Part 21

For the following additional information I am indebted to an official of the Police department. "I am not aware of these people using any particular shoes. They use sandals such as are generally worn by ryots and the lower classes. These they get by stealing. They pick them up from houses during the daytime, when they go from house to house on the pretence of begging, or they steal them at nights along with other property. These sandals are made in different fashions in different districts, and so those possessed by Kathiras are generally of different kinds, being stolen from various parts of the country. They have no shoes of any peculiar make, nor do they get any made at all. Kathiras do not generally wear any shoes. They walk and run faster with bare feet. They wear shoes when walking through the jungle, and entrust them to one of their comrades when walking through the open country. They sometimes throw them off when closely pursued, and run away. In 1899, when we arrested one on the highroad, he had with him five or six pairs of shoes of different kinds and sizes, and he did not account satisfactorily for being in possession of so many. I subsequently learnt that some supernumeraries were hiding in the jungle close to the place where he was arrested.

"About marks of branding on the face, it is not only Kathiras, but almost all nomadic tribes who have these marks. As the gangs move on exposed to changes of weather, the children sometimes get a disease called sandukatlu or palakurkura. They generally get this disease from the latter part of the first year up to the fifth year. The symptoms are similar to those which children sometimes have at the time of teething. It is when children get this disease that they are branded on the face between the eyebrows, on the outer corners of the eyes, and sometimes on the belly. The brand-marks on the face and corners of the eyes are circular, and those on the belly generally horizontal. The circular brand-marks are made with a long piece of turmeric, one end of which is burnt for the purpose, or with an indigo-coloured cloth rolled like a pencil and burnt at one end. The horizontal marks are made with a hot needle. Similar brand-marks are made by some caste Hindus on their children."

To Mr. P. B. Thomas I am indebted for specimens of the chaplet, made of strips of rolled pith, worn by Kaththira women when begging, and of the cotton bags, full of false pockets, regularly carried by both men and women, in which they secrete the little sharp knife and other articles constituting their usual equipment.

In his "History of Railway thieves," Mr. M. Paupa Rao Naidu, writing about the pick-pockets or Thetakars, says that "most of them wear shoes called chadavs, and, if the articles stolen are very small, they put them at once into their shoes, which form very convenient receptacles from their peculiar shape; and, therefore, when a pick-pocket with such a shoe on is suspected of having stolen a jewel, the shoes must be searched first, then the mouth and the other parts of the body."

Kaththula (sword).--An exogamous sept of Yanadi.

Katige (collyrium).--A gotra of Kurni.

Katikala (collyrium).--An exogamous sept of Devanga.

Katike.--The Katike or Katikilu are butchers in the Telugu country, concerning whom it is noted, in the Kurnool Manual, that "some are called Sultani butchers, or Hindus forcibly circumcised by the late Nabob of Kurnool. They observe both Mussalman and Hindu customs." A correspondent in the Kurnool district informs me that the butchers of Kurnool belong to three classes, one selling beef, and the others mutton. Of these, the first are Muhammadans, and are called Gayi Khasayi, as they deal in beef. The other two are called respectively Sultanis and Surasus, i.e., the circumcised and uncircumcised. Both claim to be the descendants of two brothers, and have the following tradition concerning their origin. Tipu Sultan is said not to have relished the idea of taking mutton at the hands of Hindus, as they would not perform Bismallah at the time of slaughtering the sheep. He accordingly ordered both the brothers to appear before him. Being the manager of the family, the elder went, and was forcibly circumcised. On hearing the news, the younger brother absconded. The descendants of the former are Muhammadans, and of the latter Hindus. As he was made a Muhammadan by force, the elder brother and his descendants did not adopt all the Muhammadan manners and customs. Till recently they did not even allow their beards to grow. At the present day, they go to mosques, dress like Muhammadans, shave their heads, and grow beards, but do not intermarry with the true Muhammadans. The descendants of the younger brother still call themselves Ari-katikelu, or Maratha butchers, profess the Hindu religion, and follow Hindu manners and customs. Though they do not eat with Muhammadans or Sultanis, their Hindu brethren shun them because of their profession, and their intimacy with Sultanis. I am informed that, at Nandyal in the Kurnool district, some Maratha butchers, who observe purely Hindu customs, are called by Muhammadan names. The Tahsildar of the Sirvel taluk in the same district states that, prior to the reign of the father of Ghulam Rasul Khan, the dethroned Nawab of Kurnool, the butcher's profession was solely in the hands of the Marathas, some of whom were, as stated in the Manual, forcibly circumcised, and became a separate butcher caste, called Sultani. There are two sections among these Sultani butchers, viz., Bakra (mutton) and Gai Kasai (beef butcher). Similar stories of forcible conversion to the Muhammadan religion are prevalent in the Bellary district, where the Kasayis are mostly converted Hindus, who dress in the Hindu style, but possess Muhammadan names with Hindu terminations, e.g., Hussainappa.

