Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c18.s1.77

v2.c18.s1.77

Among the lower classes we must mention the Doṃbara community which supplied jugglers to the country. They seem to have been common in the Telugu³ and Karṇāṭaka parts of the Empire. Abdur Razzāq and Linschoten have left us some details about the people. The remarks of the former will be read in connection with the games and amusements of the people. Linschoten in A. D. 1583 thus writes: “They have likewise many South-saiers and Witches, which use Jugling, and travell throughout the out Countrie, having about them many live Snakes, which they know how to bewitch, and being shut up in little Baskets, they pull them out and make them dance, twine and winde at the sound of a certaine instrument, whereupon they play, and speak unto them. They wind them about their neckes, armes, and legges, kissing them, with a thousand other devises, onely to get money. They are all for the most part verie skilfull in preparing of Poysons, wherewith they doe many strange things, and easilie poyson each other; their dwellings and Houses are verie little and low, covered with Straw, without windowes, and verie low and narrow doores, so that a man must almost creepe upon his knees to goe in; their Householdstuffe is Mats of straw, both to sit and lie upon, their Tables, Table-clothes, and Napkins, are made of the great Indian Fig-leaves, they serve them not onely for Tables, Sheets, and other Linnen, but also for Dishes, wherein they put their meat, which you shall likewise see in the Grocers, and Pothecaries shops, to put and wrap in all things whatsoever they have within their shops (as we doe in Paper). They likewise joyne them together in such sort, that they can put both Butter, Oyle, and such liquid stuffes therein, and also whatsoever commeth to hand. To dresse their meat they have certaine Earthen pots wherein they seeth Rice, and makes holes in the ground, wherein they stampe it, or beat it with a woodden Pestell, made for the purpose, and they are so miserable, that they but the Rice in the Huskes, as it groweth on the ground, and some of them have Rice sowen behind their House to serve their necessarie use. They use to drinke out of a Copper kanne with a spout, whereby they let the water fall downe into their mouthes, and never touch the Pot with their lippes. Their Houses are commonly strawed with Kowdung, which (they say) killeth Fleas".¹