Katia, Katwa, Katua.--An occupational caste of cotton-spinners and
village watchmen belonging to the Satpura Districts and the Nerbudda
valley. In 1911 they numbered 41,000 persons and were returned mainly
from the Hoshangabad, Seoni and Chhindwara Districts. The caste is
almost confined to the Central Provinces. The name is derived from
the Hindi katna, to spin thread, and the Katias are an occupational
group probably recruited from the Mahars and Koris. They have a
tradition, Mr. Crooke states, [410] that they were originally Bais
Rajputs, whose ancestors, having been imprisoned for resistance
to authority, were released on the promise that they would follow
a woman's occupation of spinning thread. In the Central Provinces
they are sometimes called Renhta Rajputs or Knights of the Spinning
Wheel. The tradition of Rajput descent need not of course be taken
seriously. The drudgery of spinning thread was naturally imposed on
any widow in the household, and hence the saying, 'It is always moving,
like a widow's spinning-wheel.' [411]