[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Travellers (1500–1858)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel) › [Storia do Mogor](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci) › [Storia do Mogor (Irvine)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine) › 259 # Storia do Mogor 259: Of the Ceremonies observed by Merchants and Shopkeepers at their Weddings. Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 259 - **Language:** English ### Of the Ceremonies observed by Merchants and Shopkeepers at their Weddings. ### [259.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.259.1) The people of this caste observe in their marriages no other ceremonies than those performed by Brahmans and Rajahs, with the exception that no marriage can take place without informing the shoemaker of the locality. These are the lowest and the most despised among men. When the shoemaker has consented, they make earthen figures of his two-edged scraper, his awl, his paring-knife, and his other tools. These are made over to the man about to marry as proof positive that they have the leave of the shoemaker. The reason some assign for this base practice is that in olden times that caste originated from a Brahman and a shoemaker's wife. This man, as they say, looked on the woman, disregarding the restrictions of his caste, by the maxims of which not only should he not have spoken to her, but not approached within eighty or more paces of her. In spite of this, he went near enough to be able to ask her if she would marry him. Her persistent reply was that without the permission of her husband she would grant nothing to satisfy his wishes. But this answer was not powerful enough to make the Brahman desist \[130\] from his pursuit. On the contrary, he became only the more inflamed, and each time he saw her he sought means to win her. ### [259.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.259.2) On seeing this the shoemaker's wife said to her husband : ' You who have done so many virtuous actions in your life and given so much away in alms, give me as an alms to this Brahman, and it will form, I assure you, one of the most meritorious works you have either done or could do. For ' (she wound up with saying) ' this Brahman is our god, and to do his will is like sacrificing to God, for which you will be recompensed some day without fail.' The poor shoemaker, overcome by this reasoning so opposed to honour, and also by the poverty of his condition, gave his wife to the Brahman. The children born of this union follow in many respects the customs of their ancestor. Anxious to regain the honour they have lost, they still follow their forefather's habits, such as to twist thread, not to eat flesh or fish, not to cook nor eat where other castes can see them. For if anyone went and touched, or even drew near to, the place where they prepare their food or where they eat it, they would consider themselves polluted and defiled. On such occasions what they have already eaten they artificially vomit, and break the pots in which it has been cooked. They go off at once to bathe themselves so as to recover their purity. Furthermore, by the marriage above referred to, they have lost the honour of belonging to the Brahman caste, and equally so the right to study religion and sciences, a thing allowed to the Brahmans alone in this country. ### [259.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.259.3) From this cause these others, knowing not what else to do, have been obliged to turn into merchants. This is why all the other castes, even those of the Sudras, who know the constitution of this caste, will not eat or drink in their houses. It would seem that those who assign this origin to the caste of shopkeepers are more regardful of truth than those telling the fable I gave in my fifth chapter (III. no), where they say that this caste is the third in the country because it was born from the thigh of Brahma. For, if this fable were held to be true, it is quite certain that the Sudra castes, who assume that they came forth from the feet of Brahma, would raise no difficulty about eating and drinking in the houses of shopkeepers, nor would they hold that class in such low esteem as they do. All the same, the business caste has a high conception of itself. So high do they esteem themselves that they will not allow their women to marry again after the husband's death, even when they are very young. They either burn alive with the corpse of their husband or remain widows until they die. But they observe much more restraint than the Brahman widows. If the men come to know that any widow of their caste has misbehaved, they kill her without fail. They endeavour in all their acts to prove themselves of high descent, superior to the Sudras, of whose marriages I now proceed to say a few words. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.259](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.259) · Pramāṇa