Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajput States of India v2.c27.s7.t2.82.1

v2.c27.s7.t2.82.1

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.