=============+=======
Districts. |Number.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~
Bulandshahr | 7
Mathura | 6
Farrukhâbâd | 488
Etâwah | 138
Pilibhît | 2
Cawnpur | 10,001
Fatehpur | 6,566
Hamîrpur | 5
Allahâbâd | 9
Benares | 2
Lucknow | 2,925
Unâo | 14,368
Râê Bareli | 2,945
Sîtapur | 8
Hardoi | 6,817
Kheri | 138
Faizâbâd | 748
Bârabanki | 428
+~~~~~~~
Total | 45,601
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G
Gadariya; [377] Garariya; Gaderiya; Ganreriya—(Hindi gâdar, “a sheep:”
Sanskrit gandhâra, so called because originally brought from the
country of Gandhâra or Kandahar).—The caste of shepherds, goat-herds,
and blanket-weavers found all over the Province. In many parts they are
known as Guâl Gadariya, and there seems strong reason to believe that
they are in some way connected with the Ahîr or Guâla race, though
their personal appearance indicates a much larger admixture of
non-Aryan blood. This is strengthened by the fact noted by Mr. Risley
[378] that in Bihâr they will take both kachchi and pakki food from
Guâlas.
[Internal structure.] 2. According to the last Census the Gadariyas of
these Provinces recorded themselves in twelve sub-castes besides
several more whose numbers were too small to find a place in the final
returns. These sub-castes are Baghel; Bamhaniya; Chandel; Dhîngar;
Haranwâl; Kachhwâha; Nikhar; Phûl-singhiya; Râthaur; Rautela; Sâgar;
Saraswâr. Nearly half of these are the names of well-known Râjput
septs, and this may possibly go to show that the formation of these
endogamous groups, under at least their present names, may be of
comparatively modern date. It is asserted from Bareilly that they admit
outsiders into the caste: this is doubtful and apparently not the case
in the Eastern Districts. In Benares Mr. Sherring [379] gives an
entirely different set of sub-castes—Dhîngar; Nikhar; Jaunpuri, or
“those from Jaunpur;” Illahâbâdi, “those from Allahâbâd;” Bakarkasâu,
or “goat butchers;” Namdawâla, or “makers of felt,” and Chikwa who are
usually classed with the Qassâb. He asserts that the first four
sub-castes keep sheep and goats, not so the remaining three. They also
manufacture blankets. The Bakarkasâu and Namdawâla sub-castes do so
likewise. The Chikwas are Muhammadans. He also names two other
sub-castes—the Bharariya, who derive their name from bher, a sheep.
“Nevertheless they are not employed in tending sheep, but in other
kinds of labour. The Baikatas are the lowest in rank among the
Gadariyas. They live by begging scraps of hair from the other
sub-castes that keep flocks, and selling the proceeds.” Sir H. M.
Elliot names also the Taselha or Pachhâdê, “those of the west,” Chak,
Bareiya, Paihwâr, and Bhaiyatâr. From Agra it is reported that the
women of the Dhîngar sub-caste wear bangles of glass, bore their noses,
and do not eat meat; while those of the Nikhar do not wear glass
bangles, do not bore their noses, and eat meat. Of the 1,113 sections
of Hindu and 8 of the Muhammadan branch included in the detailed Census
Returns, those of the chief local importance are the Chandan, Mokha,
and Sahla of Sahâranpur: the Ahîr, Chhotisen, Sahla, and Uchahri of
Muzaffarnagar: the Bhatti, Ganga, Panwâr, and Râê of Bulandshahr: the
Hans, Madâriya, and Sengar of Aligarh: the Vaneli of Mainpuri: the
Raikwâr of Etâwah: the Sengar of Bareilly: the Sahla of Bijnor: the
Rautelê and Sahla of Morâdâbâd: the Magar and Panwâr of Cawnpur: the
Panwâr of Fatehpur: the Rohingar of Hamîrpur: the Darsiya of Ghâzipur:
the Sailiya of the Tarâi: the Thengar of Râê Bareli: the Barharwâr,
Dokhar, and Panwâr of Hardoi, and the Nikhad of Sultânpur.
[Traditions of origin.] 3. The Western Gadariyas call themselves
Marhattas and describe themselves as emigrants from Gwâlior. Some of
them still visit Gwâlior to worship the goddess Kâli Devi, and they
employ a colony of Gwâlior Bhâts who have come from Gwâlior and settled
at Anupshahr in the Bulandshahr District. The Gadariyas fix their
emigration from Gwâlior in the time of the Dor or Tomar Râja Buddh Sen.
