Major-General Sir J. Malcolm on the Bhills. 79 



" of deciding what was to be done. One of them said, ' Assuredly, we 

 " have not that urgent occasion for a fort, that we should sacrifice the lives 

 •' of one of our sons, and his wife, to obtain it.' Jagdeo, after hearing this 

 " speech, in which all his brothers acquiesced, said, ' I will give the head, 

 " of my son and his wife;' and did so the same night. Hallaka Devi told 

 " him, that the fort should be completed before the next morning, which 

 " was done accordingly. After this extraordinary event, only one of the 

 " brothers would remain with Jagdeo. The other three left him, observ- 

 " ing, that he was, from having made the sacrifice, sole master of the fort, 

 " and that they had, by their hesitation, forfeited all right to share in that 

 " possession, or to participate in his power, as Prince of Mdndii and Dhcir. 

 " They continued wanderers, for some time, principally occupying them- 

 " selves with the chace. The Mehi river, being informed of their depar- 

 " ture, appeared before them in the shape of a wild hog, in order to allure 

 " them towards a part of the country, where she desired they should settle. 

 " The brothers gave chace, but, after a long ride, lost sight of their game. 

 " One of them, named Unciiarawad, being thirsty, went in search of 

 " water. He came to a hut, where he found some brass pots, ready filled ; 

 " and from seeing the spot quite clear of wood, he concluded that it must 

 " belong to some person of high caste, and drank of the water. Another 

 " brother came, for the same purpose; but, previously to drinking, he asked 

 " to whom the pots belonged. Uncharawad said, he did not know ; but 

 " having enquired of some children, who were playing, they were informed 

 «' that the house belonged to a Bhill. The brother who came last, said to 

 " Uncharawad, ' As you have drunk the water, you have lost your caste, 

 " and become the same as a Bhill, therefore we cannot live together as 

 " formerly.' Uncharawad, being, by this accident, degraded to the condi- 

 " tion of a Bhill, adopted their usages, and became their leader ; and in 

 " commemoration of his having been brought by the Mehi river, he and 

 " all his followers adopted the name o? Mehira Bhills, by which they are, to 

 " this day, distinguished. Shortly after this event, he built a fort, which 

 " was called Uchunghar, or the fort of Uchdiig." 



The plain fact of this story is, that a brother of one of the former Princes 

 of Dhiii; fled to tlie woods, and lost his caste, from associating with Bhilk, 

 of whom he became a leader. 



The same pride, which has given rise to tliis fable, has led to the establish- 

 ment of different castes, and distinctions, among the Bhills. The UJJxcala 



