Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s2.32

c48.s2.32

In the Telugu country, the Bōya, mentioned above, is probably akin to the Iruḷan, a wild, roving tribe of hunters and haunters of the scrub-jungle of the lower hills. The more prevalent fishing caste is the Palle, which is said to be a branch of the great labouring caste of Paḷḷi, further south and included in it. The latter was once subdivided into the Mīna, or fishing, and the Vana, or settled, clans, but apart from the barrier of a different language, the dividing line of occupation now leads the field-worker to repudiate the fisher, and not to eat or intermarry with him. Another Telugu caste, the Besta, is, like the rest, both fisher and cook, and some of its members hold land. They are supposed to be connected with the Karnatic Kabbēra, or Ambiga, who, in turn, form a link with the coast castes of the Mogēr and Mukkuvan, which go to sea, and the Mugayan, which fish only in the river. There is a similar distinction between the Tamil caste of the S'embaḍavan and their subdivision the S'avaḷaikkāran, the seafarers being reputed to rank higher than the freshwater people. The S'embaḍavan call in the local Brāhman, and the Mogēr make use of the Havīka, but the rest do not trouble the priest of any community other than their own.