In connection with butchers, I may quote the following extract from a petition to the Governor of Madras on the subject of a strike among the Madras butchers in 1907. "We, the residents of Madras, beg respectfully to bring to your Excellency's notice the inconvenience and hardship we are suffering owing to the strike of the butchers in the city. The total failure of the supply of mutton, which is an important item in the diet of non-Brahmin Hindus, Muhammadans, Indian Christians, Parsis, Eurasians and Europeans, causes a deprivation not merely of something to which people have become accustomed, but of an article of food by which the health of many is sustained, and the want of which is calculated to impair their health, and expose them to diseases, against which they have hitherto successfully contended."

Katorauto.--A name for the offspring of maid servants in the harems of Oriya Zamindars, who are said to claim to be Kshatriyas.

Katta.--Katta or Katte, meaning a bund, dam, or embankment, has been recorded as an exogamous sept or gotra of Devanga and Kurni.

Kattelu (sticks or faggots).--An exogamous sept of Boya.

Kattira.--A sub-division of Gadaba.

Kattu.--See Kadu.

Kattukudugirajati.--The name, meaning the caste which allows living together after marriage of an informal kind, recorded [124] as the caste name of Turuvalars (Vedars) of Salem, derived from a custom among them, which authorises temporary matrimonial arrangements.

Kattu Kapari (dweller in the forest).--Said to be a name for Irulas or Villiyans. The equivalent Kattu Kapu is, in like manner, said to be a name for Jogis.

Kattu Marathi.--A synonym of Kuruvikaran.

Kaudikiaru.--Kaudikiaru or Gaudikiaru is a title of Kurubas.

Kavadi.--In the Madras Census Report, 1901, Kabadi is returned as the name of a class of Telugu wood-cutters. Kavadi is the name of a division of Koravas, who carry offerings to Perumalswami at Tirupati on a pole (kavadi). Kavadi or Kavadiga is further the name given to Kannadiyan curd-sellers in Madras, who carry the curds in pots as head-loads.

Kavalgar (watchman).--Recorded, at times of census, as a sub-division of Ambalakaran, and title of Nattaman, Malaiman, and Sudarman. The equivalent Kavali is recorded as a sub-division of the Kammas. The Kavalis, or watchers, in the Telugu country, are said to be generally Lingayat Boyas. [125] The Telugu Mutrachas are also called Kavalgar. The village kaval system in the southern districts is discussed in the note on Maravans.

Kavandan.--At the census, 1901, more than nine thousand people returned themselves as Kavandan or Kaundan, which is a title of Konga Vellalas, and many other castes, such as Anappan, Kappiliyan, Palli, Sembadavan, Urali, and Vettuvan. The name corresponds to the Canarese Gauda or Gaunda.

Kaundinya (a sage).--A Brahmanical gotra adopted by Razus and Bhatrazus.

Kavane (sling).--An exogamous sept of Gangadikara Holeyas.

Kavarai.--Kavarai is the name for Balijas (Telugu trading caste), who have settled in the Tamil country. The name is said to be a corrupt form of Kauravar or Gauravar, descendants of Kuroo of the Mahabaratha, or to be the equivalent of Gauravalu, sons of Gauri, the wife of Siva. Other suggested derivatives are: (a) a corrupt form of the Sanskrit Kvaryku, badness or reproach, and Arya, i.e., deteriorated Aryans; (b) Sanskrit Kavara, mixed, or Kavaraha, a braid of hair, i.e., a mixed class, as many of the Telugu professional prostitutes belong to this caste; (c) Kavarai or Gavaras, buyers or dealers in cattle.

