1837 J 



An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies, 



83 



the Kolies say that they are the descendants of Valmik, the distin- 

 guished author of the Ramayun, who, although of Brahman parentage, 

 and born at Veer Walla, twenty-four miles south-east of Poona,itis said 

 followed the life of a Koly. The description of Valmik magnifies him 

 into a huge giant, who could walk fifty miles in less than half an hour. 

 He is reputed to have been a most desperate and remorseless robber 

 and murderer, and that he continued so until he encountered the holy 

 Narud, who ultimately succeeded in persuading him to abandon the 

 wicked life he was leading, for a better and more virtuous one. The 

 Mandur Soombah ghaut, ten miles north of Ahmudnuggur, and close to 

 that beautiful and romantic spot known to us by the name of the happy 

 valley, is said to have been one of his favourite haunts. 



The Sanskrit word kywurtuk, meaning— boatman and fisherman, is 

 applied by some of the* inhabitants to the Kolies, but in the Dukhun it 

 is unusual to see them engaged as boatmen. A very few of them, from 

 necessity, may in some places follow the profession, for a month or for 

 a season ; as the Koonbies, Mallies, Bhooies, Dheres and Mahomedans 

 do. Neither is it common for the Kolies in Guzerat to labour as boat- 

 men. The term might be more appositely applied to the Kolies along 

 the sea coast. 



There are several hundred families of the Dhewur tribe of boatmen, 



* The Mahomedans and a great many of the Hindoos are very apt to apply the term Koly 

 to persons of various low tribqs, respecting whose origin and habits they may be ignorant. 

 There is a class of people, known by the name of Tarroo, who are boatmen at the ferries 

 of the Godavery, &c. and, although they are quite a distinct class, and not very numerous 

 some persons ignorantly call them Kolies. In the country to the north and to the west 

 of Hydrabad, there are several tribes of low caste people, who resemble the Kolies in 

 some respects. One of the most numerous of these are the people known by the name of 

 Mootrassy. When they cultivate and work as labourers they are so called ; those who 

 superintend water courses and tanks, to see the regulated quantity of water supplied to 

 the people, are termed Neerrorrahs ; and those who follow a military life are called Tell- 

 golls, which is the familiar word among them for an armed man. The Tellgolls, are much 

 employed as sepoys (hereditary) in the service of the Naiks or Zumeendars, in the Hy- 

 drabad territory, and they hold a considerable portion of land rent-free for their service, 

 ■which is cultivated by some of the family. Besides they receive dues from the inhabitants, 

 for performing the police duties of villages, and are employed in collecting the revenue and 

 on " field service" when the Naik is engaged in hostilities, even should it be with the 

 ruling authority of the country ; on which occasions the Tellgolls were frequently in the 

 habit of sending their families to the jungles for protection, while they showed the great- 

 est zeal and most devoted attachment in the Naik's cause. Some of these people were 

 formerly employed in the Poona subsidiary force, as pioneers, lascars and dooly bearers. 

 A few of them are settled at Poona and Seroor as palankeen bearers. The Mootrassy 

 passes under the denomination of Kamatty, at Poona and Seroor. The word Kamatty is 

 applied, by the inhabitants of the Mahratta country, to all descriptions of persons coming 

 from the Ballaghaut and the Hydrabad country who can speak Telingy, Koonbies, Mallies, 

 &c. and even Mahomedans, are classed under the head of Kamatty. The Mahomedans 

 in the country around Commummait, Nullgoonda, Pochumchilloo, apply the term Koly 

 to the Tellgolls. They worship all the Hindoo gods under the Telingy names of Eerra- 

 nah (Mhadeo) Ellamah (Bhoany), Pochumah (Matta Devy) ; but their chief object of. 

 adoration is Narasingha, the man lion, being the fourth Avatar of Vishnoa. 



