Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajput States of India v2.c27.s7.t2.82

Language: English

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Bhāt Customs. Coercion by Threat of Human Sacrifice.—Here I had an exemplification of the vulgar adage, “ two of a trade,” etc. Pema Naik, the leader of one of the largest tandas, or caravans, which frequent the desert for salt, had left his convoy, and with his brethren came to exhibit his wounds and fractures received in a fray with the leaders of another caravan. Both were Bhats ; Pema was the head of the Bamania Bhats, so called from the place of their abode, and he counted forty thousand beasts of burthen under his control. Shama had no distinctive epithet : he had no home separate from [703] his tanda. His little State when not in motion was on the highways ; hence those who dwell entirely with their cattle are styled *upapanti*, ‘ on the road.’ Shama had taken advantage of the greater portion of Pema’s caravan being detached to revenge an ancient feud ; and had shown himself quite an adept in club-law, as the broken heads of his opponents disclosed. To reconcile them was impossible ; and as the case was to be decided, not by the scales of abstract justice but by calculating which contributed most in duties, Pema by this summary process, more than from sympathy to his wounded honour, gained a victory by the exclusion of his rival.

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As before observed, these classes take advantage of their sacred character amongst the Rajputs to become the general carriers of the country : but the advantage which might result to the State from the respect paid to them is neutralized by their avarice and constant evasion of the payment of all established duties. A memorable example of this kind occurred during the reign of Amra the First with the ancestor of this same Pema. The Rana would not submit to the insolent demands of the Bhats, when they had recourse to one of the most sanguinary sacrifices ever recorded—the threat alone of which is generally sufficient to extort acquiescence and concession. But the firmness of Amra has been recorded : and he braved them. Collecting the elder portion of their community, men, women, and youths of both sexes, they made a sacrifice to the number of eighty souls with their daggers in the court of the palace. The blood of the victims was on the Rana’s head.¹ It was a species of excommunication, which would have unsettled a weaker reason ; for the Rajput might repose after the murder of a Brahman, but that of the prophetic Vates would rise against him here and hereafter. For once they encountered a mind too strong to be shaken ; Amra banished the whole fraternity of Bamania Bhats from his dominions, and the town of Bamani reverted to the fisc.

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The edict remained uncancelled until these days, when amongst the industrious of all classes whom the proclamations² brought once more to Mewar, came Pema and his brethren. Although tradition had preserved the causes of their exile, it had made no alteration in their sentiments and opinions, and the dagger was always at hand, to be sheathed in their own flesh whenever provocation called it from the girdle. Pema beset the Rana in all his rides, demanding a reduction [704] or rather abolition of duties for his tanda ; and at length he took up a position on the terrace fronting the ‘balcony of the sun,’ threatening a chandni,³ for such is the term applied to this suicidal revenge. The Rana, who had not the nerve of his ancestor, sent to me to beseech my interference : with his messenger, one from me returned to invite the Bhats to a settlement. They came, as fine, robust, intrepid a set as I ever saw. We soon came to issue : I urged that duties must be paid by all who chose to frequent the passes of Mewar, and that they would get nothing by their present silly mode of endeavouring to obtain remission ; that if they would give a written agreement to abide by the scale of duties laid down, they should receive exemption for five hundred out of the forty thousand bullocks of their *tanda*, and be reinducted into Bamani ; if not, there were daggers (showing them some on the table), and they might begin as soon as they pleased.

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I added that, in addition to Rana Amra’s penalty of banishment, I would recommend confiscation of their entire caravan. Pema was no fool : he accepted Bamani, and the *muafi* for five hundred, and that day received his gold bracelets and clothes of investiture for Bamani from the Rana.