CENSUS OF INDIA 1961
VOLU:ME xv
UTT AR PRADESH
PART VI
VILLAGE SURVEY MONOGRAPH No. 11
General Ediior P. P. BHATNAGAR. 01 the Inditm Administrative Service Superintendent 0/ Census Operations, Uttar Pradesh
VILLAGE BANKATI (TAHSIL NIGHASAN, DISTRICT KBERI)
BY; R. C. SHARMA, M. A. 01 the Uttar Pratksh Civil Servia Deputy Superitltmdene 01 Census Operations o -'7 c Bd'1
/ UTTAR PRADESH SOCIO-ECONOMIC'SURVEY
0 0, "" '" 2 ~ r z .... :c. r. J> ;, J ;.. ~ " \ " o 2 !i I ~1~17;7~O.. ;; .. e;~7;1~1~~~~~~7~9~O~i;;~~~;;;O;~;O~;1~;;;;~ .. ~a~f~!~~~~~~a~~Q~~~,~~~~~~_~~O;'~~~~~,~ ______3___ ~.L41 PS\)P-A 1'-13 (f.NSl's-1964 ',OFF.E'l') (e) GOvt""'MENTOF1ND'A C".).<,(.,. "63 Based upon S'~'rveV of India Map with the perm ~[tlon or the Sk:"Vfl'Qr- Gpneral of IndIa CENSUS OF INDIA, 1961 Central Government Pnblications Census Report, Volume XV-Uttar Pradesh is published in the following parts: I-A(i-ii) General Report. I-B Report on Vital Statistics. I-C(i-vi) Subsidiary Tables (in 6 books). II-A General Population Tables. II-B(i-vi) General Economic Tables (in 6 books): II-C(i-vi) Cultural and Migration Tables (in 6 books). III-A Household Economic Tables. III-B Household Economic Tables (concluded). IV-A Report on Housing and Establishments and Housing and Establishment Tables (E-series Tables-except E-III). i IV-B Housing and Establishment ~ables (E-III). V':'A Special Tables for Scheduled Castes. V-B Reprints from old Census Reports and Ethnographic Notes. VI Village Survey Monographs (Monographs on selected Villages). ~II-A Handicraft Survey Reports. VII-B Fairs and Festivals in Uttar Pradesh. VIII-A Administration' Report-Enumeration (for official use only). VIII-B Administration Report-Tabulation (for official use only). IX Census Atlas of Uttar Pradesl,1. X Special Report on Kanpur~ State Government Publications $4 Volumes of District Census Handbooks. CONTENTS Page Foreword ... i Preface v I. The Village 1 II. The People and their Material Equipment 4 III. Economy 15 IV. Social and Cultural Life 21 V. Conclusion .. 36 Tables 38 List of Villages selected for Study 44 UST OF TABLES TABU! I Area. Houses and Popuiation T ABLB II Population by Age Groups TABLB III Size and Composition of Households TABLE IV Caste and Nature of Families TABLE V Households classified by Religions. Castes and Sub-castes TABLB VI Age and Marital Status TABLE VII Education TABLB VIII Workers and Non-workers by Sex and Broad Age Groups TABLE IX Workers classified by Sex, Broad Age Groups and Occupations TABLE X Households by Number of Rooms and by Number of Persons Occupying TABLE XI Livestock TABL8 XII Agricultural Produce of Cultivation run bv the Hcntseholds and its Disposal TABLE XIII Indebtedness by Income (:jroups TABLE XIV Indebtedness by Causes MAPS, PHOTOGRAPHS, SKETCHES AND' DIAGRAMS I. Maps Frontispiece 1. Map of Uttar Pradesh showing location of villages selected for survey Facing page 1 2. MaP shoWing habitation pattern of Bankati . . : . Between pages II. Photographs and Sketcbes 1. Mohan river 2-3 2. A view of Post Office 2-3 3. Women taking water from well 2-3 4. Potable water placed under grass roof 2-3 5. A typical Tharu male . . . . 6-7 6. A Tharu youth wearing Phatui and Dhoti 6-7 7. A Tharu male 6-7 8. Males wearing Dhoti and Phatui 6-7 9. A Tharu girl . . . . 6-7 10. Females wearing Ghagra and Cholia 6-7 11. A typical Tharu female ...... 6-7 12. An unmarried young girl wearing omnibus ornaments 6-7 13. A typical Tharu female loaded with ornaments 6-7 14. A woman wearing ornaments ., 6-7 15. Hair style 6-7 16. A general vieW of houses 6-7 17. A typical Tharu hut 6-7 18. Making a roof ., 8-9 19. Grain preservers .• 8-9 20. Utensils 8-9 21. Utensils 8-9 22. Utensils .. 8-9 23. Sigri used in cooking fish 8-9 24. Chillis hanging in the roof 10-11 25. Ploughing the field 16-17 26. Tailor in the village 16-17 27. Goldsmith 16-17 28. Blacksmith 16-17 29. Wooden plough 20-21 30. Subash plough .. 20-21 31. A Kilwai 20-21 32, A spade .. 20-21 33. Sickle and Scythe 20-21 34. Hal.. " 20-21 35. Goats and sheep in pasture land 22-23 36. Cattle resting under shed 22-23 37. A provision shop " ...... 22-23 38. A woman sewing her Choli and a mate making a net used for fishing 22-23 39. Husking of paddy 22-23 40. A village carpenter at work .. 22-23 41. Dancing 30-31 42. Playing a game of cards 30-31 IV. Diagrams 1. Population by age-groups 4-5 2. Population by caste 4-5 3. Size of households 4-5 4. Nature of families 4-5 5. Workers and Non-workers 22-23 6. Occupation 22-23 7. Indebtedness by income groups 22-23 8. Indebtedness by causes .. 22-23 9. Marital status by sex and ago-groups 28-29 1D. Bd'Qcation. , • , f • . , ' " .. 