d. Their
headquarters is at Sagwara, near Dongarpur. [170] In Damoh the Umre
Banias formerly cultivated the _al_ plant, [171] which yielded a
well-known dye, and hence they lost caste, as in soaking the roots
of the plant to extract the dye the numerous insects in them are
necessarily destroyed. The Dosar subcaste [172] are a branch of the
Umre, who allow widow-remarriage.

Banjara

List of Paragraphs

1. _Historical notice of the caste._
2. _Banjaras derived from the Charans or Bhats._
3. _Charan Banjaras employed with the Mughal armies._
4. _Internal structure._
5. _Minor subcastes._
6. _Marriage: betrothal._
7. _Marriage._
8. _Widow-remarriage._
9. _Birth and death._
10. _Religion: Banjari Devi._
11. _Mithu Bhukia._
12. _Siva Bhaia._
13. _Worship of cattle._
14. _Connection with the Sikhs._
15. _Witchcraft._
16. _Human sacrifice._
17. _Admission of outsiders: kidnapped children and slaves._
18. _Dress._
19. _Social customs._
20. _The Naik or headman. Banjara dogs._
21. _Criminal tendencies of the caste._
22. _Their virtues._

1. Historical notice of the caste.

_Banjara, Wanjari, Lahana, Mukeri_. [173]--The caste of carriers and
drivers of pack-bullocks. In 1911 the Banjaras numbered about 56,000
persons in the Central Provinces and 80,000 in Berar, the caste being
in greater strength here than in any part of India except Hyderabad,
where their total is 174,000. Bombay comes next with a figure
approaching that of the Central Provinces and Berar, and the caste
belongs therefore rather to the Deccan than to northern India. The
name has been variously explained, but the most probable derivation
is from the Sanskrit _banijya kara_, a merchant. Sir H. M. Elliot
held that the name Banjara was of great antiquity, quoting a passage
from the Dasa Kumara Charita of the eleventh or twelfth century. But
it was subsequently shown by Professor Cowell that the name Banjara
did not occur in the original text of this work. [174] Banjaras are
supposed to be the people mentioned by Arrian in the fourth century
B.C., as leading a wandering life, dwelling in tents and letting out
for hire their beasts of burden. [175] But this passage merely proves
the existence of carriers and not of the Banjara caste. Mr. Crooke
states [176] that the first mention of Banjaras in Muhammadan history
is in Sikandar's attack on Dh