t for the resemblance of
the Mahar to Hindus rather than the forest tribes. But if this is
to be regarded as evidence of Rajput descent, a similar claim would
have to be allowed to many of the Chamars and sweepers. Others of the
lowest castes also have Rajput sept names, as the Pardhis and Bhils;
but the fact can at most be taken, I venture to think, to indicate a
connection of the 'Droit de Seigneur' type. On the other hand, the
Mahars occupy the debased and impure position which was the lot of
those non-Aryan tribes who became subject to the Hindus and lived in
their villages; they eat the flesh of dead cattle and this and other
customs appear to point decisively to a non-Aryan origin.

2. Length of residence in the Central Provinces

Several circumstances indicate that the Mahar is recognised as the
oldest resident of the plain country of Berar and Nagpur. In Berar
he is a village servant and is the referee on village boundaries and
customs, a position implying that his knowledge of them is the most
ancient. At the Holi festival the fire of the Mahars is kindled first
and that of the Kunbis is set alight from it. The Kamdar Mahar, who
acts as village watchman, also has the right of bringing the _toran_ or
rope of leaves which is placed on the marriage-shed of the Kunbis; and
for this he receives a present of three annas. In Bhandra the Telis,
Lohars, Dhimars and several other castes employ a Mahar _Mohturia_ or
wise man to fix the date of their weddings. And most curious of all,
when the Panwar Rajputs of this tract celebrate the festival of Narayan
Deo, they call a Mahar to their house and make him the first partaker
of the feast before beginning to eat themselves. Again in Berar [114]
the Mahar officiates at the killing of the buffalo on Dasahra. On the
day before the festival the chief Mahar of the village and his wife
with their garments knotted together bring some earth from the jungle
and fashioning two images set one on a clay elephant and the other on
a clay bullock. The images are placed on a small platform outside the
village site and worshipped; a young he-buffalo is bathed and brought
before the images as though for the same object. The Patel wounds
the buffalo in the nose with a sword and it is then marched through
the village. In the evening it is killed by the head Mahar, buried in
the customary spot, and any evil that might happen during the coming
year is thus deprecated and, it is hoped, aver