28-2P FOREWORD Apart from laying the foundations of build up a picture for the whole State in demography in this subcontinent, a hun quantitative terms on the basis of villages dred years' of the Indian Census has also selected statistically at random. The produced 'elaborate and scholarly accounts selection was avowedly purposive: the of the variegated phenomena of Indian life object being as much to find out what was -sometimes with no statistics attached, but happening and how fast to those villages usually with just enough statistics to give which had fewer reasons to choose change empirical underpinning to their conclu and more to remain lodged in the past as tol sions'. In a country, largely illiterate, discover how the more 'normal' types of ,where stati~tical or numerical comprehen villages were changing. They were to be sion of even such a simple thing as age was primarily type studies which, by virtue of liable to be inaccurate, an understanding their number and distribution, would also of the social structure was essential. It give the reader a 'feel' of what was going was more necessary to attain a broad under on and some kind of a map of the country. standing of what was happening around oneself than to wrap oneself up in 'statis A brief account of the tests of selection tical ingenuity' or 'mathematical manipu will help to explain. A minimum of lation'. This explains why the Indian thirty-five villages was to be chosen with Census came to be interested in 'many by great care to represent adequately geogra paths' and 'nearly every branch of scho phical, occupational and even ethnic diver larship, from anthropology and sociology sity. Of this minimum of thirty-five, the to geography and religion'. distribution was to be as follows: In the last few decades the Census has (a) At l~ast eight villages were to be so increasingly tumed its efforts to the pre selected that each of them would contain sentation of village statistics. This suits one dominant community with one predo the temper of the times as well as our poli minating occupation, e.g., fishermen, forest tical and economic structure. For even workers, jhum cultivators, potters, weavers, as we have a great deal of centralization salt-makers, quarry workers, etc. A village on the one hand and decentralization on should have a minimum population of 400, the other, my colleagues thought it would the optimum being between 500 and 700. be a welcome continuation of the Census tradition to try to invest the dry bones of (b) At least seven villages were to be of village statistics with flesh-and-blood numerically prominent Scheduled Tribes accounts of social structure and social of the State. Each village could represent change. It was accordingly decided to a particular tribe. The minimum popula select a few villages in every State for tion should be 400, the optimum being special study, where personal observation between 500 and 700. would be brought to bear on the interpre (c) The third group of villages should tation of statistics to find out how much each be of fair size, of an old and settled of a village was static and yet changing and character and contain variegated occupa ~ow fast the winds of change were blow tions and be, if possible, multi-ethnic in .mg and from where. composition. By fair size was meant a Randomness of selection was, therefore, population of 500-700 persons or more· eschewed. There was no intention to The village should mainly depend on Ii agriculture and be sufficiently away from attended; worship of deities; festivals and the major sources of modern communica fairs. There were to be recordings, of tion such as the district administrative course, of cultural and social traits and headquarters and business centres. It occupational mobility. This was followed should be roughly a day's journey from the up in March 1960 by two specimen above places. The villages were to be schedules. one for each household, the selected with an eye to variation in terms other for the village as a whole, which apart of size, proximity to city and other means from spelling out the mode of inquiry sug of modern communication, nearness to gested in the September 1959 conference, hills, jungles and major rivers. Thus introduced groups of questions aimed at there was to be a regional distribution sensing changes in attitude and behaviour throughout the State of this category of in such fields as marriage, inheritance, villages. If, however, a particular district moveable and immoveable property, indus contained significant ecological variations try, indebtedness, education, community within its area, more than one village in life and collective activity, social disabili the district might be selected to study the ties, forums of appeal over disputes, villag~ special adjustments to them. leadership and organisation of cultural life. It was now plainly the intention to pro It is a unique feature o-f these village vide adequate statistical support to empi surveys that they rapidly outgrew their rical 'feel', to approach qualitative change original terms of reference, as my col through statistical quantities. It had leagues warmed up to their work. This been difficult to give thought to the im proved for them an absorbing voyage of portance of 'just enough statistics to give discovery and their infectious enthusiasm empirical underpinning to conclusions', compelled me to enlarge the inquiry's ,at a time when my colleagues were strain scope again and again. It was just as well ing themselves to the utmost for the cautiously to feel one's way about at first success of the main Census operations, but and then venture further afield, and once the census count itself was left behind although it accounts to some extent for a in March 1961, a series of three regional certain unevenness in the quality and seminars in Trivandrum (May 1961), coverage of the monographs, it served to Darjeeling and Srinagar (June 1961), compensate the purely honorary and extra restored their attention