Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s6.14
Indische Paläographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s6.14
- Language
- German
c48.s6.14.1
§ 87. (b) **Western Belt** (1,922,300). The Western branch of the Kōl tribes of the Central Belt differs considerably from those just reviewed, owing, probably, to their having been driven into tracts which allow but little room for cultivation, even on the methods adopted by the inhabitants of the plateau. The link between the western tribes and the rest is found in the Kōrvā, a tribe Kōl in its language, and by repute one of the earliest settlers of the western parts of Cūtiā Nāgpur. The Kōrvā, under its western title of Kūr or Kōrkū, originated, it is said, in the Mahādēv Hills, and spread east and west. That they are amongst the oldest established tribes seems certain, for other tribes get their priests from them in all cases where village or local deities have to be appeased. The few of the tribe who have risen to the rank of landed proprietors affect Brāhmanism, and set up as Rājputs, but the rest of the community, except, perhaps, a few in the west, worship their ancestral ghosts and propitiate the malignant spirits of other people. In some of the States of Cūtiā Nāgpur, the Kōrvā smelts iron and makes his own weapons and implements, but this art is lost amongst those of the Sātpura, who have to have recourse to professionals for the large arrows which they use with considerable skill at short ranges. Towards Betūl and the Berār hills, the Kōrkū are divided into clans, the principal of which is called Muvāsī.
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Further to the west, this title is applied to the Bhīls of the same range, and there is doubtless some connection between the two. The Bhīl has lost his tribal language, and, except in the heart of the forest, much of his tribal religion. Like the rest of his race, however, he maintains his respect for the old pantheon as being more intimately and practically bound up with daily life than the Purānic manifestations, even though the latter be brought down to suit his requirements. The name of Bhīl is generally derived from a Dravidian word for bow, as in the case of the tree-tapping caste, Billava, in Kanara. Probably this name, or at all events its interpretation, is modern compared to the age of the community, but it certainly is applicable to the Bhīl of the present day, who in the forest, and even on the outskirts thereof, is seldom without his weapons.. In the west, the Bhīl tribes are divided, like the Kōl of further east, into a Hill and a Plain section. The latter, however, do not appear to aspire to more than a rudimentary form of village settlement by themselves or than the duties of watchmen in the larger villages of other castes. In the latter capacity, the permission to retain his arms proved too strong a temptation to be resisted when the institution was first established, and the Bhīl watchmen, with that marvellous power of rapid concentration which distinguishes the tribe, were wont to descend in force upon one of the villages exempt from their services.
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This phase soon passed, and the Bhīl is now a recognised part of the establishment in the eastern villages of Gujarāt. The Bhīl worships the wood-spirits, and in the west, at least, erects posts to them in the jungle, sacrificing fowls and other offerings through a priest, generally of the tribe, whose duty on other occasions is to discover the witches who seem to be peculiarly active in this community. Some of the eastern Bhīls have been converted to Islām, especially those of the Taḍvī clan, but their observance of its tenets are very half-hearted, and the women especially, keep to their former practices. In former days the Bhīls held a good part of the country north of their present hills, and were driven out by the Rājputs under pressure of the Muslim. Even now, they receive the respect due to their former repute, an instance of which was given above in connection with the enthronement of a Rājput Chief. There is strong reason to think that the tribe was reinforced by the incorporation of refugee Rājputs, who have left their mark upon certain clans of Bhīl, especially in the south of Rājputāna. In fact, the connection between the two is said to have resulted in the formation of the Bhilālā, now a separate tribe.
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In regard to the relationship of the Bhīl to the Kōrkū, it may be noted that the name of Mēvās, which is given to some of the Bhīl tracts in the west, is taken from the title of Muvāsī, or Māvacā, by which they are called, and which, as observed above, is the name of the western branch of the Kōrkū. Akin to the Bhīl are the Dhānkā, a tribe of south Rājputāna and Central India, the Patēliā in the same region, and probably of mixed origin, and the Taḍvi and Pāvaḍā, which are both Bhīl clans locally separated from the main body, and settled in the Khāndēsh Sātpura. The Gāmtā, or Gāmit, which nearly touch them on the north-west, seem to be merely a superior class of Bhīl, and not a separate tribe. The great Kōlī tribe, which has been classed with the cultivators, contains, also, more than one subdivision which still live in or near the forest, and have not taken, like the rest, to either agriculture or seafaring pursuits. The Naikaḍā is probably one of these, as it is distinct from the Bhīl, though sharing the tastes and mode of life of the latter. The Nāikaḍā are found along the south-west border of Rājputāna and Central India, with colonies in the forests of east Gujarāt. They are by repute even worse neighbours than the Bhīl, and on several occasions have only been kept down by force. For many years, however, they have been at peace, though showing no disposition to abandon their primitive cultivation and their dependence upon the jungle for their livelihood.
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The only advance they have made is to engage under the Forest officials to cut and transport timber, instead of working the jungle on their own wasteful plan. They pay homage to Mātā and Hanumān, as representing their own worship of nature and the forest, but not only repudiate the services of the Brāhman, but look upon the murder of one of that order as an act of merit, and have the grim saying, "By killing a caste-mark wearer, you feed a hundred." There is a small tribe of much the same name, but settled at some distance from the Nāikaḍā, called Nāyak, which is unconnected with the Kōlī, and seems to be the elder branch of the Dhūṇḍiā caste, mentioned in connection with agricultural labour. They are only found in the south-east of Gujarāt, where they live on the skirts of the forest, but not in it. The Dhūṇḍiā of the open country pay them respect at all formal ceremonies, but do not eat or intermarry with them. The Nāyak, moreover, have kept up a good many of the tribal customs which the others have sloughed off. Inter alia, they are terribly skilful and persistent on the local drum, an accomplishment much appreciated at weddings and other festivals. The Chōdrā of a little further north, are in appearance and customs much the same as the Dhūṇḍiā, but they have the tradition of having immigrated to their present home from the south of Rājputāna, whence they were expelled along with some Rājput clans, by the Muslim.
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They resemble the Dhūṇḍiā in having taken to regular cultivation, with the addition of cutting firewood from the forest for sale in the open country. Beyond their worship of the village boundary-gods and their avoidance of Brāhmans, there is little to distinguish them from a low caste of Brāhmanic cultivators, and they are said to be gradually rising in position through their industry and peaceful habits.