A History of the Mahrattas v1.c7.44

v1.c7.44

² These are distinguished by the name of the place where they have been reared; Gung-thuree, Bheem-thuree, Neer-thuree, and Maun Desh. *Thuree* means the dale or strath in the neighbourhood of a river, and the appellations here mentioned are used by the Mahrattas in speaking of these countries, in preference to any other name by which subdivisions of the country were marked by Mahomedans. Berar is likewise celebrated for the hardiness, but not for the beauty of its horses. [The Deccan pony from Bhīmthadi (Bheem-thuree) is very nearly extinct; but small, hardy ponies, capable of doing much work on little food, are occasionally seen in the outlying parts of the Poona District. For riding purposes they are trained to a peculiar amble, which is much in favour with Hindus of the old school. Crooke states that ‘the success of the Mahrattas as light cavalrymen was mainly the result of local conditions in the Deccan, where the indigenous pony, an admirable beast, had been improved by the introduction of Arab blood from the Persian Gulf. This trade flourished in the days of Marco Polo, and probably dates from a very early period.’ (Rājputs and Mahrattas, J.R. Anth. I., xl. 1910.)]