Note 5 — C

Chamâr.5—The caste of curriers, tanners, and day-labourers found throughout Upper India. Their name is derived from the Sanskrit charma-kâra, a “worker in leather.” Traditionally the Chamâr is the offspring of a Chandâla woman by a man of the fisherman caste. The Kârâvara of Manu,6 “who cuts leather,” is descended from a Nishâda father and Vaideha mother. The Nishâda, again, is said to be the child of a Brâhman and a Sûdra woman, and the Vaideha of a Vaisya father and a Brâhman mother. On this Mr. Sherring7 remarks:—“If the workers in leather of the present day are lineal descendants of the workers in leather in Manu’s time, the Chamârs may fairly consider themselves as of no mean degree and may hold up their heads boldly in the presence of the higher castes.” Mr. Sherring appears to have been impressed with the high-bred appearance of some Chamârs. This may, perhaps, be to some extent accounted for by liaisons with some of the higher castes; but most observers will agree that Mr. Risley8 is right in his opinion, that “the average Chamâr is hardly distinguishable in point of features, stature, or complexion from the members of those non-Aryan races from whose ranks we should primâ facie expect the profession of leather-dressers to be recruited.” Mr. Nesfield believes the Chamâr to have sprung out of several different tribes, like the Dom, Kanjar, Hâbûra, Chero, etc., the last remains of which are still outside the pale of Hindu society. “Originally he seems to have been an impressed labourer (begâr) who was made to hold the plough for his master, and received in return space to build his mud hut near the village, a fixed allowance of grain for every working day, the free use of wood and grass on the village lands, and the skins and bodies of the animals that died. This is very much the status of the Chamâr at the present day. He is still the field slave, the grass-cutter, and the carrion-eater of the Indian village.” But it is, perhaps at present, until the existing evidence from anthropometry is largely increased, premature to express a decided opinion of their origin further than this, that the tribe is in all probability occupational, and largely recruited from non-Aryan elements. Among all the Indo-Aryan races the use of hides for clothing prevailed in primitive times.9 The Vishnu Purâna10 enjoins all who wish to protect their persons never to be without leather shoes; and Manu11 warns the Brâhmans never to use shoes that have been worn by another. In the Râmâyana Bharata places on the vacant throne of Ajudhya a pair of Râma’s slippers, and worships them during his exile. The Charmae of Pliny’s list have been identified with the inhabitants of Charma Mandala, a district of the West, mentioned in the Mahâbhârata, and also in the Vishnu Purâna under the title of Charma-Khanda.12