Tlie Ethnology of India. 45 



I have not been able to ascertain whether there are any of these 

 aboriginal tribes in the Kattywar hills, or who are the aborigines 

 of Kattywar. I have not met with any precise mention of them. 

 Lassen in his map places Koolees (Kolas he calls them) in the centre 

 of Kattywar. He had probably some authority for doing so, but 

 more precise information on the point would be desirable. 



North of the Bombay country, in the Aravallee range running 

 towards Ajmere, is the country of the Mairs or Mhairs, with whom I 

 have said that the Koolees claim kindred, and whose name also suggests 

 the question whether they may be related to the Maratta Mhars. 

 Tod says that Mhair means Mountaineer, from f Meru' mountain. 

 The modern Mhairs are probably a veiy mixed race. Col. Dixon, 

 who is avowedly enthusiastic in their favour, makes them out to be 

 rather good-looking, and tells the usual story (as told by the chiefs 

 to him) of their descent from Rajpoots. They admit to have taken 

 a few Bheel and Meena women. It is probably the case, as Col. Dixon 

 says, that for hundreds of years they have been recruited by Hinclu- 

 stanee refugees and rascals of all sorts. Though now out of the wa}^ 

 it must be remembered that Ajmere was, under the emperors, one of 

 the chief seats of Mahommedan power. 



The Meenas constitute a large portion of the population of Raj- 

 pootana, especially in the Jeypore country between Ajmere and Dehli. 

 I have said that they are supposed to be related to the Mhairs, and 

 they are called the aborigines of the country, but I doubt if they 

 are so in the sense in which I am now dealing with separate 

 aboriginal tribes. In Upper India, out of their own country, these 

 Meenas are principally known as dacoits ; and of those that I have 

 seen in that capacity, my impression is, that they were not small and 

 aboriginal-looking, but fine powerful men. I suspect that if ori- 

 ginally a half-breed derived from aborigines, the Meenas are now 

 members of the ordinary Indian society, and that Aryan features 

 predominate in them. Farther information, however, is required. 



I am not aware of any aboriginal tribes in Bundlecund. In a 

 recent Archaeological paper read at a meeting of the Society, mention 

 was incidentally made of "the wild Sherrias" found about the 

 southern sources of the Nerbudda, and I also find mention of a tribe 

 called ' Naikras' in the hills of Oodeypore, said to be like the B heels, 