to this field and the mural rigours of the task. For the survey, imp NEW DELHI: ASOK MITRA July 30, 1964. Registrar General.. India. PREFACE In Uttar Pradesh the Census Organisa 3. Bankati, a forest village situated in tion selected a number of villages the Bankati Forest Range near the border for special study of the dynamics of change of district Lakhimpur Kheri with Nepal, in the social, cultural and economic life of was selected for study because it has a pre the rural community. An analysis of the dominant population of the Tharus, a structure and functioning of the village backward community living in the tarai economy is expected to reveal the forces area of Himalayas. Outside influences which promote or retard the processes of have naturally been quite slow to pene change coming into play, either in the trate this distant village. natural course or as a result of various 4. The research methods employed in legislative measures such as the establish this study have consisted of the use of ment of Panchayats, the abolition of Zamin schedules and questionnaires, case studies, dari, the extension of Planning and Deve village records, census data, interviews lopment activities and the enforcement of and group discussions. The local inves F rious social laws. The knowledge thus 4 tigation was carried out by the field staff gained can be utilised for the reorienta of this Organisation, having a well-trained· tion of policies of rural development and pair of eyes. There was some difficulty . village uplift. in the initial stages because the investiga 2. The selection of villages for study tor was viewed with suspicion but after was made in accordance with certain prin he gained the confidence of villagers and ciples and criteria laid down by the established rapport with them, the work Registrar General. Out of the selected of investigation became easy and simple. villages, some contain one dominant The data were collected in the month of community with one predominating occu April, 1961. The study was of course pation, some are populated by back subject to time pressure. ward aboriginal people and others have an old and settled character with a multi 5. Field investigation in the village was ethnic composition and diverse occupa carried out by Sri J. p. Misra, Socio-Eco tions. Minor deviations from the stan nomic Inspector, who had been borrowed dards prescribed for selection were avail from the National Sample Survey Organi able because of the non-availability of the zation. Sri R. C. Sharma, Deputy Census requisite number of villages having all the Superintendent, of the Uttar Pradesh Civil prescribed variables. This purposive selec Service, is responsible for marshalling the tion has. made it possible to study the statistical evidence, analysing the data and impact of various factors of change drafting the report. upon the culture and economy of villages situated in the interior where 6. Opinions expressed and conclusions outside influences are slow to penetrate reached by the writer of this monograph and slower to act as also the normal types are based on the results of the investiga which are exposed to the winds of change tion. They are his own and do not reflect from various directions to a great degree. the views of the Government in any way. P. P. BHATNAGAR LUCKNOW: Superintendent of Census Operations, 4th January, 1963. Ultar Pradesh. MAP OF BAN KAT I • rOREST 'VILLAGE T"''''5'1. N'C,H4\>",... DrS,.. ~"E~\ UTTAR PRAOESH . VI E .\ ) 9AItJI _... - ~ . - -:, .... --- - ",,'" F oR.L,T RoAD .... IlLA.~ 'l.~ ~t R. (A1l1 Q. CtA.~ S f> M~AL' ", .. ~fI ...... ~ - _...... /. " PESl~yE F'tJAf.~" /. CHAPTER I THE VILLAGE Location by two persons on their shoulders, is used for carrying the invalid, the bride or women casually. Bankati is a small-sized forest village, situated at an altitude of 602 ft. above sea-level in the Postal Facilities tara; area of Bankati Range of the North Kheri Forest Division of district Lakhimpur Kheri. There is a branch post-office in the village it· It lies in tahsil Nighasan at a distance of about self. It is named as Post-Office Paulaha after the ? miles from Paulaha railway station on the name of the railway station. The village school Dudhwa-Gauriphanta branch of the North teacher also works as part-time postmaster. Eastern Railway. The railway station Dingania There is no separate postman and hence the of the same railway line is also situated at a letters are distributed by the postmaster himself. distance of two miles from the village. Towards Area and Population the north of the village lies the Kingdom of Nepal separated by river Mohan. On all sides The area of the village is 706 acres or 1.1 sq. it is surrounded by a thick forest. The Terha miles. The 49 households have a population of nala flows to the south of the village. 