The Kavarais call themselves Balijas, and derive the name from bali, fire, jaha sprung, i.e., men sprung from fire. Like other Telugu castes, they have exogamous septs, e.g., tupaki (gun), jetti (wrestler), pagadala (coral), bandi (cart), simaneli, etc.

The Kavarais of Srivilliputtur, in the Tinnevelly district, are believed to be the descendants of a few families, which emigrated thither from Manjakuppam (Cuddalore) along with one Dora Krishnamma Nayudu. About the time of Tirumal Nayak, one Ramaswami Raju, who had five sons, of whom the youngest was Dora Krishnamma, was reigning near Manjakuppam. Dora Krishnamma, who was of wandering habits, having received some money from his mother, went to Trichinopoly, and, when he was seated in the main bazar, an elephant rushed into the street. The beast was stopped in its career, and tamed by Dora Krishnamma, to escort whom to his palace Vijayaranga Chokkappa sent his retinue and ministers. While they were engaged in conversation, news arrived that some chiefs in the Tinnevelly district refused to pay their taxes, and Dora Krishnamma volunteered to go and subdue them. Near Srivilliputtur he passed a ruined temple dedicated to Krishna, which he thought of rebuilding if he should succeed in subduing the chiefs. When he reached Tinnevelly, they, without raising any objection, paid their dues, and Dora Krishnamma returned to Srivilliputtur, and settled there.

Their marriage ceremonies are based on the type common to many Telugu castes, but those who belong to the Simaneli sept, and believe themselves to be direct descendants of Krishnamma, have two special forms of ceremonial, viz., Krishnamma perantalu, and the carrying of pots (gurigelu) on the heads of the bride and bridegroom when they go to the temple before the Kasiyatra ceremony. The Krishnamma perantalu is performed on the day prior to the muhurtam (tali-tying), and consists in the worship of the soul of Krishnamma, a married woman. A new cloth is purchased and presented to a married woman, together with money, betel, etc., and she is fed before the rest. It is practically a form of sradh ceremony, and all the formalities of the sradh, except the homam (sacred fire) and repeating of mantras from the Vedas, are gone through. This is very commonly observed by Brahmans, and a few castes which engage a Brahman priest for their ceremonies. The main idea is the propitiation of the soul of the dead married woman. If such a woman dies in a family, every ceremony of an auspicious nature must be preceded by sumangaliprarthana, or worship of this married woman (sumangali). Orthodox females think that, if the ceremony is not performed, she will do them some harm. Another custom, now dying out, is the tying of a dagger to the waist of the bridegroom.

In the Madura district, the Kavarais are described [126] as being "most commonly manufacturers and sellers of bangles made of a particular kind of earth, found only in one or two parts of the district. Those engaged in this traffic usually call themselves Chettis or merchants. When otherwise employed as spinners, dyers, painters, and the like, they take the title of Nayakkan. It is customary with these, as with other Nayakkans, to wear the sacred thread: but the descendants of the Nayakkan kings, who are now living at Vellei-kuricchi, do not conform to this usage, on the ground that they are at present in a state of impurity and degradation, and consequently ought not to wear the sacred emblem."

The bulk of the Kavarais in Tanjore are said [127] "to bear the title Nayak. Some that are engaged in trade, more especially those who sell glass bangles, are called Settis, and those who originally settled in agriculture are called Reddis. The title of Nayak, like Pillai, Mudali, and Setti, is generally sought after. As a rule, men of the Palli or cooly class, when they enter the Government service, and shepherds, when they grow rich in trade or otherwise, assume this title, wear the namam (the trident mark on the forehead emblematic of the Vaishnava persuasion), and call themselves Kavarais or Vadugars, though they cannot speak Telugu, much less point to any part of the Telugu country as the seat of their forefathers."

