhot Gohir divisions or those of pure and mixed blood, and the Halbas
of Bastar are similarly divided into the Purait or pure Halbas,
and the Surait or descendants of Halba fathers by women of other
castes. In a military society, where the men were frequently on the
move or stationed in outlying forts and posts, temporary unions and
illegitimate children would naturally be of common occurrence. And
the mixed nature of the three castes affords some support to the
hypothesis of their common origin from military service.
The tribe have totemistic septs, and retain some veneration for their
totems. Those of the Bagh or tiger sept throw away their earthen pots
on hearing of the death of a tiger. Those of the Sand or bull sept
will not castrate bullocks themselves, and must have this operation
performed on their plough-bullocks by others. Those of the Kansi sept
formerly, according to their own account, would not root up the _kans_
grass [597] growing in their fields, but now they no longer object to
do so. Other septs are Tithi a bird, Bira a hawk, Barwan a wild dog,
and so on.