492 persons, 253 males and 239 females, out of whom 426 persons or 87 per cent are Tharus, 50 The district headquarters at Lakhimpur persons or 10 per cent are Hindus other than Kheri is situated at a distance of 74 miles from Tharus and the remaining 16 persons or 3 per Paulaha, the railway station nearest to the cent are Mohammedans. Thus it is a village village. There is a direct bus service from with a predominant Tharu population. The Kheri to Nighasan and onwards to Bellarain, huts of the Tharus are situated in a cluster the nearest bus station from where the distance separate from the house of non-Tharus. of this village is 14 miles. This service, how ever, remains suspended from June to October, Occupations because of the discontinuation of the pontoon bridge on river Sharda at Pachperi Ghat. There The main occupation of the residents of this is yet another bus station at Palia which is 16 viIIage is agriculture in which 73 per cent of the miles from the village. Palia is connected by households are engaged, followed by service in an unmetalled road with Nighasan, the tahsil which 25 per cent of the homeholds are engaged._ headquarters and Sampurananagar the head TV elfare Institutions quarters of the new colonisation area. The village is a forest settlement and hence Transport and Communication there is no Gaon Sabha or Nyaya Panchayat. Kachcha roads connect the village with the This village is not included in any Development two railway stations. Bullock cart is the only Block and the activities of the Planning and means of transport from the railheads or bus Development Department have not, therefore, stands to the village. In fact it is the most use been extended to it. There is no co-operative ful and popular vehicle used by the residents society in the village. In 1954, the Antarim of this area. It is the only means of transport Zila Parishad had established a Lower Primary at the time of marriage, fairs and festivals or School here. There is no separate building for for agricultural purposes. Horses and ponies are this school and it is \lccommodated in a portion also used by men for covering long distances. of the house of Thakur Puttu Singh, a local Doli or palki (palanquin), a sort of ('hair carried contractor and businessman. 2 BANKATI The State Directorate of Information has frequent water-logging in the abadi and its neigh supplied some books to a local public library bourhood. Hence the village is quite insanitary. and also a community listening radio-set in this Potable water is available in one pucca well and village. The Hindi daily Nav Jeevan published five wood wells generally at a depth of about 15 from Lucknow and the Hindi weekly Blitz feet. Water taken from these wells turns yellow published from Bombay are also obtained in the in colour after being kept for a few hours; a library. The library is managed by Thakur thin oily layer also appears on the surface. Puttu Singh who is also the keeper of the radio Since this water is not healthy, hand-pumps are set. being installed. The natural source of water supply is Mohan river which is about one mile There is no temple or mosque in the village. from the village. Just adjacent to the south-west corner of the abadi is the than (shrine) of goddess Nagarhayi Medical Facilities Bhavani, sacred to the Tharus only. The nearest dispensary is at Palia at a distance Rainfall and Climate of 16 miles from the village. Also, there is a dispensary of the Forest Department at Dudhwa The rainfall in the village in 1960-61 was as which is about 18 miles from the village. follows: Flora and Fauna Month Rainfall The area is very rich both in flora and fauna. April, 1960 Not known Tigers and panthers abound in the neighbouring forests and haunt the village off and on. Bears May, 1960 1.96 inches and elephants are seen occasionally. Jungle June, 1960 8.81 fowl, partridge, duck, green' pigeon, peacock, July, 1960 .. 24.95 quail, heron, etc., are common birds found in the area. Bustard is available in the summer August, 1960 .. 16.53 months from March to April. Other common September, 1960 .. 13.14 animals and reptiles are antelope, barking deer, October, 1960 .. 11.17 spotted deer, hog deer, wild dog, hyena, wild cat, November, 1960 Not known porcupine, wild boar, hare, python, cobra and krait. December, 1960 .. 0.55 inches The common trees in the area are sal, asna, January, 1961 0.83 haldu, phaldu; khair, shisham, sernal, gutel, neem, February, 1961 3.07 " mango, bahera, har, aonla, etc. March,1961 Not known Origin and Settlement History of the Village The highest rainfall during the period from The Bankati Range was created by the Forest 1955 to 1961 was 33.70 inches in July, 1957. Department in the year 1879. In 1894, 27 The village is situated in the tarai area ;villages known as the Bardia Estate were taken surrounded by thick forests on all sides and hence from the taluqa of Khairagarh in return for it has a damp and malarial climate. During certain outlying areas of miscellaneous forest. summer it is not too hot but during winter it is From 1894 to 1899 the villages were managed by quite chilly. the Deputy Conservator, but in the latter year Sanitation and Drainage 18 villages were handed over to the District Officer and the remaining nine, which were unin The village is situated on a low land. There habited, were reserved. The villages transferred is no arrangement for the outflow of rain water to the Revenue Department were transferred \ and hence during the rainy season there is back to the North Kheri Forest Division in 1916. PLATE No.1 ' .. -~, .:.":...... ,...:~. : .'~.- _' ::": .,:... : .: ,.'