The caste have local divisions known as Bastarha, Chhattisgarhia
and Marethia, according as they live in Bastar, Chhattisgarh,
or Bhandara and the other Maratha Districts. The last two groups,
however, intermarry, so only the Bastar Halbas really form a separate
subcaste. But the caste is also everywhere divided into two groups of
pure and mixed Halbas. These are known in Bastar and Chhattisgarh as
Purait or Nekha, and Surait or Nayak, respectively, and in Bhandara as
Barpangat and Khalpangat or those of good and bad stock. The Suraits
or Khalpangats are said to be of mixed origin, born from Halba fathers
and women of other castes. But in past times unions of Halba mothers
and men of other castes were perhaps not less frequent. These two
sets of groups do not intermarry. A Surait Halba will take food from
a Purait, but the Puraits do not return the compliment; though in some
localities they will accept food which does not contain salt. The two
divisions will take water from each other and exchange leaf-pipes. In
Bhandara the Barpangat or pure Halbas have now further split into
two groups, the zamindari families having constituted themselves
into a separate subdivision; they practise hypergamy with the others,
taking daughters from them in marriage but not giving their daughters
to them. This is simply of a piece with their claim to be Rajputs,
hypergamy being a custom of northern India.