Note 81 — C

Occupation and social status. 6. The great centres of the calico printing trade in these provinces are Lucknow, Fatehgarh, Bulandshahr, and Mirzapur, where it is largely in the hands of a colony of Sâdhs from Fatehgarh. In Lucknow, according to Mr. Hoey,81 there are three different classes of cotton printers who pass under the same name and use similar dyes. The first class is the stamper of real or imitation gold or silver leaf on coloured cotton fabrics for use as palanquin covers, curtains (parda), bed covers (lihâf), quilts, etc. The process is simple but ingenious. The Chhîpi makes a mixture of gum, chalk, and glue. He stamps the pattern on the fabrics with this mixture by means of a wooden die. He then lays strips of silver leaf over the pattern traced in this way, and taps it gently with a pad. The leaf adheres to the gummy lines of the pattern stamped, and comes away from the unstamped surface. The process of stamping an imitation of silver differs. The Chhîpi in this case mixes pewter (ranga), gum, glue, and chalk and stamps the pattern right off. After it dries he rubs it over with a piece of wood (mura), and this gives a gloss to the inferior metal. The second class mark patterns on muslin for embroiderers (chikandoz), and the third prints cotton fabrics in fast colours for use as quilts, sheets, bed covers, table cloths, etc. The Chhîpi, as a rule, ranks fairly high in social estimation. To the east of the Province he does not drink spirits or eat any meat. All Hindus, including Brâhmans will, it is said, eat pakki cooked by him, and tribes like the Kahâr will eat kachchi prepared by him. In Fatehgarh he will eat pakki prepared by Agarwâla Banyas, and kachchi by Gaur Brâhmans. Water they drink from the vessel of a Brâhman or Banya, but they will smoke only from the pipe of a member of the tribe. Brâhmans will eat pakki prepared by them; Nâis and Mâlis will eat kachchi cooked by them, and drink from their vessels.