Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/212

 204 KHE ous. nearly all Sunnis. Most of them are converted Hindus, they are not very enthusiastic for their new faith; except in the town of Kheri, there is not even a decent place of worship for them. The castes of Kheri.—There is nothing of special interest in the caste distribution. The Brahmans are 60,512, or 9 per cent. of the Hindus the Chhattris only 26,150, or less than 4 per cent.; the most numerous caste is that of the Chamárs, who number 83,984, and next to them are the Ahírs 69,383, Kurmis 67,113, Mursos 38,480, Kisáns 5,526. The only remarkable feature presented by the population tables is the comparative scarcity of the higlier castes--Brahmans, Chhattris, Kayaths, and Vaishyas. They number only 104,894, or 15 per cent of the Hindus; in the whole province they amount to 2,480,414, or almost 25 per cent. The reason of this is not far to seek. The low castes are the first, in all instances, to occupy the wilderness and redeem it from nature, and much of the Kheri district has but very recently been brought under cultivation. There was little to invite the Chhattri or Brahman. There are very few temples, and none of ancient repute, consequently the priestly class is uot numer- Wealth has not yet accumulated in the district, therefore no mili- tary class was wanted to defend it. Population was so thin that disputes about boundaries, that fertile source of internal warfare, were compara- tively rare, and but few professional soldiers were required. The district, too, was so distant from any seat of Government that there could be little interference with the great landbolders, who found it more profitable in many cases to have low caste industrious tenants than the prouder Arians. The proportion of Aborigines is large. Pásis, Ahírs, and Chan inárs have increased and multiplied for thousands of years; Chhattris and other Arians only entered the district in any numbers within a recent period, and increased slowly; because neither the food nor climate suited their more highly-strung organizations. All the towns now existing are of recent foundation. Kheri was founded in the 16th century, Muhamdi and Aurangabad in the 17th. Of their origin one common tale is told. The Musalman or Chhattri came through the woods and marshes (the country then lying much lower than now), and seized upon the slight hills or huumocks where some Pási or Ahír patriarch ruled over a few mud huts. The rightful owner fled deeper into the forest, and the intruder built a block house or a brick fort to guard against his vengeance. There are only 4,049 Shekhs and Sayyads in Kheri ; these Musalmans not caring to reside in the wilderness; there are 15,590 Patháns, 9,599 Juláhas or weavers, and 7,065 Ghosis. There are 4,031 Játs, of whom there are only 10,800 in the province. Kheri is also the headquarters of the Chhípis or cotton-printers—a caste largely found in parganas Kheri and Srinagar, there are 3,841 out of 8,354 in the entire province. There are 127 Brijbásis out of 319 in the province. This is a nomad caste which is found in Atwa Piparia and Muhamdi, living during the winter in mat tents. There are 4,943 Gosháíns. The industrial castes on the whole prevail in this district, and so far the elements of prosperity abound. The detailed list of the castes and there occupations is as follows -