One of the largest sub-divisions of the Kavarais is Valaiyal, the Tamil equivalent of Gazula, both words meaning a glass or lac bangle. [128]

Kavuthiyan.--The Kavuthiyans are described as follows in the Gazetteer of Malabar. "They are barbers who serve the Tiyans and lower castes; they are also sometimes given the title Kurup. Their females act as midwives. There seem to be several sections, distinguished by the affix of the name of the castes which they serve, as for instance Tacchakavuthiyan or Tacchakurup, and Kanisakavuthiyan, appropriated to the service of the Asaris and Kanisans respectively; while the barbers who serve the Izhuvans are known both as Aduttons, Vattis, or Izhuva Kavuthiyans. But whether all these should be regarded as offshoots of one main barber caste, or as degraded sections of the castes which they serve, the Kavuthiyans proper being only barbers to the Tiyans, it is difficult to determine. The fact that the Naviyan or Kavuthiyan section of the Veluttedans, as well as the Kavuthiyan section of the Mukkuvans, are admittedly but degraded sections of these castes, makes the second the more probable view. It is also to be noticed that the Kavuthiyans, in the north at least, follow marumakkattayam (inheritance in the female line), while the Taccha and Kanisa Kavuthiyans follow the other principle of descent."

Kayalan.--The Kayalans are Tamil-speaking Muhammadans, closely allied to the Marakkayars and living at Kayalpatnam in Tinnevelly. Many of them have settled as merchants in Madras, and sell glass beads, cowry shells, dolls from Tirupati, toys, etc. Some are money-lenders to the lower classes, and others travel about from village to village selling, for cash or credit rates, cloths, brass vessels, and other articles. They are sometimes called Arumasaththukadankarar, or six months' debt people, as this is the time usually allowed for payment. At Kayalpatnam, a Kayalan husband is expected to live in his father-in-law's house, and, in connection with this custom, the following legend is narrated. The chiefman of the town gave his daughter in marriage to a man living in an adjacent village. One evening, she went to fetch water from a tank, and, on her way back, trod on a cobra. She could not move her foot, lest she should be bitten, so she stood where she was, with her water-pot on her head, till she was discovered by her father on the following morning. He killed the snake with the kitti (tweezers) and knife which he had with him, and told the girl to go with him to his house. She, however, refused to do so, and went to her husband's house, from which she was subsequently taken to that of her father. The kitti is an instrument of torture, consisting of two sticks tied together at one end, between which the fingers were placed as in a lemon squeezer. With this instrument, the fingers were gradually bent backwards towards the back of the hand, until the sufferer, no longer able to endure the excruciating pain, yielded to the demands made on him to make confession of guilt.

Kayasth.--Kayasth or Kayastha is the writer-caste of Bengal. See Risley, Tribes and Castes of Bengal.

Kayerthannaya (Strychnos Nux-vomica sept).--An exogamous sept of the Bants and Shivalli Brahmans in South Canara.

Kayila (unripe fruit).--An exogamous sept of Orugunta Kapu.

Keimal (kei, hand, as an emblem of power).--A sub-division of Nayar.

Kela.--A small class of Oriya jugglers and mountebanks, whose women, like the Dommara females, are often prostitutes. The name is derived from keli, dancing, or khel to play.

Kelasi.--For the following account of the Kelasi or barber caste of South Canara, I am indebted to a note on the barbers of Tuluva by Mr. M. Bapu Rao. [129] The caste name is derived from kelasa, work. In like manner, the Canarese barbers of Bellary and Dharwar call themselves Kashta Madovaru, or those who perform the difficult task.

