84 An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies, [Jan. 



settled in the towns and villages on the banks of the Godavery river, 

 between Nassik and Gungakhere. They state that their ancestors 

 came from Bundleknnd in Hindoostan. They worship the god Ramah> 

 and relate a miraculous story respecting thtir own origin. They say that 

 they are not Kolies ; the terms Dhewur and Kywurtuk are synonimous, 

 and the Poorans state that they are the offspring of a Pursovah, a gold- 

 smith and an Eeogvhy or female patruwut (a hewer of stones), who are 

 to be employed as boatmen at ferries on large rivers. A few of them 

 are employed at Ahmudnuggur and Poona as palankeen bearers. 



The tribe of Mhadeo Kolies is divided into twenty four Kools, or grand 

 division ; each of these is subdivided into branches or classes, amount- 

 ing in all at present to about two hundred and eighty. Each of these 

 clans comprizes many families, bearing the same surname; the number 

 varies according to circumstances. 



The following are the names of the Kools of the Mhadeo tribe of 

 Kolies, with the number of clans or branches that have diverged from 

 each : 



Clans. Clans. 

 The "VVunuckpall, from this The Polewoss, from this 



have sprung 17 have sprung 12 



The Kndum 16 The Ottarracha 13 



ThePuwar 13 The Dulvy 14 



The Keddar .15 The Goully 2 



The Boodywunt 17 The Agghassy 3 



TheNamdeo 15 The Chowan 2 



The Kheersagur 15 The Oojajy 12 



The Bhagghywunt ..14 The Sagur 12 



The Bhonsla 14 The Shaikacha Shesha 12 



The Jugtap 13 The Khurad 11 



The Gykwar, 12 The Seerkhy 2 



The Sooryvaunssy 16 The Sew 9 



Although it is impossible to ascertain who the original founders of 

 each Kool or grand division might have been, we are, however, support- 

 ed by traditionary evidence in stating, that persons of rank or influence 

 in former ages, who might, from necessity, choice or other causes, have 

 joined the Koly community, occasionally became, in such case, the 

 founder of a new Kool. As a proof of this, it may be mentioned here, 

 that the origin of the Lokkriah and Garriah clans of Kolies, who are 

 numerous in the Ghore Nahur or valley of the Ghore river, is popular- 

 ly accounted for in the following manner. A person named Batty Row 

 Sirkhay (styled Rajah, and said to be connected with some of the pow- 

 erful families of the name in the Dukhun), having been afflicted with a 

 very terrible and most loathsome disease, repaired to the celebrated 

 temple of the deity Wittoba at Punderpoor, and implored the god to 