[Marriage rules.] 4. The Gadariyas usually marry their girls at the age
of from seven to twelve. To the west it is a rule among them after
marriage to lodge the bride first on her arrival with her husband in a
separate room, and then she is not admitted into the house until she
pays a sum of money to the men or persons connected with her husband by
marriage with women of his family. In the course of this function a
mimic struggle goes on between the two parties. Next morning after she
is thus received into her husband’s family, the women of the house fill
an iron pan with water and place in it two silver rings and some blades
of grass. The married couple then struggle to see which of them will
secure the rings. The bridegroom’s female relations do their best to
help him. Whichever of the pair secures the rings will have the mastery
during married life. When the mock struggle is over, the winner pours
the contents of the vessel over the loser. There are no marriage
brokers; matches are arranged by a member of the caste. He receives a
rupee and a turban from the father of the bridegroom; but if he commit
any fraud in arranging the match, the council have one side of his
moustache shaved in the presence of the brethren, and also impose a
fine. A man may discard his wife for infidelity, but such women are not
allowed to remarry in the caste. Widow-marriage and the levirate are
permitted, and the children by any form of recognised marriage are
equal heirs. Illegitimate children are not allowed to intermarry or
even smoke with those of pure blood. A man who marries a widow has
generally to pay something to her relations, and in any case he has to
pay any debts she may have contracted during widowhood.
[Birth customs.] 5. The woman during delivery sits on a stool facing
the Ganges. She is attended by a sweeper or Koli midwife for at least
three days. When the birth of a male child is announced, one of the
mother’s female relations hurries out of the house, and draws all round
the walls a line of cowdung as a magic circle to keep off evil spirits.
She also makes a rude cowdung figure at each side of the door, and
fixes up seven pieces of broomstick near it. When a girl is born, only
a piece of a broken earthen pot is put up over the door. On the second
day the mother is given a condiment which is supposed to consist of
thirty-two drugs boiled together. On the tenth day the mother and child
are taken to the nearest well with singing, and she worships the well
by marking the platform with turmeric, and placing upon it the cowdung
figures which had been fixed up near the house door. They all return,
and soaked gram and sweets are distributed.
[Marriage customs.] 6. The marriage ceremonies are of the normal type.
There are some observances which may be survivals of marriage by
capture. Thus, while the marriage is going on, the women of the bride’s
family carry on a mock fight with the relations of the bridegroom, and
are allowed to strike them with the kneading roller (belan). If a girl
has a particular curl of the hair which is supposed to resemble a
female snake (sânpin), she is first married to a camel-thorn bush (jhar
beri). If a bachelor in the same way marry a widow, and she bear him a
daughter, in order to overcome the evil influence which is supposed to
arise from the dhareja form of marriage, he gets himself married to a
tree before he gives away the daughter in marriage to another.
[Death customs.] 7. Gadariyas cremate their adult dead, except those
who have died of snake-bite or small-pox. If such corpses are cremated,
they believe that at the burning a steam arises from them which strikes
the mourners blind. On the way to the burning ground a ball (pinda) is
offered in the name of the deceased. The son of the deceased fires the
pyre, and each of the mourners throws in five cakes of cowdung fuel.
Some ashes are sifted and placed the following day on the spot where
the death occurred, and next morning from the marks on the ashes they
speculate as to the form which the soul will assume in the next birth.
They perform the usual srâddha.
[Religion.] 8. Gadariyas are orthodox Hindus, the Musalmân branch of
the caste being very inconsiderable. Their chief deity is Kâli. They
also worship a local deity known as Châmar. This is more especially
done in the Naudurga of Chait and Kuâr and when cholera or other
epidemic disease is about. The offerings consist of cakes (pûri),
coarse sugar, and sometimes a goat. The last is taken by the Chamâr
priest and the former by the local Brâhman priest or Kherapati. Another
spirit named Jakhaiya or Jokhaiya is largely worshipped by Gadariyas in
the Western Districts. He is said to be the ghost of a Muhammadan
Ghosi. His priest is a sweeper, and his offering a young pig. The chief
shrine of Jokhaiya, who, according to the last Census, was worshipped
by 87,061 persons, is at Pendhat, in the Mainpuri District. He is there
said to have been a Bhangi, who was killed during the war between
Prithivi Râja of Delhi and Jaychand of Kanauj. His offering is a pig,
which is presented by women who long for children and pray for easy
delivery. The fair is said also to bring timely winter rain. To the
west of the Province they are served by Sanâdh Brâhmans; to the east by
low class Brâhmans of various tribes.
[Social status.] 9. In Bihâr, according to Mr. Risley, the Gadariya
ranks higher than the Ahîr; but this does not seem to be the case in
these Provinces. They are, however, careful about food and drink, and
maintain a fairly high standard of personal purity. Their original
occupation is keeping and selling sheep and goats and making blankets;
but besides this they cultivate and practice various forms of trading.
The women have a reputation for untidy habits, as the common proverb
runs,—Ek to Garerin, dusrê lahsan khâê—“a shepherdess and eating garlic
in the bargain.”