Page:The tribes and castes of the Central Provinces of India (IA tribescastesofce01russ).pdf/41

 of Ahīrs or herdsmen has several synonyms--as Gaoli in the Northern Districts, Rawat or Gahra in Chhattisgarh, Gaur ainong the Uriyas, and Golkar among Telugus. Lolārs are also called Khāti and Kammāri; Masons are callcel Larhia, Rāj and Beldār. The more distinctly occupational castes usually have different names in different parts of the country, as Dhobi, Wārthi, Baretha, Chakla and Parit for washermen ; Basor, Burud, Kandra and Dhulia for bamboo-workers, and Such names may show that the subdivisions to which they are applied have immigrated from different parts of India, but the distinction is generally not now maintained, and many persons will return one or other of them indiffer- ently. No object is gained, therefore, by distinguishing them in classification, as they correspond to no differences of status or occupation, and at most denote groups which do not interinarry, and which may therefore inore properly be con- sidered as subcastes.

Titles or names of offices are also not infrequently given Members of the lowest or impure castos employed in the office of Kotwār or village watchimen prefer to call themselves by this name, as they thus obtain a certain rise in status, or at least they think so. In sounc localities the Kotwārs or village watchmen have begun to marry among themselves and try to form a separate caste. Chamārs (tanners) or Mahars (weavers) employed as grooms will call themselves Sais and consider themselves superior to the rest of thcir castc. The Theth wār Rāwats or Ahīrs will not clean household cooking-vessels, and therefore look down on the rest of the caste and prefer to call themselves by this designa- tion, as 'Thcth' mcanis. cxact' or 'pure,' and Thethwār is one who has not degenerated from the ancestral calling. Sālewārs are a subcaste of Koshtis (iveavers), who works only in silk and hence consider themselves as superior to the other Koshtis and a separate caste. The Rāthor subcaste of Telis in Mandla have abandoned the hereditary occupation of oil- pressing and become landed proprictors. They now wish to drop their own caste and to be known only as Räthor, the name of one of the Icading Rājput clans, in the hope that in time it will be forgotten that they cver were Telis, and they will be admitted into the community of Rājpūts. It