Page:The Indian Antiquary Vol 1.pdf/373

 THE PALIS F DINA.JPU R.

Nov. 1, 1872.] dress.

They profess to be Hindus, but while

337

they follow the Hindu religion in the main,

folk, she made a ring (koch-àfat) of kusa grass and concealed him in it, and brought him up

they also practise some ceremonies borrowed

secretly and gave him the name of Kagendra.

from Musalmans and others, which are apparently

“In course of time this child became king of

remnants of an older superstition. Their own tradition of their origin, as communicated to me

Behar, and although king Jarasindhu was a Khetriya, yet because Kagendra was brought up in a koch, his tribe is still known by the name of Koch, and because the five ceremonies; were

by an old Pali of this district, is as follows:— “The whole country of Behar, from whence

the Pâlis and Koch are supposed to have come, was once governed by a celebrated king

not used at his birth, the Koch do not use them to this day.

named Jarasindhu ; his subjects used to fight for him with sticks as they had no weapons of iron. He claimed to be a Khetriya, and the de scendants of his subjects, believing themselves to be of the same family, call themselves Rāj

“Some time after this Parasurām, son of Jami dagni, cleared India of Khetriyas twenty-one times, for he fought with them as hereditary enemies. In the course of his travels he came to Behar, and the king and his Rajvaſsis took

vañsi to this day.

sticks in their hands, and went forth to meet

“Now there was a poor old man living in the country (his name I learn from other sources

was Haja) who had two daughters, unmarried

him, but he was no ordinary warrior, and more over used a battle-axe. The Rājvañsis could not withstand him, and some by fording, some

virgins; the name of the eldest was Hirā and of

by swimming, crossed over to the west bank of

the second Jirá. The god Śiva used to visit

the Tista.

them, and at last Hirá became pregnant by him,

Parasurām that he was a Koch. From that time

their old father discovered it, and became very

forth those who escaped by fleeing into this country have been called Pallais (from Tºſſºſ),

angry with them, and used to reproach them

The king saved himself by telling

continually; but still they used to meet Siva

and as the Khetriyas boast that they have never

every day in secret, till it happened that their father had gone away on some business, and

been defeated, and these men were routed by Parasurām, they are also called Bhajigakhetryas, and the few men of the Koch caste who inha

they ventured to bring him into the house, and began to talk with him, and Hirā said, ‘I have become pregnant by you and my father is angry with me; all his caste are my enemies, and my

bited the country before the battle are called Desis.”

This tradition must be taken for what

it is worth, but there can be no doubt that the

Siva replied,

Pălis and Koch are a people of Mongolian race

‘Take courage, the son which shall be born to you must be concealed and brought up secretly, you must call him Kagendra and by my favour he shall become king, and thirty-six of his de scendants shall reign after him.’ While they were talking thus Hirā's father appeared at the door with a stick in his hand : they were all three frightened and the old man lifted up his

who migrated into this district from the North east. The story they tell of their ancestors

time of delivery is approaching.’

stick to strike Siva, and he

seeing no other

means of escape, began to retreat underground. As he was disappearing the old man attacked him with his stick, but by that time all his body had disappeared except his feet which the

being conquered by Parasurăm probably refers to their conquest by the Aryans, and that they came from the east side of the Tista seems almost certain.

They live under an almost pure patriarchal system, each family has its head and each vil lage has its mandal; while again four or five vil lages are placed jointly under a patwari, the mandal and patwari are generally appointed by the zamindar, of whom they are the local re

presentatives. The greatest respect is paid to

old man struck, and from that circumstance

the elder members of the family in every house

Siva is still known and worshipped by the name

hold; there is a headman who is called, if the

of Jalpeswarnāth.” Sometime after this Hirā,

elder brother—darbāriya bhai(#Caſſ'ſ Hſ), or

although she was still a virgin, bore a beautiful

if he is any other relative—dewaniyä. (fräſijäI) ; the other members of the family are absolutely

boy, and as she was afraid of her father and kins is enclosed in a pucka well, a large mela is held there every year.
 * Worshipped at Changrabanda in Jalpaigun: the image

to construct.
 * Probably connected with the Sk, root *š or 35RT

t iſłłºń, HTH+CT, H&RCT, Ruffs, Iwaſara