1850.] Eastern Districts of the Soulah of Hydr abaci 199 



last kings of the Hindoo dynasty of Yf arungul, as their progeni- 

 tors ; they are generally speaking cultivators, and are very numer- 

 ous throughout the Nizam's Telinganah. 



3. Kummewars, as to caste are much in the same predica- 

 ment as the Yelmas, their place in the fourth class being denied by 

 the Brahmins, the more wealthy of them veil their women, they 

 are also agriculturists, and are found chiefly in the Kummemmett 

 Sircar, where there is a Zemindar or two, who are Kummewars. 



4. Coonbees, or Capoowur ; of these there are seven or eight dif- 

 ferent sub-castes, who eat together, save with one branch who are 

 Lingayets, but who do not intermarry. 



The Mootal Capoowur is reckoned the highest in the scale from 

 the circumstance of many Zemindars belonging to it, they are found 

 numerous about "Warungul. The Gronee Capoorwur are common 

 in Elgundel, the Pakenat at Maiduck where the Zemindar was of 

 that caste, one or two of the sub-castes do not drink, the women of 

 another do not wear cholees. 



Telinghees ; a lower caste of cultivators divided into Telinghees 

 properly so called, Urdrachawars, and Munoorwars, these are pro- 

 tected by the Telmahs from sympathy, who assert that the Yel- 

 mahs, Kummewars, and Telinghees are middle born men, thus 

 tacitly admitting the inferior caste, and origin of all. All these 

 castes including the Bunnyahs, and Brahmins, are permitted the 

 use of the Palkee in their marriage processions. The votaries of 

 Vishnu, who are numerous among them prefer incremation to in- 

 terment when they can afford it. All the Brahmins, with the ex- 

 ception of the Lingayets, burn their dead, as do the Bunnyahs. 



After these come the Gwallaroo or shepherds, of whom there are 

 no less than twelve sub-castes, who eat together, but refuse to in- 

 termarry, they are a wild uncultivated race of men, but with more 

 intelligence than their rugged appearance would suggest, they are 

 great authorities in all that relates to the weather, they collect 

 simples, and are supposed to be well acquainted with the nature 

 and properties of jungle plants, and trees, there are among them 

 worshippers of Siva and of Yishnu, the first burying, the last burn- 

 ing their dead, but to the Brahmin gods, they pay but a lip adora- 

 tion, they have their own pan molunnah. Then come the whole 

 of the mixed castes, among the foremost of whom are the Paunch 

 bhaee or the principal mechanics, carpenters, blacksmiths, bra- 



