50 
ON THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS 
five classes. Tlie Slokas which contain this statement are as 
follows : — 
Maharastrandhradravidah karnatascaiva gurjarah 
Dravidah pancadha prokta Vindhyadaksinavasinah. 
Sarasvatah kanyakuhja gaudotkalasca maithilah 
Graadah pancavidha prokta Vindhyaduttarayasinah. 
Except the term Mahdrdstra , all the other names refer 
to Indian tribes. It may be presumed therefore that this is 
true likewise in the case of Mahirastra, and that this name 
should not be explained by " Great Kingdom." Maharastra 
was also called Mallarastra, the country of the Mallas. 
The Mallas are the same as the Maras, who are better 
known as Mars or Mhars. Mhar was eventually trans- 
formed into Mahar ; in fact both forms exist in modern 
Marathi. Two terms identical in meaning MaUardstra 
and Mahdrdstra were thus used. The former dropped into 
oblivion, and with the waning fortunes of the Mahars, 
their connection with the name was soon forgotten and 
Maharastra was explained as meaning the "Grreat Kingdom" 
instead of the Kingdom of the Mahars or Mallas. It is 
indeed curious that the word Pariah has still in . Marathi, 
the meaning of Mahara, for the term Paravarl coiTesponds 
to Pariah, and is used in Marathi in a general way as a 
courteous or conciliatory term for a Mahar. - ^ 
2' There exist other Slokas about this division. The Skaiid<j-Pii>-dr>a 
contains the ahovementioned Slokas also in the following foiiu : — 
Karnatascaiva Dra%-ida Gurjara Rastravasinah 
Andhiasca Dravidah paiica Vindhyadaksinavasinah. 
Sarasvatah Kanyakubja Gauda-^raithilakotkalah 
Panca Gauda iti khyata Vindhasyottara^•asinah. 
According to Dr. John Wilson : " Maharatta is the Pali form of Jlaha- 
rashtra, which with the variant reading Jlallarashtra appeai-s in several of 
the Pinanas. . Now, JHfah'injs/iti-a may moan ' the country of the JTa/itfrs,' a 
tribe still known in tlie province, thoii^li in a degraded position, and still so 
numerous tlu'oiighout the Maratha country that there runs the proverb, Jciii/e 
