In appearance and character the Kohlis cannot be said to show much
trace of distinction. The men wear a short white bandi or coat, and
a small head-cloth only three feet long. This is often scarcely more
than a handkerchief which tightly covers the crown, and terminates
in knots, inelegant and cheap. The women wear glass bangles only on
the left hand and brass or silver ones on the right, no doubt because
glass ornaments would interfere with their work and get broken. Their
cloth is drawn over the left shoulder instead of the right, a custom
which they share with Gonds, Kapewars and Buruds. In appearance the
caste are generally dirty. They are ignorant themselves and do not care
that their children should be educated. Their custom of polygamy leads
to family quarrels and excessive subdivision of property; thus in one
village, Ashti, the proprietary right is divided into 192 shares. On
this account they are seldom well-to-do. Their countenances are of
a somewhat inferior type and generally dark in colour. In character
they are peaceful and amenable, and have the reputation of being
very respectful to Government officials, who as a consequence look
on them with favour. 'Their heart is good,' a tahsildar [534] of
the Bhandara District remarked. If a guest comes to a Kohli, the
host himself offers to wash his feet, and if the guest be a Brahman,
will insist on doing so. They eat flesh and fowls, but abstain from
liquor. In social status they are on a level with the Malis and a
little below the regular cultivating castes.