Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s2.18.4

c48.s2.18.4

As they are mentioned in the Nāsik cave inscriptions, they must have been long established in their dominion. Alongside of them is the Gōvārī caste, which has no trace of immigration either in nomenclature or tradition. In the Chattīsgarh country, to the east, comes the Rāvāt, another cattle-breeding caste of long standing in that region. The two last mentioned castes which in 1891 numbered about 350,000 persons, do not appear at all in the returns for 1901, so they have probably been compiled under Ahīr or some other general title. Two other cattle-breeding castes of upper India may be mentioned, the Ghōsī, an offshoot of the Ahīr, or as some think, of the Gūjar, which has been converted to Islām. They occupy a comparatively low position, and near the large towns confine their attention to the dairy side of their occupation. The other caste is the Rabārī of Rājputāna and the Gujarāt peninsulas. They are of Mārvāḍ origin, but wandered to the coast, and now breed both cattle and camels, and some of them even become shepherds. In the north they confine their trade to camels. In the Dekkan, the Gaulī, and further south, the Golla, represent this industry. In the Tamil country, the cultivator generally breeds his own cattle, and only one caste devoted to this occupation appears in the return. This is the Kannaḍiyan, a small body, of apparently upland origin.