1837.] 



An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies. 



253 



tradition of the Kolies having come from the eastward is, that in former 

 times all ceremonies connected with their marriages, births ;/ ,and funeral 

 obsequies were conducted by the Rawoull Goossynes of the Linggait 

 persuasion — we know that the people of the Ballaghaut are staunch 

 worshippers of the Ling of Mhadeo, and these priests may have accom- 

 panied the Kolies in their journey to occupy the valleys of the western 

 ghauts. When the Paishwah attained supremacy in the government 

 at Poona, some Brahmuns intruded themselves among the Koly habita- 

 tions : these have completely usurped the duties and emoluments of the 

 Rawoulls for seventy or eighty years past. The descendants of some 

 of the Rawoulls are settled at Chauss and Murchur. 



During the wars that were carried on in the Dukhun while the Bhaum- 

 ny dynasty of kings reigned, also by the Nizam Shawhy kings of 

 Ahmudnuggur, and subsequently by the emperors of Dhelhi in re-esta- 

 blishing their authority over the Dukhun, the Kolies, being a poor peo- 

 ple and occupying a strong country, very possibly did not suffer so much 

 from an invading force, or from the governors of provinces, as the in- 

 habitants of the open country. 



It is said that, with the view of preserving order among the Koly 

 inhabitants, one of the kings of Bedur established a local police in each 

 of the fifty-two valleys ,\ a Naik and a certain number of Kolies were 

 nominated for this duty, and the Bawun (52) choury at Joonere was 

 fixed on as the head quarters of the police establishment The Naiks 

 were styled sirdars, an(^ several of them had the title of munsubdar 

 conferred up^n them, A Mahomedan* styled munsubdar was placed in 

 charge of the police,, as a general superintendant or Sir Naik (chief 

 Naik). However sometimes after this the Kolies from some unknown 

 cause became very discontented, and they assembled to the number of 

 many thousands for the purpose of demanding redress of their griev- 

 ances from the king, who was passing in the vicinity of the hilly coun- 

 try, arranging the affairs of his government. The Koly force is said to 

 have extended from the vicinity of Ekdurrah near the Puttah fort south 

 and close to the Bolleshwur hills ; but, as there was no person of ac- 

 knowledged ability or experience among the Naiks, whom they could 

 implicitly intrust and depute to the court as their agent to get their 

 affairs satisfactorily adjusted, all seemed to agree that none of 

 them could fulfil the duty so effectually as a poor Koly labourer, 

 surnamed Pauperah, in the employ of the Awary Patell of 

 Khirlay, and who was noted for his intelligence and sagacity. 

 He was consequently requested to act as their chief and representative 

 on the occasion, on which account he was presented with new clothes 



* There has been no Mahomedan Sir Naick for these 130 years ; Mahomud Lattief was 

 the last. 