~} _. . ': ':.. ". ::,-.,: .::...... <-"",;-' ...... Mohan ,-iver C--I ci ~ ~ Z 0 ..... ~ <: (S t:I.t ~ ...:-..::\ 9 B '\.::- ....;:::. ~ PLATE No.4 Potable water placed under grass roof THE VILLAGE 3 The ancestors of Tharus of this village leaves and edible fruits, flowers and roots were allowed to inhabit this place after clearance required for domestic purpo~e~ ; of some forest area in 1894 and it has been grow (d) the residents of the village haye the ing ever since. The village derives its name first claim to employment in all forest work from the manner in which it came into existence. conducted under the orders or supervision The word Ban means 'forest' and the word Kati of the Forest Departmelll or its contractors means 'cleared off' ; hence Bankati means a place and in the collection of minor products and which came into existence as a result of clearance are to be paid in cash for the work at such of forest tract. The office of the Forest Ranger fair rates daily or otherwise as may be fixed Bankati is situated in this village. by the Divisional Forest Officer with the approval of the Deputy Commissioner. As prescribed under the Forest Rules, the Divisional Forest Officer keeps a register of all A headman or Pradhan is selected by each the inhabitants of the village. No outsider can village, subject to the approval of the Divisional settle here without his written permission. The Forest Officer. He collecls all rents, cesses and following conditions of residence are ob~rved : other sums due from the villagers, receiving a (a) The Forest Department and its con commission of one anna in a rupee on his collec tractors have the first claims to the labour. tion on making over the same to the Divisional on payment. of all adult residents who can Forest Officer. He also enforces all such sani not accept employment from any other tary regulations as the Divisional Forest Officer department. company or individual without may prescribe. previous sanction of the Divisional Forest The Divisional Forest Officer is empowered to Officer ; make, hum the forest funds placed at his dis (b) They have to be generally obedient to posal for the purpose, such reasonable advances the orders of the Divisional Forest Officer. of cash or grain to any householder of the village as may be necess·ary to enable him to prepaJ e Each householder in the village is entitled to or sow his land or purchase plough and bullocks ; the following privileges: all such advances are recoverable with interest (a) land for cultivation is assigned to at 6! per cent per annum. him by the Divisional Forest Officer, suffi Out of 49 households, 30 households of cient with proper diligence for the support Tharus settled in the village between 2-4 gene of himself and his family. Subject to the rations and 19 households, 4 Tharu and 15 non Conservator's sanction, such land is granted Tharu, migrated to the village within the pre at such rates as may be determined for each sent generation. The village is only 68 years village by the Divisional Officer in old_ consultation with the Deputy Commissioner; Bankati is basically a forest village of ( b) free grazing is given to him for such Tharu community but some non·Tharu5 too reasonable number of cattle as may be deter have settled there. The village was selected for mined in each case by the Divisional FQrest studying the cultural, social and economic aspects Officer; of the life of Tharus and assessing the impact (c) a free supply is allowed to him of all of the association of non-Tharus, the various thorns and wood required for bona fide agri legislative measures enforced by the Goverrunent cultural purposes, also of such wood and and natural factors of change on their way of grass for house-building and repairs as the life. As a matter of fact, in such an isolated Divisional Forest Officer may deem reason vilIage the velocity of the winds of change is able, abo for dead wood (or fuel and of hardly felt. CHAPTER II THE PEOPLE AND THEIR MATERlAL EQUIPMENT Ethnic Composition The Tharus of this village call them5elves Rana Tharus. It is claimed that after the The following table shows the population and defeat of Maharana Pratap in the battle of Haldi households of various religions and castes in the ghati, wives of many Rajput warriors fled with village: their servants and came to live in the tarai area. They did not return to their homeland and in TABLE No 2.1 course of time became the de facto wives of their Population by Religion and Castes servants. Although there is no historical support Iteligion Castes House- Male Fe· Total for such a claim, some of the social customs holds male among them lend support to this contention. For HINDU 1. Tharus 34 212 214 426 example, it is considered derogatory for a Tharu 2. Brahmin 2 5 2 7 woman to scour the utensils used by her husband. 3. Kshatriya ., 3 14 10 24 Also the males are not allowed to enter the 4. Kayastha ., 1 1 J 2 kitchen where women alone do the cooking. etc. 5. Lohar 2 1 3 The women assert their superiori ty over men, Pasi 1 4 2 6 6. who have the general reputation of being hen 7. Mehtar 1 3 3 6 8. Ahic 1 pecked husbands. 