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Districts. |Number.
~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~
Farrukhâbâd | 390
Mainpuri | 2
Etâwah | 3
Pilibhît | 3
Allahâbâd | 13
Jaunpur | 75
Sîtapur | 498
Kheri | 92
+~~~~~~~
Total | 1,076
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Daryadâsi.—A Vaishnava sect in the Ghâzipur district, founded by one
Darya Dâs, a Vaishnava mendicant of the Koeri caste, whose followers
now number 2,310.
Darzi.—(Persian darz, “a seam”) The tailor caste: pedantically known as
Khaiyât (Arabic khaiyât, “to sew”).—The caste is purely occupational
and consists of a Hindu as well as a Muhammadan branch. Like all
similar so-called castes it shows a tendency to break up into
endogamous occupational branches, such as the Rafugar or darner of old
clothes, the Khaimadoz or tent-maker, and the Dastarband or maker of
the elaborate turbans, such as are worn by office clerks and native
servants. The patron saint of the Muhammadan branch is Ibrahîm or
Abraham, who, according to them, practised the craft. In the month of
Sâwan they make offerings to him of rice stew (pulâo) and cakes. These
Musalmân Darzis take the titles of Shaikh and Khalîfa.
2. The Hindu Darzis are made up, as is shown by their exogamous
sub-divisions, of various elements. Thus, among the five hundred and
twenty-six sections of the Hindu and one hundred and forty-six of the
Muhammadan branch, we find the names of many well-known tribes and
castes, such as Agariya, Agarwâla, Atishbâz, Bâchhal, Baddhik, Baid,
Bais, Baiswâr, Bâmhan, Baniyâna, Bargûjar, Benbans, Bhât, Chamâr,
Chandeli, Chauhân, Chhatri, Dhânuk, Gûjar, Gaur, Jâdon, Janwâr,
Kachhwâhiya, Kâyasth, Kharwâr, Koli, Marâtha, Mukeri, Ojha, Panwâr,
Râjput, Râthaur, Raghubansi, Sakarwâr, Solankhi, Sûrajbansi, Taga,
Tânk, Tomar, and Turkiya. With these are many local titles, such as
Bareli, Bathmi, or Srivâtsav, Bhadwariya, Bhâgalpuriya, Dilliwâl,
Hardwâriya, Jaiswâr, Jalâlpuriya, Kânhpuriya, Mathur or Mathuriya, and
Sarwariya. The Kâyasth caste has contributed many recruits to them who
call themselves Sribâstab or Sribâstak Kâyasths from Dundiya Khera, the
head-quarters of the Bais Râjputs. The name is derived from the town of
Srâvasti, now Sahet Mahet in the Gonda district. In Garhwâl the Hindu
Darzi is known as Bora, most of whom seem to be of the Dom tribe. In
the Western Districts their endogamous sub-divisions are Râthaur,
Mathuriya, Mahor, and Saksena (from Sankisa): of these the Râthaur, who
claim descent from the Râjput tribe of that name, are the highest, and
Mathuriya and Mahor, who are often contemptuously termed Chamar Sujiya
or Chamârs’ tailors, are the lowest. In Benares, according to Mr.
Sherring, their sub-divisions are Sribâstav, Nâmdeo, Tânchara, Dhanesh,
Panjâbi, Gaur, Kantak, and Saksena. Among sections locally important we
find the Zahûri of Sahâranpur: the Chauhân and Jogi of Muzaffarnagar:
the Sadîqi of Sîtapur: the Turkiya of Kheri, and the Pîrzâda of Gonda.
The Musalmân Darzis follow the ordinary rules of Muhammadan exogamy;
but it is said that there is now-a-days a tendency to replace these by
the usual standard Hindu formula. Widows remarry by the sagâi or kâj
form, and the levirate is optional.
[Religion.] 3. Though most of the Darzis in the east of the Province
profess to be Sunni Muhammadans, they still cling to many Hindu usages.
They worship Kâlika, Bhawâni, and the Pânchonpîr, among whom they
particularly reverence Ghâzi Miyân. [278] These are worshipped in the
month of Jeth, when the wedding of Ghâzi Miyân is commemorated. The
offerings to them consist of rich cakes (malîda), bread, fowls,
sweetmeats, melons, cucumbers, gram-flour, and cakes made of pulse and
pumpkin (konhrauri). They bury their dead in the usual Muhammadan form,
and lay offerings to the spirits of their deceased ancestors at the ‘Id
and Shab-i-barât. They are said to eat beef more freely than ordinary
Muhammadans of their class. Those who are Hindus follow the rites and
customs of the higher castes.
[Occupation and social life.] 4. The ordinary Darzi is a very low-paid
and hard-worked craftsman. According to Mr. Hoey [279] in Lucknow the
rate for making men’s jackets (angarkha) is from three to eight annas
according as the work is plain or more or less ornamented: for men’s
drawers (mardâna pâêjâma) one and-a-half to two annas: coats (kurta)
one and-a-half annas: jackets (salûka) one and-a-half annas. The only
articles of female apparel made by them are drawers (pâêjâma), which
are either of the ordinary tight pattern (churidâr), or wide with
gussets (kalidâr), such as are worn by dancing women and servants. Some
are master-tailors, and these, according to Mr. Hoey, make as much
profit by each workman as his daily wages, one and-a-half annas to
three annas per diem. Their women are said to be constantly divorced,
and there are few women who have not changed husbands more than once.
5. The occupation is an ancient one. In the vocabulary of Amara Sinha
there are two words for workers with a needle—tunnavâya, or “those who
darn” (the modern Rafugar), and the other the sauchika (represented by
the modern Sûji), a general tailor. The profession of the latter was of
sufficient importance to necessitate the establishment of a special
tribe and a mixed class. The lawful issue of Vaisyas by a Sûdra woman
were, according to the ancient law book of Usanas, destined to live by
it and were called Sauchi or “needle-men.” [280] The occupation is a
poor one and held rather in contempt. The village proverb runs,—Darji
ka pût jab tak jîta tab tak sîta—“the tailor’s brat will do nothing but
sew all his life long.” Another is,—Darzi ki sûi khabhi tâsh men, kabhi
tât men—“the tailor’s needle now in embroidery, now in canvass.”