18G8.] A short sketch of the Tribes of Bhutteanah &c. 171 



A SHORT SKETCH OF THE TRIBES OF BlIUTTEANAII AND HlJRRIANAH •* 



—■by Peter A. Minas, G. 31. C. B., Honorary Assistant Surgeon; 

 in Civil Medical charge of the Hissar District. 



[Received 10th April, 1866.] 



In connection with the recommendation of Dr. J. Fayrer, regarding 

 ethnological exhibition, I have compiled the accompanying laconic 

 sketch of the tribes of Bhutteanah and Hurrianah. In it is embodied 

 all the information that I could collect during my leisure hours. It is 

 a mere attempt and naturally very short, but it may guide others 

 who will have an opportunity of visiting the same districts, and who 

 are desirous to work out their ethnology. 



Baniahs. 



Origin.— .The origin of this tribe is blended into obscurity, but the 

 following is the traditional account : that one, Oogur Sein, a Powar 

 Rajpoot of the Chundcrbansce division, took for a wife an Ahirif 

 woman ; she bore him 17 sons, and each son became the head of a tribe. 



Division into Classes.— The Baniahs are divided into 6 goths\ viz. 

 Aghorwall, Mahasurree, Uswall, Khuttree, Mahar, and Rorah. 



The Aborigines of Agroha,— a village 12 miles north of Hissar— 

 the descendants of Oogur Sein are spread far and wide, each as 

 a distinct tribe, and one cannot intermarry with the other. 



The Aghorwall is considered the highest in order, and the Rorah the 

 lowest, for the latter eat meat and drink spirits. 



Each caste has its purihit.§ The Aghorwall can become Surrowgee, 

 a sect very austere in the ceremonies of religion ; they do not eat or 



* The MSS. of this paper was accompanied by a series of photograms, 

 representing members of the various tribes. It would be too costly to reproduce 

 them, but the original copies are deposited in the Archives of the Society, and 

 can be inspected by any one interested in the subject.— Ed. 



^ ' j&\ — ^}"€1^, a caste whose business is to attend to cows ; a cowherd caste. 

 Wilson, in his glossary, gives a full account of this tribe. 



X tij$ — JTR, pedigree, species, caste, or tribe. 



§ ^^^J — ^TTf^TT, a family priest, who presides at the performance of reli- 

 gious ceremonies. 



