deshi or foreigners, immigrants from northern
India, and the Purbia or eastern, coming from Oudh; other subcastes are
the Sri Gaur Malas or immigrants from Malwa, the Beradi from Berar,
and the Mahure from Hyderabad. We find also subcastes of Jat and
Teli Barhais, consisting of Jats and Telis (oil-pressers) who have
taken to carpentering. Two other caste-groups, the Chamar Barhais and
Gondi Barhais, are returned, but these are not at present included in
the Barhai caste, and consist merely of Chamars and Gonds who work
as carpenters but remain in their own castes. In the course of some
generations, however, if the cohesive social force of the caste system
continues unabated, these groups may probably find admission into
the Barhai caste. Colonel Tod notes that the progeny of one Makur,
a prince of the Jadon Rajput house of Jaisalmer, became carpenters,
and were known centuries after as Makur Sutars. They were apparently
considered illegitimate, as he states: "Illegitimate children can
never overcome this natural defect among the Rajputs. Thus we find
among all classes of artisans in India some of royal but spurious
descent." [240] The internal structure of the caste seems therefore
to indicate that it is largely of foreign origin and to a certain
degree of recent formation in these Provinces.

3. Marriage customs.

The caste are also divided into exogamous septs named after
villages. In some localities it is said that they have no septs,
but only surnames, and that people of the same surname cannot
intermarry. Well-to-do persons marry their daughters before puberty
and others when they can afford the expense of the ceremony. Brahman
priests are employed at weddings, though on other occasions their
services are occasionally dispensed with. The wedding ceremony is
of the type prevalent in the locality. When the wedding procession
reaches the bride's village it halts near the temple of Maroti or
Hanuman. Among the Panchal Barhais the bridegroom does not wear
a marriage crown but ties a bunch of flowers to his turban. The
bridegroom's party is entertained for five days. Divorce and the
remarriage of widows are permitted. In most localities it is said that
a widow is forbidden to marry her first husband's younger as well as
his elder brother. Among the Pardeshi Barhais of Betul if a bachelor
desires to marry a widow he must first go through the ceremony with
a branch or twig of the _gular_ tree. [241]

4. Relig