==============+=========
District. | Number.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~
Dehra Dûn | 108
Sahâranpur | 486
Muzaffarnagar | 16
Meerut | 6
Bulandshahr | 260
Aligarh | 88
Mathura | 20
Agra | 52
Farrukhâbâd | 3
Mainpuri | 32
Etâwah | 17
Etah | 44
Bareilly | 175
Bijnor | 115
Budâun | 98
Morâdâbâd | 53
Shâhjahânpur | 20
Pilibhît | 76
Cawnpur | 2
Fatehpur | 44
Bânda | 45
Hamîrpur | 312
Allahâbâd | 153
Lalitpur | 14
Jaunpur | 183
Ghâzipur | 152
Ballia | 19
Basti | 337
Azamgarh | 955
Lucknow | 45
Unâo | 2
Râê Bareli | 117
Sîtapur | 68
Kheri | 18
Faizâbâd | 38
Gonda | 377
Bahrâich | 36
Sultânpur | 328
Bârabanki | 227
+~~~~~~~~
Total | 5,141
==============+========
Chûrihâr.—(Sanskrit chûda-kâra).—A maker of glass bangles. Another name
for the caste is Manihâr (Sanskrit mani, a “jewel,” kâra) or Kachera
(kâch, Sanskrit kâcha, “glass”). The Lakhera makes bangles from lac
(lâkh, Sanskrit laksha). The bangles are ornamented with foil (panni),
beads (pot), counterfeit stones (nagîna). [266]
2. The caste is, judging from its sectional divisions, of mixed origin.
Out of one hundred and eleven names recorded in the Census Returns, the
number of local sections is remarkable, such as Baksariya, Bhojpuriya,
Dakkhinâha, Gopâlpuriya, Kanaujiya, Kânhpuriya, Makanpuriya,
Naikanpuriya, Purabiya, Sarwariya, Sankarpuriya, Shaikhpuriya,
Sikandarpuriya, Srivâstab, Sispuriya, Sîtalpuriya, Sukalpuriya,
Sûrajpuriya, Tâjpuriya. Besides these are some named from or connected
with other castes, as Bais, Chauhân, Julâha, Kachhwâha, Kâkan, Nûrbâf,
Sengara, and Tarkihâr. Others are occupational, as Sâbungar
(soap-makers), Mirdaha (heralds), Jonkwâr (leech men). The Jhusiya take
their name from the old town of Jhusi on the Ganges in the Allahâbâd
District. [267] Another is Todarmali, which takes its name from Akbar’s
revenue minister. Besides these are the Bannait, Chelaha, and
Solasinghi, of which the origin is doubtful. All these sub-divisions
are endogamous and practise the ordinary Muhammadan rules of prohibited
degrees. In Mirzapur they represent their head-quarters to be
Allahâbâd, and say that they emigrated from there some five or six
generations ago. They do not admit male outsiders into the caste, but
admit females, who are converted to Islâm and married to members of the
caste after passages from the Qurân have been read over them and the
clansmen feasted.
[Marriage rules.] 3. They practise infant marriage, marrying children
between the ages of five and ten. They have the usual three forms of
marriage—charhauwa, where the bridegroom goes in procession to the
bride’s house and marries her there; dola, practised by poor people,
where the bride is brought home quietly and the clansmen entertained;
and sagâi for widows. Marriage is performed in the usual Muhammadan
form, and the binding portion of the ceremony is the reading of the
Sharah by the Qâzi or some literate person representing him. A widow
may marry the younger brother of her deceased husband, but the levirate
is not enforced. If a woman commit adultery or is habitually
disobedient to the orders of her husband, he can divorce her by leave
of the tribal council (panchâyat). A woman cannot divorce her husband,
but can complain to the council if he is faithless to her or ill-treats
her. When a husband divorces his wife he gives her three and-a-half
rupees. They have a special tribal rule of succession, partly following
Hindu and partly Muhammadan rules, but adhering closely to the former.
[Religion.] 4. They are Muhammadans of the Sunni sect, but have various
tribal deities of diverse origin. Kâlika is one of the forms of Hindu
mother worship. [268] Sahja Mâi is the feminine element in the
quintette of the Pânchonpîr. Her worship is common in Bihâr. [269]
Hardiha or Hardaur Lâla, one of the aggregate of the collective village
gods (Deohâr), and three Muhammadan saints known as Ghaus Pîr, Barê
Pîr, and Ghâzi Miyân are also venerated. These deities are worshipped
in the months of Kârttik and Jeth with offerings of fowls and rice
boiled in milk with sugar (khîr). They bury their dead in a graveyard
like ordinary Muhammadans. At the festivals of the ‘Id and Baqar ‘Id
they offer food to the spirits of the dead (purkha log). To those who
have died a violent or unusual death special offerings are made of rice
milk (khîr) at the ‘Id, and the halwa sweetmeat at the Baqar ‘Id. Some
females on certain days in the week offer a fire offering (hom) to the
traditional teacher (ustâd) of the trade, whose name they have
forgotten.
[Occupation and social status.] 5. Their primary occupation is making
glass bangles. [270] Many have taken to agriculture and dealing in
hides and horns. The women have a good reputation; they are not
secluded, but go about village fairs selling bangles. The use of liquor
has been prohibited by the council in quite recent years. They eat the
flesh of the cow, goat, sheep, camel, fowls, fish, and all kinds of
deer. They will not eat food touched by a Mehtar, Hela, Chamâr or Dom.
Women will not eat food touched by any Hindu. All Muhammadans eat and
smoke with them, and they say that Doms and Chamârs will eat food
touched by them.