9. Mali 1 The Tharus are gay-looking and indolent by MUSLIM 10. Saiyad 1 1 1 nature, having no ambition to acquire education 11. Pathan 1 2 '3 or wealth. They are fond of drinking locally 12. Sheikh 2 7 5 12 fermented liquor and it is just possible that Thus 87 per cent of population is of liquor assists them in their partial immunity from Tharus. The location of the office of the Forest malaria ... They are reputed to be honest, brave, Ranger in this village is mainly responsible for good hunters and cultivators. They are highly the existence of several households of different superstitious and much under the influence of communities. The permanent residents are the their priests. Their disputes are generally settled Thatus. by their tribal panchayats. Physical Features of Tharus 01'igin of T/larus Their features have a tinge of Mongolian The Tharus are a jungle tribe whose origin is origin, although these marks have softened in uncertain. Some authorities claim that they course of time. According to Dr. D. N. originally came from Nepal and others say that Majumdar the Tharu "resemble the artisan castes they are wanderers from Central India. in body characters, the Bhantu and the Habura According to some, the word Tharu is derived in facial characters, and some of the higher from Hindi thahray (halted) because they are castes in nasal characters.... the Mongoloid said to have halted after the alleged Hight into features are definite among them, and even the the forest; others attribute the origin to the skin colour is yellow-brown, and oblique eyes Hindi word tarhua (",et) in allusion of the are numerous."· swampy tracts in which they live; some say that they are so called became they live The Tharus have a longish. rather flat nose. in the tarai but in Gonda it is asserted that the :\fales are lean and thin as compared to name is derived from thar which in the Tharu females who are comparatively stout and healthy. colloquial language means 'below the hills'. "'Majumdar, D. N, : Races and Cultures of India. 1961. POPULATION BY AGE GROUPS If) 60 + 60 + If) I Q. 45 59 45 59 Q.. ~.J$ 44 J5 44 ;:, C .10 .14 .JO-.14 0 ({ ZS 29 25 29 ct u U) 24 20 24 II:» I IS 19 IS /9 Il,I 10 - 14 10 14 Il,I ~ 5 9 S II I,:J ~ 0 4 0 -4 oq; SO 40 JO 20 10 0 10 10 ~O 40 SO p £ R $ 0 N S POPULATION BY CASTE S BRAHMIN D SCHEDULED CASTES m /(SHArRIYA ~ OrH£~ HINOUS D THARU SUIVNI ---.--~------~==--~~------~--~~---- SIZE OF HOUSEHOLDS ... '" zo ~ ~ C IS :t; ...... , 10 ::. C) s .=t 0 I .l .1 4 - ~ I7 11 10 + AI £ M 8 C A S I NATURE OF FAMILIES • f _11')! .. V ~ ~ • • L . .•• . 11 THE. PEOPLE AND THEIR I\IATERIAL EQUIPMENT s Both have a dalk or wheatish complexion. The (11) BhanlV(lt" (circum;unbuiatiull uf holy males have a scanty growth of beard and fire jointly by the bridegroom and the bride at moustache. lhe lime of marriage) ceremony is performed The main points of difference between the invariably in every marriage among the Ranas Dangwariya Thaws found in villages Rajderwa but no such ceremony is performed among the Tharu and Suganagar Domri of district Gonda Dallg\\"ariya~, who have the ullU5ual custom of and Rana Tharus of this village are as follows: taking lhe dead body, dad in bridal attire, :;eVCll times round the funeral pyre - a substitute of (I) The Rana Tharus many within Rana the blwnwar ceremony. Tharus and Dangwariya Tharus among Dang wariya Tharus; they do not inter·marry. (12) Among the Dangwariyas the bridal dress is preseryed till death but among the Ranas it (2) Marriages are performed only in the is used up in due course. month of PJzagwz (February jMarch) among the l),mgwariya Tharus and in the month of MagI! (13) Among the Dangwarips the ritual impu (DecemherlJanuary) among the Rana Tharus. l-ity of the family at the time of birth continues for 6 days only but among the Ranas it extends (3) The Dangwariya Tharus Tear pigs and to 8 days. cat mice but the Ran:t Tharus abstain from doing so. (14) Among the Dangwariyas the general I (4) The Dangwariya Tharus take jmmd, a practice is to cremate a dead body, unless one I iquor prepared locally by fennentation of rice, has died an unnatural death or was rather too hut the Rana Tharus do not take this liquor. young, but among the Ranas the usual practice In fact they do not prepare any liquor them· is to hury the dead. It is only when the dying person has expressed the desire to be selves but purchase it from the country liquor cremated after death that his body is cremated. shop at village Donda at a distance of 4 miles. (5) The females of Rana Thams wear (15) Among the Dangwariyas the household is /aheJ1gn extending only up to knees, prepared purified on the 13th day after death but among hy themselves but the females of Dangwariya the Ranas the purification takes place the next Tharus wear stitched lnhcnga extending up to day by giving Cltholi Rotj or a sort of small the ankles. feast. The Bari Roti or the big feast is given by Dangwariyas ordinarily on the 13th (6) The females of Rana Tharus wear clwti day but it is invariably giyen in the month of which is tied on the back by a cotton string amI Karlik by the Ranas_ covers only the breast keeping the stomach and the back exposed but the females of Dangwariya The physical features of the lloll-Tharus who Tharus wear kw-ti which keeps the entire thorax have migrated there from the plains do not covered. deserve any special mention. (7) The Rana males still put on phatui, the Dress wearing of which has become out-oE-fashion The normal dress of an average Tharu male among the Dangwariyas_ during summer is Tangot and sallllw_ The langot (8) The R;ma females tie the knot of hair is a small piece of cloth for covering the shame. right on the top of the head but