Note 32 — Glossary

Dhālgar.—A small occupational caste who made leather shields, and are now almost extinct as the use of shields has gone out of fashion. They are Muhammadans, but Mr. Crooke32 considers them to be allied to the Dabgars, who make leather vessels for holding oil and ghī and are also known as Kuppesāz. The Dabgars are a Hindu caste whose place in the Central Provinces is taken by the Budalgir Chamārs. These receive their designation from budla, the name of the leather bag which they make. Budlas were formerly employed for holding ghī or melted butter, oil and the liquid extract of sugarcane, but vegetable oil is now generally carried in earthen vessels slung in baskets, and ghī in empty kerosene tins. Small bottles of very thin leather are still used by scent-sellers for holding their scents, though they also have glass bottles. The song of the Leather Bottél recalls the fact that vessels for holding liquids were made of leather in Europe prior to the introduction of glass. The Dhālgars also made targets for archery practice from the hides of buffaloes; and the similar use of the hides of cattle in Europe survives in our phrase of the bull’s eye for the centre of the target.