Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s3.2.2

c48.s3.2.2

His functions are chiefly exercised among the Rājputs, but in the Panjāb some of the Jāṭ clans, and in Gujarāt some of the leading Kaṇbī families, utilise his services. As a rule, each of the ruling and leading families keeps its own genealogist. The rest of the community is divided into circuits, assigned respectively to a certain member of the fraternity, who annually visits each family in order to learn what domestic occurrences have taken place since his previous visit. In modern times every one of these incidents is entered by him in his register. Such is the reputation of the genealogist for accuracy and knowledge that this register is accepted as final in any question of affinity or relationship, and even before such "vahī" were customary, no Rājput ever thought of disputing the decision of the genealogist upon these points. The principal caste coming under this head is the Bhāṭ, sometimes called Bharōt in Gujarāt and Rājbhāṭ in Bengal. A question has been raised whether the caste takes its origin from Brāhmans who in old days secularised themselves in order to act as Court poets and panegyrists, or whether the function devolved upon a member of the Rājput clan to which the Bhāṭ was attached. There is evidence on both sides. In every tract in which the Bhāṭ is found, the community contains two sections, of which the Brahma Bhāṭ is the higher.