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District. |Number.
~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~
Benares | 3,214
Mirzapur | 14,398
Ghâzipur | 537
Ballia | 579
Tarâi | 93
+~~~~~~~~
Total | 18,821
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Bohra.—(Sanskrit, vyavahâraka, “a trader”).—A general term for any
trader or money-lender. Those recorded under this name at the last
Census are almost entirely confined to the Meerut Division. They claim
to be and are usually admitted to be Brâhmans. Of them Sir H. M. Elliot
[144] writes—“The Bohras of these Provinces either come from the
neighbourhood of Jaypur, or are descendants of the original settlers
from that quarter, and preserve some peculiarities of speech and dress
by which they are readily known. An inferior class of Bohras is called
Kaiyân, who are said to take their name from their trick of constantly
saying Kahi, Kaîn, ‘Why?’ or Rahti—the continually revolving nature of
their dealings and monthly visits to their debtors have with reference
to the constant revolutions of the rahat or Persian wheel and buckets
procured them the designation of Rahti.” Another name for them is
Athwariya because they take interest every eighth (âthwen) day. The
Bohras, according to Sir H. M. Elliot, have larger dealings and with
higher classes than the Rahtis have, but, like the latter, are
generally eager to acquire possession of profitable estates. There is,
however, this difference between them, that the Rahtis lend and will
take in return only money; whereas the Bohras are ready to receive
every marketable article, including the produce of the soil as well as
cattle, among which may be enumerated horses, camels, sheep and goats
in payment of their debts.
2. Those in the Upper Ganges Jumna Duâb, claim to be Paliwâl Gaur
Brâhmans, from Pâli, in Râjputâna. [145] Trade is not lawful for a
Brâhman except in times of scarcity and under certain conditions. [146]
Hence to mark their separation from Brâhmans with whom they do not mess
or intermarry, they associate with the Mahâbrâhman, who is an
abomination to the Hindu on account of his functions as a funeral
priest.
3. In Kumâun the Bohras call themselves Khasiya Râjputs, but claim to
have been originally money-lenders. They are now thriving
agriculturists. [147] To the east of the Province the trading Brâhmans
are called Bâona, and are analogous to the Bâbhan or Bhuînhâr. [148]
Quite distinct from these trading Brâhmans are the Bohras of Central
India, who are Musalmâns. They are wholesale merchants of the first
class, as well as pedlars. They render implicit obedience to their
elected Mullas. They are of the Hasani tribe,—once so dreaded in Egypt
and Persia for acts of murder and desperation. The principal Bohra
colony is at Ujjain, where they have four special quarters (muhala.)
[149] In the Panjâb, as in these Provinces, all the Bohras are Hindus.
4. Their exogamous sections would lead to the conclusion that their
origin is mixed. The Kâchhi and Khangâr seem to represent a non-Aryan
element. Besides these are the Bachguâr, Balâi, Bâtham (from Srâvasti),
Bhatiya, Charwâr, Dasâti, Deswâl, Kama, Kâsib, Kundal, Maheswari,
Nâgar, Samel, Syâmi, and Sundi.