1890.] P. N. Bose — Ghhattisgar ; notes on its tribes, sects and castes. 209 
CliTiattisgar : notes on its tribes, sects and castes. — By P. N, Bose, B. Sc. 
(Lond.) F. G. S., Deputy Superintendent, Geological Survey of India. 
[Received 3rd October : — Read 6th November 1890], 
§ 1. A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF ChUATTISQAB. 
Name. — The Bengal-Nagpur Railway will open up a tract of country 
which is now but little known to the public. In the Central Provinces, 
it is called “ Chhattisgar.” Two derivations of the name have been pro- 
posed. According to the Central Provinces Gazetteer,* Chhattisgar owes 
its name to thirty-six (chliattis') forts {gar] included within it. Serious 
objections, however, have been urged against this interpretation by 
Mr. Beglar of the Archseological Survey. f While in Behar he heard a 
tradition, that ages ago, in the time of Jarasandha, thirty-six families 
of chamars had emigrated from that country and settled in a country 
far to the south of it, which was called “ Clihattisghar ” (thirty-six 
families). He was not at the time aware of any country which bore 
that name, and his inquiries with regard to it being ineffectual, he 
became rather sceptical about its existence. When, however, official 
duty brought him to Chhattisgar, the tradition he had heard in Behar 
came back to his mind. Here was a country far from Behar, and south 
of it, the people of which appeared to him to be singularly like the 
Beharis in language, dress, manners, and customs — a people, too, of 
which the chamars formed a very important element. Mr. Beglar 
suggests that Chhattisgar derives its name from the thirty-six families 
of Behari chamars who settled there ; according to which interpreta- 
tion ‘ Chhattisgar ’ should be spelt ‘ Clihattisghar.’ Considering, that 
long intercourse had made Mr. Beglar perfectly familiar tvith the 
Beharis before he visited Chhattisgar, his interpretation becomes au- 
thoritative. Besides, it promises to throw some light on the history 
and affinities of one of the most remarkable peoples that inhabit India— 
the Chhattisgari chamars. We must say, however, that as the word is 
pronounced by the people, it is difficult to make out whether “ Chhatis- 
ghar ” or “Chhattisgar” is the correct spelling ; we have adopted the 
latter as the one in current use. 
Physical and political Geography. — Chhattisgar as an administrative 
division of the Central Provinces comprises the districts of Raipur, 
Bilaspur and Sambalpur, and including Bastar, covers an area of about 
63,000 square miles. But Chhattisgar proper includes Raipur and 
Bilaspur only ; and we shall use the term in this restricted sense. It 
comprises a central plain covering an area of about 10,000 square miles 
* Op. cit., p. 88, t Arch. Sarv. Rep. Yol. VII. 
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