Dangwariya It is tied to the kardhani (a thick black cotton females allow it to go down to the back of the thread worn round the wai~t) on the back as neck. well as on the front. A part of the langot cloth (9) The Rana females do not get themselves remains hanging in front. The saluka is a sort tattooed but the Dangwariya females are fond of tight-fitting half-sleeved waist-coat_ During of it. the winter the males wear a phatui which is (10) Orhani ceremony is performed when a jmt like the sahdw with the difference that it is Dangwariya girl attains puberty but 110 such black in colour and has one anna, four anna and ceremony is performed among the Ranas. eight anna pieces as buttons. It is of cotton 6 BANUTI doth. Coat of black zeen cloth is also worn. Ornaments The dhoti of markeen cloth, 2t yards long and The Tharu males wear silver and kansa rings 36 inches wide, is generally worn. It is, how on their fingers, one anna, four anna and eight ever, not wrapped like a lungi. Ordinarily anna pieces as buttons in their phatui and these trousers or pyjamas are not worn. At the time Yery coins round the waist as well. They do not of maniage. the bridegroom we.ar& a dhoti 01: wear any ornament in the ear. A string of pyjamas, a pagri (turban) on the head ,;. TYPICAL THJtoP.tJ MALE PLATE No.6 A 1 HARU YOUTH WEARlNG PHATUI AND DHOTI PLATE No.7 A ThaTU male -'-:.'~~-"':--' - --'---:::-.:' ---'-'C-_n" ------.---~"'_'~__ .. """'''' .... _'''''' ... _'''§=cc._~"~~ 'j" ~:~*Va=r'.--_,? __"0 '-- ',:~ . '-.- ..-';.:-. : .~ ..;: ;::;~.::. :jl ,j :. ; ..• ~ ..-:,,: ..... -'----"---,'_,---_----, -.,-_1 "' .~:;~;~ -. I PLYTE ~o. 9 A :\0. ' __ :." ~r. -.. ----~. '_:'._:' rI' ~ - _' j ...":>-: f" _-._,.,: .:: '.~. {.. ~. - , } I , .. ! ~ : ~:" " ~~~ it -': :-+. .. .~ .. 1 <_ .... 1 Female;,. and Ch()lia PLATE 1\ o. 11 A TyPICAL THARV I="EMIt-LE PL\TE :\ p, 13 \ \ , / i \- \' ./ '. "'\ ! \ \ 'i \ \ '/ ) I / /" A '),/)i('(// Thoi'll (('III II Ie fOf/rinl i/'/tlt (n nlnn('Jlt ... PLATE No. 14 A woman weanng ornaments PLATE No. 15 Hail" style ,/ , THE PEOl"LE AND T~ MATWAL EQtJIl''M&NT 7 bangles; also they do not use vermilion on the jection for protection against rain water, is forehead. made JUSt above the doors. A typical Tharu house has three portions, viz., The non-Tharu females wear silver or gold the ghar or the residential portions, the pand or ornaments according to their financial status as the sitting room and the sar or the cattleshed. they do in the plains. The main door of the ghar invariably faces east. Dwellings In the Tharu language a room is called pai and a sleeping room a kono, and the deity enclosure, All the houses occupied by the employees of a kola. The width and the height of a room the Forest Department are pucca constructions. are invariably 12 cubits and 16 cubits, irrespec The houses of all other residents are kachcha tive of the leugt11. The verandah of the house structures. Under the rules of Forest Settlement is called the manjhiari and is generally used for which apply to this village, no one can construct sitting purposes and also for dining by the males. pucca houses within the village. A new kachcha In the northern portion of the manjhiari house can be constructed only with the written Parvati Devi is located. Similarly the northern permission of the Divisional Forest Officer. No most room is the kitchen. permission is, however, required for carrying out the repairs. The pand is {rom 12 to 14 cubits high and from 8 to 16 cubits long. It can also be used as The Tharus build their houses at some distance a sleeping room if needs be. A SOft of loft is fram one another for fear of fire because wood prepared under its roof for storing various and reed, of whkh these houses are made, catch a,'rticles and corn bim, containing grain. A fire easily. The walls are made of khagar grass wooden ladder made of a single log with grooves with wooden sticks tied with the moonj grass at suitable distances, locally called khurkhuriJ is and plastered with mud and dung. The roof used for reaching the phaliaJ or the loft. is made of barahi grass. 'Wood sticks are placed The sar or the cattle-shed is a long hall' and above and beneath it, duly tied with moonj grass. does not have separate rooms. The roofs have a slope on two sides. Ordinarily the walls last for about 20 years but the roof has The following sketch indicates roughly the to be changed every year. Untia, a sort of pro- site plan of a Tharu house: Ghar (Residential portion) I Sleeping] ~ ,--- Sleeping ~ Room I \ Room I Sleeping I Room I I :, __ f , 'I 1---- Monjhiari Bhavani I '__ I Pond _I (Sitting Compound __ ROOm)-, I-' Sar (Cow shed) ,----I 8 BANUTt In village Rajderwa 'Tharu lines of corn bins Thus about 80 per cent of the houses are made serve as partition walls between various rooms of reed and grass. The completely pucca within the same Tharu house. This system is houses are the Government quarters in which the not, however, prevalent in this village. In employees of the Forest Department live. village Rajderwa Tharu a house has only one The following table shows the number of entrance but in this village it may have two. rooms in occupation of various households: The living rooms are quite dark as there is no TABLE No. 2.3 provision for fresh air and light. The rooms are separated from each other by thin