Chapter IV

Tribal Nomenclature.

Territorial titles. The question of the origin of tribal nomenclature is a very interesting one, but too wide for detailed analysis at present. The broad features of it are plain enough. We have, to begin with, the territorial title. Such abound in various forms all through the tribal lists, and the preference shown for special places, raises many curious considerations. To attempt a rough classification of this kind of title, we have first those of the most general kind, such as Desi, “of the land,” and Pardesi, “from beyond the land.” Then come Pûrabi, “Eastern,” Dakkhinâha, “Southern,” Pachhiwâha, “Western,” and Uttarâha “Northern,” which are arranged in the order of their popularity. We have next names indicating geographical areas, such as Madhesiya, “residents of Madhyadesa,” “the middleland,” roughly speaking, bounded by the Himâlayas on the north, the Vindhyas on the south and along the Ganges Plain from the Panjâb frontiers to Allahâbâd. Similar to this is Antarvedi, or “those resident in the Lower Ganges-Jumna-Duâb,” from about Etâwah to the junction at Allahâbâd; and Banaudhiya, or those of South Oudh, with parts of Azamgarh, Jaunpur and Benares.

Names derived from rivers. 2. Next we have names taken from the position of tribes and clans in relation to the great rivers—Gangapâri, “those beyond the Ganges,” Jumnapâri, “those beyond the Jumna,” and, most popular of all, Sarwariya, or Sarjupâri, “those beyond the Sarju.”

Names derived from famous cities. 3. Then we have a set of names derived from famous cities which have long sunk into decay, such as Kanaujiya, “those of Kanauj;” Srivastâvya, corrupted into Sibâstav or Bâtham, from Srâvasti, in North Oudh, now represented by Sahet-Mahet. Another of these ruined cities is Sankisa, in the Farrukhâbâd District, which gives its name to the Saksena Kâyasths, and to many other tribal sections. If Dhusiya is a corruption of Jhusiya it embodies the name of the old town of Jhûsi, on the Ganges, the capital of King Harbong, who is famous in folklore as the hero of many tales of the “Wise men of Gotham” type. Why Jais, now a petty town in the Râê Bareli District, gave its name to the numerous Jaiswâr sections, no one can tell, except on the supposition that it was a much more important place than it is now. The ruins and ancient mounds at Ahâr and Baran prove their former greatness. The name of the ancient kingdom of Magadha survives in that of the Magahiya Doms and many other tribal sections.

Names derived from religious sites. 4. The famous religious sites throughout the Province have naturally left their trace on the caste nomenclature—such are Ajudhya, the land of Braj, Mathura and Brindâban, Gokul and Hardwâr, Chunâr and Rajghât, which are all represented; but it is curious how little trace there is of Prayâga or Allahâbâd, and Kâshi or Benares, while places like Bindhâchal, Badarinâth, Bithûr and Batesar are not found at all.

Names derived from other towns. 5. Among existing towns and cities within the Province, Amethi, Azamgarh, Bahrâich, Ghâzipur, Gorakhpur, Hamîrpur, Jalesar, Mainpuri (in connection with its Chauhâns), Partâbgarh, Râjpur, Râmnagar, Râmpur, Fatehpur, Sikri (if the theory be correct that the name of the Sakarwâr sect is derived from it), Jaunpur (in remembrance of its Sharqi Kings), give their name to many sections. But the great capitals like Delhi and Agra, probably owing to their comparatively recent origin, have left little trace, and Lucknow is not found at all; while Cawnpur (Kânhpur) gives its name to an important Râjput sept, and many sections of less important tribes.

Names derived from places outside the province. 6. Many of these local names are taken from places outside the Province. From Bengal we have Baksar, Bhojpur, Gaur (if the old Bengal capital has anything to say to the many tribes and sections of the name), Hâjipur, Patna; from the Panjâb, Panjâbi, Lâhauri and Multâni; from the North, Naipâli, Janakpuri, Kashmîri; from the far West, Bhatner, Gujarât, Indaur, Jaypur, Jodhpur, Mârwâr, Osi, and Pâli are all found; from Madras we have Karnâtak; from Persia, Shirâzi.

