102 Tlie Ethnology of India. 



in all Northern Rajpootana, and extend into Malwa and the adjoining 

 parts of Central India.* They there extend as far east as Bundle- 

 cund, where one of the chiefs is a Goojar. But in the other 

 direction they do not approach Goozerat, and, so far as I can learn 

 have never been known there. I believe that the Bombay ' Goozerat' 

 is a name derived from some other source. Its proper form is said 

 to be Gurjarat, derived from ' Gurjar' Princes. I do not know the 

 derivation of this last term, but there are Gurjat Chiefs in the 

 Cuttack and Southern Nagpore territories, where there are no Goojars. 

 I fancy, however, that I have heard it said (though I cannot now 

 trace the source), that a similarity of names can be traced between 

 places in Goozerat and in the Punjab Goojerat. If that be really so, 

 it would open up an interesting inquiry. To prevent mistake, I 

 should here notice that in the Bombay Presidency the word ' Goozar' 

 is used, not to signify a Goojar in the northern sense, but merely 

 an inhabitant of Goozerat, as thus ' Goozar Bramins,' ' Goozar 

 Banians.' 



The Goo jars are generally a fair good looking people, especially 

 towards the frontier, and have no aboriginal traces about them. 

 Those located to the east trace their origin from the west. All, I 

 think, to the north of Dehli are now Mahommedans ; but those to the 

 east and south of that place are sometimes half-Mahommedans, some- 

 times a sort of Hindus, though of so lax a character that I believe 

 they are hardly admitted within the pale, and are considered to be in 

 some degree a sect apart. They are sometimes said by the natives to 

 have a language of their own ; at least so I was told in the Punjab. 

 It may not improbably be that this is only the patois of one province 

 carried by them into another, but it would be interesting to inquire 

 whether they may possibly have among themselves some sort of 

 Gypsy tongue. Their most proper calling seems to be the keeping 

 of cattle and buffaloes, not sheep ; but they do not generally exercise 

 this as a mere caste profession among the general population. They 



* The last Nagpore Prince is stated to have been a Goojar adopted into 

 the family, the son of ' Nane Goojar,' but I apprehend that there must be 

 some mistake, as the Nagpore family were, I believe, Maratta Koonbees, of the 

 same race as the Sattara family. Either ' Goojar' must be here a mere name 

 or title of the individual, or the allusion must be to some supposed indiscretion 

 of a lady of the family. 



