Vol. II, No.6.] The Rawats and Merats of Rajputana, 211 
[N.S.] 
brothers were resting under a bargad tree (Ficus pea and 
prayed that, if their race was destined to continue, the trunk of the 
tree might be rent in two. This occurred instantly and raised 
hal and Anip from their despondency. The splitting of the fig 
tree is a cardinal bh in the history of the race. There is a 
distich which runs 
“‘Charar se Chita bhayo, aur 
Barar bhayo Bar-ghat 
Shakh ek se do a 
Jagat bakhani Jat.”’ 
“From the sound “Charar’’ (the noise made by the splitting 
tree) the Chitas are called, and the clan Barar from the splitting 
of the fig tree. Both are descended from one stock. The world 
ants exterminated the Gajars who ha 
agar uccoured the exiles. This was the origin 
-of the Chita clan, ‘ihigh waxed strong and eas are and 
feet he retard villages in Merwara and a few Ajmer. 
The ral subdivisions of the Chita an bai most 
idinereed add” ecgotant of which is that of Merats, a term 
synonymous with a Muha ; ord “ Merat” is 
are Muhammadans, and aie See who are Hindus, In the 
controversy which has arisen between the Hindu and Muham 
dan clans of Merwara the Merat ; Katats represent the tater 
-element—all other clan are arranged on the side of Hinduism. 
4, The origin of the Merat Katats here claims notice. One 
Hurraj, the grandson of Mera, took service 
The Merat Katats. 2+ Delhi under the Emperor Aurangzeb. 
uring a night of terrific rain, he remained at his post as sentry 
-and felteved himself under his shield.!} The satin was brought 
to the oe of the Emperor who is reported to have said :— 
‘‘In the Marwar tongue they call a brave soldier Kata : let 
this man He henceforth called Kata. 
Shortly after this, Hurraj embraced Muhammadanism and 
was the progenitor of the ent Katats. The Katats settled in 
Gora, 
Pid we Merat ‘They spread southwards and are to be 
A 
The Barar Clan. 3,,sawara, now Todgarh, and founded the 
Barar clan, His descendants proved less enterprising than the 
l The same story is told of several people, ey., Muhammad Khan 
‘Bangash of Farrukhabad.—R. B. 