Eponymous titles. 8. Next to these names derived from the local areas occupied by tribes, septs, and sections, we have the eponymous titles derived from the worthies of the ancient days. Thus Vatsa seems to give his name to the Bachgoti, Râja Vena to the Benbans: the Rishi Bhâradwaja constantly appears, while Vasishtha is absent. Râja Durga is represented in the Durgbansis; and we meet constantly with Garga, Gautama, Parâsara, Raghu, and Sandila. Later in history come saints and holy men like Kabîr, Lâlbeg, Madâr, Malûkdâs, and Nânak. Akbar, Humâyun and Shâhjahân have disappeared, and perhaps the only monarchs of the Delhi line who have survived in the caste names are Shêr Shâh and Salîm Shâh, who give their name to two divisions of the Bhathiyâras. A sub-caste of the Chhîpis take their name from Todar Mal, the famous minister of Akbar.

Names derived from Râjput septs. 9. Much of the caste nomenclature is taken from that of the famous Râjput septs who employed or protected the menial peoples. No names recur more often among the sections of the inferior castes than Chauhân, Gaharwâr, Gahlot, Bargûjar, Râthaur, Kachhwâha, Jâdon and Tomar, which possibly represent the serfs and helots attached to them.

Occupational titles. 10. Next comes the great mass of occupational titles, the Bardhiya, “ox-men;” Bedbâf, “cane twisters;” Bâzigar, “acrobats;” Beldâr, “spademen;” Bhainsaha, “buffalo-men;” Bhusiya, “chaff men;” Chiryamâr, “fowlers;” Chobdâr, “mace-bearers;” Dhâlgar, “shield makers;” Dhankûta, “grinders of paddy;” Dhânuk, “bowmen;” Dharkâr, “rope twisters;” Dhelphor, “clod breakers;” Dhenkuliya, “those who work the water lever;” Dhobi, “the washermen;” Dholi, “drummers;” Gadariya, “shepherds;” Ghosi, “those that shout after the cattle;” Guâla, “cow-keepers;” Hardiya, “turmeric growers;” Jauhari, “jewellers;” Jonkâha, “leech men;” Julâha, “thread makers;” Kamângar, “makers of bows;” Khâlranga, “dyers of hides;” Kingriya, “violin players;” Kisân and Koeri, “ploughmen;” Kûnchhand, “makers of weavers’ brushes;” Kuppêsâz, “leather vessel moulders;” Lakarhâr, “the workers in wood;” Lohiya, “the dealers in iron;” Luniya, “the saltmen,” and Labâna, “the salt carriers;” Machhimâra, “the fish-killer;” Manihâr, “the jeweller;” Pahlwân, “the wrestler;” Pattharâha, “the stone workers;” Pâwariya, “the singer on a mat;” Piyâzi, “the growers of onions;” Singiwâla, “the cupper;” and Sirkiband, “the people who live under a thatch.”

Totemistic titles. 12. Incidentally some reference has been elsewhere made to totemism in connection with the origin of exogamy. From the details which are given in the following pages, and need not be repeated here, it will be seen that there are undoubted survivals of totemism among some of the Dravidian and menial tribes. These take the form of section names obviously derived from those of animals, plants, trees, and the like, the destruction, eating or even touching of which by members of the section whose names are thus derived is prohibited by a rigid tribal sanction. Though the evidence for the existence of totemism among at least one part of the population of this part of India seems sufficient, it will be seen that it now-a-days lurks only among the most primitive tribes. The fact seems to be that, like so many usages of the kind, it has been carried away by the flood of Brâhmanism which has overflowed the land. There is a constant tendency for tribes as they rise in the social scale to adopt the Brâhmanical gotras, because it is a respectable fact to belong to one of them. Thus all the stricter Hindu castes, like Banyas, Khatris, and even Kâyasths, recognise the gotra. The fiction of common descent from the eponymous ancestor naturally disappears, and among such people the gotra has no higher significance than the pedigree worked up to order in the Herald’s College, which ranks the novus homo through the use of a common crest and coat-of-arms with the great houses of Cavendish, Russel, or Howard.

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