File:The tribes and castes of the Central Provinces of India (1916) (14577117810).jpg

Identifier: tribescastesofce04russ (find matches)
Title: The tribes and castes of the Central Provinces of India
Year: 1916 (1910s)
Authors: Russell, R. V. (Robert Vane), 1873-1915
Subjects: Ethnology -- India Madhya Pradesh Caste -- India Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (India) -- Religion
Publisher: London : Macmillan and Co., limited
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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points of resemblance;and the legend connecting them is therefore of some interest.Some groups of Telis who have become landed proprietorsor prospered in trade have stories giving them a more exaltedorigin. Thus the landholding Rathor Telis of Mandla saythat they were Rathor Rajputs who fled from the Muham-madans and threw away their swords and sacred threads ;and the Telis of Nimar, several of whom are wealthy merchants,give out that their ancestors were Modh Banias from Gujaratwho had to take to oil-pressing for a livelihood under Muham-madan rule. But these legends may perhaps be considereda natural result of their rise in the world.3. Endo- The caste has a large number of subdivisions. The gamous principal groups in Chhattlsgarh are the Halia, Jharia andcastes. Ekbahia Telis. The Halias, who perhaps take their namefrom hal^ a plough, are considered to be the best cultivators,and are said to have immigrated from Mandla some genera- Tribes and Castes, art. Tcli. ^ Bassia latijolia.
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I II ENDOCAMOUS SUBCASTES 545 tions ago. Probably the bulk of the Hindu population ofChhattisgarh came from this direction. The name Jhariameans jungly or savage, and is commonly applied to theoldest residents, but the Jharia Telis are the highest localsubcaste. They require the presence of a Brahman at theirweddings, and abstain generally from liquor, fowls and pork,to which the Halias are not averse. They also bathe thecorpse before it is burnt or buried, an observance omitted bythe Halias. The Jharias yoke only one bullock to the oil-press, and the Halias two, a distinction which is elsewheresufficient of itself to produce separate subcastes. The Ekbahia(one-armed) Telis are so called because their women wearglass bangles only on the right hand and metal ones on theleft. This is a custom of several castes whose women domanual labour, and the reason appears to be one of con-venience, as glass bangles on the working arm would becontinually getting broken. Among the Ekbahia Telis it i

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