Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s6.14.5

c48.s6.14.5

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.