104 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 

 buff aloe-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 G-oojars, 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 Bohilcund, and they seem to extend into the south-east of 

 Rajpootana and of the Dehli territory, and are found about the Jumna 

 near Mnttra, 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 l 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 



