The Kawars have the following eight endogamous divisions: Tanwar,
Kamalbansi, Paikara, Dudh-Kawar, Rathia, Chanti, Cherwa and Rautia. The
Tanwar group, also known as Umrao, is that to which the zamindars
belong, and they now claim to be Tomara Rajputs, and wear the sacred
thread. They prohibit widow-remarriage, and do not eat fowls or drink
liquor; but they have not yet induced Brahmans to take water from
them or Rajputs to accept their daughters in marriage. The name
Tanwar is not improbably simply a corruption of Kawar, and they
are also altering their sept names to make them resemble those of
eponymous Brahmanical gotras. Thus Dhangur, the name of a sept, has
been altered to Dhananjaya, and Sarvaria to Sandilya. Telasi is the
name of a sept to which four zamindars belong, and is on this account
sometimes returned as their caste by other Kawars, who consider it as
a distinction. The zamindari families have now, however, changed the
name Telasi to Kairava. The Paikaras are the most numerous subtribe,
being three-fifths of the total. They derive their name from Paik,
a foot-soldier, and formerly followed this occupation, being employed
in the armies of the Haihaivansi Rajas of Ratanpur. They still worship
a two-edged sword, known as the Jhagra Khand, or 'Sword of Strife,'
on the day of Dasahra. The Kamalbansi, or 'Stock of the Lotus,'
may be so called as being the oldest subdivision; for the lotus is
sometimes considered the root of all things, on account of the belief
that Brahma, the creator of the world, was himself born from this
flower. In Bilaspur the Kamalbansis are considered to rank next after
the Tanwars or zamindars' group. Colonel Dalton states that the term
Dudh or 'Milk' Kawar has the signification of 'Cream of the Kawars,'
and he considered this subcaste to be the highest. The Rathias are a
territorial group, being immigrants from Rath, a wild tract of the
Raigarh State. The Rautias are probably the descendants of Kawar
fathers and mothers of the Rawat (herdsman) caste. The traditional
connection of the Kawars with a Rawat has already been mentioned,
and even now if a Kawar marries a Rawat girl she will be admitted
into the tribe, and the children will become full Kawars. Similarly,
the Rawats have a Kauria subcaste, who are also probably the offspring
of mixed marriages; and if a Kawar girl is seduced by a Kauria Rawat,
she is not expelled from the tribe, as she would be for a liaison
with any other man who was not a Kawar. This connection is no doubt
due to the fact that until recently the Kawars and Rawats, who are
themselves a very mixed caste, were accustomed to intermarry. At the
census persons returned as Rautia were included in the Kol tribe, which
has a subdivision of that name. But Mr. Hira Lal's inquiries establish
the fact that in Chhattisgarh they are undoubtedly Kawars. The Cherwas
are probably another hybrid group descended from connections formed by
Kawars with girls of the Chero tribe of Chota Nagpur. The Chanti, who
derive their name from the ant, are considered to be the lowest group,
as that insect is the most insignificant of living things. Of the above
subcastes the Tanwars are naturally the highest, while the Chanti,
Cherwa and Rautia, who keep pigs, are considered as the lowest. The
others occupy an intermediate position. None of the subcastes will eat
together, except at the houses of their zamindars, from whom they will
all take food. But the Kawars of the Chhuri estate no longer attend the
feasts of their zamindar, for the following curious reason. One of the
latter's village thekadars or farmers had got the hide taken off a dead
buffalo so as to keep it for his own use, instead of making the body
over to a Chamar (tanner). The caste-fellows saw no harm in this act,
but it offended the zamindar's more orthodox Hindu conscience. Soon
afterwards, at some marriage-feast of his family, when the Kawars
of his zamindari attended in accordance with the usual custom, he
remarked, 'Here come our Chamars,' or words to that effect. The Chhuri
Kawars were insulted, and the more so because the Pendra zamindar and
other outsiders were present. So they declined to take food any longer
from their zamindar. They continued to accept it, however, from the
other zamindars, until their master of Chhuri represented to them
that this would result in a slur being put upon his standing among
his fellows. So they have now given up taking food from any zamindar.