Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s4.8

c48.s4.8

§ 66. c) **Cotton-scutchers** (760,600). Those who follow the occupation of cleaning cotton are mostly Muslim, under the functional title of Penjā, Pinjārī, Dhuniyā, Bēhnā, or even the Persian, Nadāf. They are mostly converts from Brāhmanic castes like the Tēlī or oil-pressers, and those who have remained in their former creed follow the teachings of Nāmdēv, the S'impī, like the Tailors and Dyers, and in the Panjāb, the Dhōbā. In the north, where the calling has become the work of a caste, those who do not engage in it keep shops for the sale of haberdashery, spangles, bangles, caste-marks and so on. The Muslim, as in similar cases of other castes, have not altogether abandoned their Brāhmanic customs or worship, and follow the traditions of their neighbourhood in this respect.