274 



An Account of the Tribe of Alhadeo Kolies. [April 



villages of the tract he had charge of. Bhauggrah proved himself a 

 very able police officer. Some time after the Konkan was transferred 

 by treaty to the British government, Bhauggrah waited upon the col- 

 lector. This gentleman employed the Koly as a peon but subsequently 

 advanced him to the situation of jemadar of police in one of the pur- 

 gunnahs near the ghauts. The Koly jemadar received a bhaut rupee 

 and a fowl annually from every village within his range. Some of them 

 presented him with a little rice, and he was entitled to a sheep from 

 every flock that passed through his district to the coast. A few years 

 had only elapsed after the cession of the country, when our govern- 

 ment is.sued orders prohibiting persons in the service of government 

 receiving any presents or perquisites of office beyond their fixed salary. 

 Unfortunately in many instances these orders interfered much in abro- 

 gating the long established usages of the country ; the abolition of 

 which if deemed necessary it would be advisable to effect in a more 

 gradual manner. In fact the order was a distressing blow to many a 

 man, for they considered their dignity and consequence not only seri- 

 ously aftected by their not being permitted to accept of that mark of re- 

 spect which their predecessors and ancestors had always received, but 

 their income was most materially affected by the prohibitory mandate. 

 I recollect having some years ago estimated Ramjee Bhauggrah's loss on 

 the above occasion at nearly two hundred rupees annually. The jema- 

 dar presented several petitions to the constituted authorities, begging 

 that he might be allowed to retain the perquisites that had been with- 

 held, as it has always been the custom of the country for persons em- 

 ployed as he was to receive such dues. Unluckily for him he appealed 

 in vain, and being rather disgusted and mortified with the treatment 

 he experienced, he asked for his discharge. There appeared 

 to be very great objections to giving him leave to retire from 

 the service, for he possessed great local knowledge, and was a most 

 active and useful police officer. Six months leave of absence was very 

 reluctantly granted to him, and he proceeded to his village ,• however 

 he had no-intention of returning to his duty, unless his pay was in- 

 creased, or permission given to him to receive the perquisites that had 

 been withheld. It was soon discovered that Bhauggrah's services 

 could not conveniently be dispensed with; and a peon brought him a 

 letter from the magistrate calling on him to return to his duty. He 

 proceeded to the Konkan full of hope that his salary would be increas- 

 ed, or that he would be allowed to resume his dues ; but after a lapse 

 of many months he received no satisfactory answer to his petition. 

 Bhauggrah became now extremely discontented, and was ready for 

 any mischief. The better to understand subsequent events I must 

 refer to the arrangement of affairs in the hilly country in the year 1818. 

 In March of that year, the Koly Naiks and their followers, forming the 



