164 The Ethnology of India. 
country are in considerable tracts almost the principal landholding 
class. Under these circumstances they are very fair agriculturalists, 
only a little given to cattle-lifting, when opportunity offers. Besides 
the Aheer villages, families of the caste are much spread about the 
country as cultivators and herdsmen, ‘ Ghosees’ also, common as 
buffaloe-keepers, are said to be related to the Aheers ; they are, I think, 
Aheers converted to Mahommedansm. Except in the country occu- 
pied by Jats and Goojars, Aheers are found all over Hindustan, but 
do not generally extend east into Bengal. There are many of them 
just between the proper Jat and the Rajpoot country about the 
Ganges, to the east of Meerut and Allyghur, and on the other side 
in part of Rohilcund, and they seem to extend into the south-east of 
Rajpootana and of the Dehli territory, and are found about the Jumna 
near Muttra, and in many places farther east. In the Benares -and 
Behar Divisions there are also many of them. 
Thence through Central India I am not prepared to say what pro- 
portion of the population are Aheers, but they were certainly very 
famous in old time on the Southern frontiers of Hindustan, in 
Guzerat, and in the Maratta country. The famous Fort of Asseerghur 
derives its name from Asa Aheer, a noted leader of this tribe, and 
Aheers are still, I believe, found in those parts. They are said to 
have been once powerful in Goozerat and to be still numerous in 
Kattywar. That western country is stated in fact to have been 
formerly called ‘ Abhira’ or the country of the Aheers. And thence 
southwards, it seems probable that Aheers were one of the principal 
Hindu races who along with the Bramins conquered and colonised 
Southern India. Bramins and Herdsmen are said to have been the 
first conquerors, and the Aheers may probably be the progenitors of 
the cowherd castes who are still numerous in the Southern Districts. 
One can only suppose Goozerat to have been a Goojar country, by 
assuming Goojars and Aheers to have been originally identical, which 
at any rate would require that we should go back a very long way. 
The subject is, however, worthy of inquiry. 
Besides the Aheers known in the Maratta Districts, there seems to 
be in the south of that country and also in the Canarese country a 
quiet respectable class of cultivators called ‘Dhangurs.’. The word 
is translated ‘Shepherds,’ but I have also seen it stated that the 
