1837.] 



An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies. 77 



tion with them. A few of them are cultivators and labourers while 

 others are sellers of fish, which they cut into small bits, and sell in their 

 booths, or Thanns, in the bazar, and are therefore denominated Than- 

 kur-Kolies. A few families^are settled at Bassein, Thannah, Bhewn- 

 dy, &c. 



There are between three and four hundred families of the Chanchhy 

 tribe of Kolies settled at Bombay. These Kolies bear the character of 

 being a very peaceable and industrious race. They are chiefly farmers^ 

 who cultivate various sorts of roots, fruits and vegetables, which they 

 take to market. Others are labourers, and a few of them are employed 

 in the service of native merchants. These Kolies come from Joonagur 

 in Kattywar (Guzerat). They worship Dakkoorjee (Runchonjee) and 

 Mahaluchmy. 



The Kolies in Guzerat appear to be divided into several tribes— the 

 Tullubdah, the Puttunwaria, and the Kakrez, the Dhandhour and Bab- 

 briah. The Tullubdah are the most numerous. The limits of their 

 country extend from the Baroda district, north, to Khyralloo and Mas- 

 sawnah, on the banks of the river Koopyne ; and from Dhollka on the 

 borders of Kattywar to Lunawarra. Some of them are found beyond 

 these limits, but that above defined they consider their own country. 

 The Tullubdah, in addition to being the most numerous, is considered 

 superior in rank to the other tribes. The Puttunwania will partake of 

 food prepared by the Tullubdah, but the latter will not touch food 

 cooked by the Puttunwarria. It is a very common practice with them, 

 to call each other by the name of the district in which they reside. The 

 Tullubdah Kolies, residing around Kurree, &c. are known by the name 

 of the Chowally Koly, the name of the district. The Kolies in the 

 Mhyee Kaunta, are termed the Parriah Kolies, also the Mhyee Kaunta 

 Kolies. Those residing in the Pergunnah of Dhygown, about 25 miles 

 north-east of Ahmadabad, are known by the name of Kauntt Kolies. The 

 Thakoors* of Lohar and Amlyah in this division are Kolies. The Tha- 

 koorof Goorassur, 25 miles S. E. of Ahmudabad, is a Koly of great influ- 

 ence ; also the Koly Thakoor of Ometta on the Mhyee. The Thakoors of 

 Agrlore Kuttawun, Bhukkora, Mugoonah in the Chowall, are also Kolies. 

 These Kolies form a very large portion of the population of the districts 

 they reside in. It has been estimated that, in the Khaira district alone, 

 there are nearly- seventy thousand of them. They are all cultivators and 

 labourers, and often Patells of villages ; a few of them being employed 



* Rajpoots and Kolies, who are the proprietors of several villages, from which they 

 derive a revenue of a few thousand rupees, or who have an income of a similar amount 

 fe-om revenue and other sources, such as geerass or grass, equivalent to black mail, are 

 termed Thakoors. 