The barbers of South Canara are of different castes or sub-castes according to the language they speak, or the people for whom they operate. Thus there are (1) the Tulu Kelsi (Kutchidaye, man of the hair) or Bhandari; (2) the Konkani Kelsi or Mhallo, who must have migrated from the north; (3) the Hindustani Kelsi or Hajams; (4) the Lingayat Kelsi or Hadapavada (man of the wallet); (5) the Mappilla (Moplah) barber Vasa; (6) the Malayali barber Kavudiyan; and even Telugu and Tamil barbers imported by the sepoy regiments until recently stationed at Mangalore. Naturally the Tulus form the bulk of the class in Tuluva. There is among them a section known as Maddele, employed by palm-tappers, and hence considered socially inferior to the Bhandari, who is employed by the higher classes. [The Billava barbers are called Parel Madiali or Parel Madivala.] If a high caste barber operates for a man of lower caste, he loses his caste thereby, and has to pay a fine, or in some other way expiate his offence before he gains re-admission into his community. Pariahs in these parts have no separate caste of barbers, but anyone among themselves may try his skill on any head. Mappilla barbers are employed only by the Muhammadans. Even in their own community, however, they do not live in commensality with other Mappillas though gradations of caste are not recognised by their religion.

The barber is not ambitious enough to claim equality of rank with the Bant, the potter, the piper, the weaver, or the oilmonger; but he shows a decided disposition to regard himself as above the level of the fisherman or the palanquin-bearer. The latter often disclaim any such inferiority, and refer to the circumstance that they discharge the functions of carrying the huge umbrella in marriage processions, and shouldering the gods in religious processions. They argue that their rivals perform an operation, the defilement of which can only be wiped off by bathing the head with a solution of sacred earth taken from besides the roots of the tulsi plant (Ocimum sanctum). In justice to the barber, however, it must be mentioned that he has to perform certain priestly duties for most Sudras. His presence is essential at two of the ceremonies observed by castes professing to be superior to his. At the name-giving ceremony a Tulu barber has to tie a thread round the waist of the child, and name it, among Sudras of a higher caste than himself. [At the present day, the Bhandari is said to receive his fee for tying the thread, though he does not actually perform the act.] Again, on the death of a high caste Sudra, the barber has to carry the fire to the cremation ground, though the funeral pyre is lighted by the relations of the deceased. He also has to assist at certain other rites connected with funeral obsequies, such as purifying the house.

[The collection of fragments of bones from the ashes, heaping up the ashes, and cleaning the spot where the corpse was burnt, are the business of the Kelasi. These duties he performs for Morlis, Bants, Gattis, and Vodaris. The Bhandari or Kelasi is an object of intense hatred to Konkani women, who call them by abusive names, such as fellow with a burnt face, miserable wretch, widow-maker, etc.]

The barber in South Canara has invented several stories concerning the origin of his first progenitor. At a time when the barber had not yet been created, Siva was a bachelor, spending his time in austere devotions, and allowing his hair to grow into long matted locks. A time came when he became bent on matrimony, and he thought that the hirsute condition of his face would not be appreciated by his bride, the young daughter of the king of the mountains. It was at this juncture that the barber was created to make Siva a good-looking bridegroom, and the Brahman to officiate at the marriage ceremony. According to another legend, a Gandharva-born woman was on one occasion cast into the sea by irate Brahma, and doomed to be turned into a rock. Moved by her piteous entreaties, however, Brahma relented, and ordained that she should be restored to human form when Parasurama should happen to set his foot upon the rock. This came to pass when Parasurama thrust back the waters of the western sea in order to create the western coast. The re-humanised woman thereupon offered her thanksgivings in such winning words that the great Brahman hero asked her to beg any boon she wished. She begged a son, who should in some way remind generations to come of the great Brahman who had reclaimed her from her inanimate state. The boon was thereupon granted that she should give birth to sons, who would not indeed be Brahmans, but who would perform functions analogous to those performed by Brahmans. The barber thus discharges certain priestly duties for Sudras, and cleanses the body even as the Brahman cleanses the soul; and the defilement caused by the razor can be removed only by the smearing of mud and water, because the barber's female progenitor was a rock recovered out of water.

The primary occupation of the barber does not always bring in a sufficient income, while it leaves him a large amount of leisure. This he spends, if possible, in agricultural labour, in which he is materially assisted by his female relations. Barbers residing in towns hold no land to fall back upon, but their average monthly earnings range from five to seven rupees. Their brethren in the villages are not so busy plying the razor, so they cultivate land as tenants. One of the blessings conferred by Parasurama is that the barber shall never starve.