72 
ON THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS 
As many changed or disowned their tribal name, the 
seeming disappearance of the Bhars can be explained to a 
great extent. They were also largely absorbed by other 
' ' pretty numerous tribe (177). They pretend that their common ancestor was 
" a certain Eishi, who had two sons. From the eldest are descended the 
" Raj wars, who became soldiers aisd obtained their noble title; from the 
' ' younger are descended the Musahars, who have obtained their name from 
" eating rats which the Tlajwars reject. . . They differ in scarcely any of their 
' ' customs from the Musahars .... The Rajioar and Bluingiyas are allowed to be 
" higher than the Musahars. . . .They all speak a very impure dialect of the 
"Hindi.. The Musahars live chiefly in little round huts, like bee-hives ; 
" but the huts of the Bhungiyas and Eajwars are of the usual foi-m. The 
" Bhungiyas and Raj wars have chief men called Majhis, like those of the 
" hill tribes in Bhagalpur." (178); vol. II, p. 119. 
About the Musaharread: " The Musheras of Central and Upper India," 
by John C. Nesfield, in the Calcutta Revieiv of January 1888, pp. 1-53. 
On p. 2, Mr. Nesfield says: "In Buchanan's Eastern India they are 
" described as a people ' who ha^ e derived their name from eating rats.' 
" In an old folk-tale, which has recentlj' come to my knowledge, the name 
" is made to signify fiesh-seeker or hunter (being derived fron masu, flesh, 
and Afz-ff, seeker)." 
Compare Dalton, Ethnologtj of Bengal, pp. 81, 82, 92, 130, 148— 
" The Kocchis then gave a line of princes to Kamrup ; at tliis time a part 
" of Upper Asam was under a mysterious dynasty, called the Bhara Bhuya, 
" of which no one has ever been able to make am-thing (81) . .All the works 
' ' still existing in the deserted forests of the northern bank of the Brahma- 
" putra are attributed to the Bhara Bhimgj-as or Bhuyas (82). (Buchanan, 
"vol. II, p. 612, mentions already the legend of the 12 persons of Bdrah 
" Bhifii/as.). .The Kocch appear to me equally out of then- element among the 
" Lohitic tribes . .In short I consider they belong to the Dravidlan stock, and 
" are probably a branch of the great Bhuiya family, and we thus obtain a clue 
" to the tradition of the Bhara Bhuiyas, to whose period of rule so many great 
" works in Asam are ascribed(92). 
According to Colonel Dalton, p. 327, the Eajwars in Sirgruja " are skilled 
" in a dance called Chailo, wliich I believe to be of Dravidian origin." See 
the two articles "On the Barah Bhuyas of Eastern Beug-al," by Dr. James 
"Wise, in the Bengal Asiatic Journal, vol. LXIII, pp. 197-214, and vol. LXIV, 
pp. 181-83. Dr. Wise relates the hi.story of five Bhuyas, i.e., of Fazl GhazI of 
Bhowal, Chand Rfti and Kedar Eai of Bikrumpur, Lakhan ^Manik of Bhaluah, 
Kandarpa Narayana Eai of Chaudi-adip, and Isa lOian, Masnad-i-Ali of 
Khizrptir. 
Compare further Xotc on Mah(isthdii near Bagiird {Bogra^, Eastern Bengal^ 
by C. J, O'DonnoU, ibidem, LXIA^, pp. 183-186. On p\ge 183 we read : 
"With regard to Mahasthan he (the District Deputy Collector) seems more 
" correct. He identifies it with Bdrcndra, the capital of the Barendra 
" Hindus. In fa\ our of this view the only argiunent« are strong, though 
