Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s4.4

c48.s4.4

§ 63. **Pedlars and Glassworkers** (424,100). There is a certain connection between these two apparently incongruous occupations. In the north, especially, there are several small castes which go round with beads, glasswork, bangles, and so on, which, if not made by themselves, come from the hand of those nearly related to them. Others deal in haberdashery, small hardware, soap and mirrors. Even if they were not castes at the outset, they all tend to become such, with subsections and regulations as to marriage and the like, independent of the communities to which they originally belonged. The Bisātī, a Muslim body, is an example of this tendency. The Rāmāiyā, or Bhaṭṛā, of the east Panjāb, however, seems to be a true caste, hailing from Mārwāḍ or the neighbourhood, and having conceded to it the rank of a low Brāhman. It is allowed to wear the thread and to take offerings at eclipses. Otherwise, the Rāmāiyā tell fortunes and invoke upon almsgivers blessings which have the reputation of being effective. They are by tradition petty traders, and in that capacity travel far and wide, even south of the Vindhya. The caste is much scattered and is only found in strength in the Bijnor district of Rohilkhand, far from its original home. But the Rāmāiyā always regard themselves as natives of the Panjāb, and most of them are Sikhs by religion, though