walls. During Households by Number of Rooms winter, paddy straw is genera}ly used for bedding Number of Number but in summer, cots are used. Number of Rooms House- Percentage of holds Persons Houses are generally constructed from the 34.7 59 months of Phagun (February/March) up to the 1 17 month of faith (April/May) because this is not 2 10 20.1 68 a busy period from the cultivation point of view. 3 7 14.4 66 Members of the Tharu community help each .04- 7 14.4 107 other in the construction. . They are served with meals and daru only so long as they con 5 4 8.2 92 tinue working. The foundation of the building 6 and more 4 8.2 100 is laid' either on Sunday or on Monday or on Total 49 100 492 Thursday. The date and time are fixed in con sultation with the bharra, a Tharu working as Out of 49 households, 4 households or 8.2 per. a priest and quack using witch-craft and super cent have houses wi th 6 rooms or more. As natural powers for treating his patients. many as 17 households (34.7 per cent) have houses with one room only. Most of them are Dwelling Standards employees of the Forest Department living In The following table shows the types of houses Government quarters of one room each. The occupied by various communities: Tharus have adequate accommodation in their TABLE No. 2.2 houses. Types of Houses Communitywise TABLE No. 2.4 Types of Houses Size and Composition of Households Communities ,__,.A._-----. Reed Number of Number of Percentage Total Percentage Pucca and Members House- of Members . of Houses grass per House- holds House- of total House~ hold holds House- Popula 1. Tharu 34 holds tion 2. Kshatriya 3 1 5 10.2 5 1.0 3. Ahir 1 5.2 4. Brahmin 2 2-3 9 8.4 25 5. Kayastha 1 4:""6 9 8.4 47 9.5 6. Lohar 1 6 12.2 49 9.9 7. Mali 7-9 8. Pasi 1 10 and over 20 40.8 366 74.4 9. Mehtar 1 Total 49 100.0 492 100.0 10. Sheikh 2 .. 11. Saiyad Thus 40.8 per cent of the households with 74.4 11 . Pathan per cent of the population have 10 or more Total 10 39 family members. o :2', t I f r ! : ~. I I r L i:: :;;:, \0-'" O"l,_... ::u ;u~ 0 cl:; i::: z .. ~ ~ ~ ...~ ,~ c.. -eN' 0 Z ~ o_ ~ ~..., ~ .....~ ~ r r ( N N ci Z... t-< <.... ~ ....~ '";:: ..... " -1 j I ! j ·1 I J 1 j ;! ...... j Sigri THE PEOPLE AND THEm MA1'ERIAL EQUIPMENT 9 The following table gives an idea of the household goods in the village TABLE No. 2.5 Household Goods Communitywise K5ha- Bra- Kayas- Saiyad Name of article Tharu triya hmin Ahir tha Lohar Mali Mehtar Pasi Pathan Sheikh Bed Cot 34 3 2 1 1 2 Chair 1 1 1 Table 1 1 Mirror 34 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 Bench 1 1 Stool 1 1 Jal chowki 2 1 1 Wall shelf 1 2 1 1 1 Lantern 30 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 Petromax 1 1 Torch 24 2 2 1 1 Kerosene stove 1 Bicycle 4 2 2 1 1 2 Gramophone 4. Karahi Iron frying pan for frying or cook There is only one radio·set in the village. It ing meat and vegetables. has been supplied for the benefit of the village by the Directorate of Information. Torches 5. Tawa A round and convex piece of iron used for baking chapaties. and hurricane lanterns are necessary in the village. The village has 13 cycles, 4 of which 6. Tha/i A big plate of brass or bell-metal are owned by the Tharus. All the cultivators used for taking food. have one or more bullock carts. People gene 7. Lola A small round utensil made. of rally move about on foot or on bullock carts. brass or bell-metal for takmg water. Utensils 8. Kondo A big plate of brass meant for preparing dough. The following utensils are generally used by the residents of this village: 9. Ghalla A pitcher made of iron or clay for carrying and storing potable watGr. Local name of Description 10. Kathawwa A wooden vessel used for keeping Utensils curd preparations and also for 1. Botool; A round-shaped kansa vessel used preparing dough. for boiling rice. 11. Balti Bucket made of iron. 2. Kausa A big round shaped vessel used for boiling rice on cerc'llonial oeca 12. Karchli or A big spoon made of brass or iron SiO'lS. It w~ighs about 40 seers chamcha or wood used for serving cooked and costs about Rs.160 to Rs.180. pulse or vegetables. 3. Tameeri or A round shaped brass vessel used for Pateeli cooking pulse. 13. Patia Wooden plates used for taking food. 10 ~Tl The earthen pots are sold in this village by pulse is used. They also take chicken, egg and~ potters from Palia during winter. The metal meat. Sometimes they hunt an animal from the~ utensils are purchased from Palia or Kheri. neighbouring forest and take its meat. Their', supply of liquor is obtained from village Dudhwa •.. No crockery is used by the Tharus, but some at a distance of 16 miles or village Donda at a· of the non-Tharus use it according to their distance of two miles. Licenced contractors sell ' means. Fuel is available from the forest free of it at the rate of 50 Paise for a bottle of 24 . cost to everybody residing in this village. Dung ounces. cakes are not prepared because of the plenty of firewood in the forest. Tharus do not milch a cow. The milk is Corn bins, locally known as dehri, are found left for the calf. Buffaloes are milked but ghee is generally sold, only maththa (whey) being i~va~iabl: in every house but unlike the prac consumed by them. They are very fond of ~Ice III VIllage Rajderwa Tharu, they are placed chillies and spices. They grow tl1eir own m the l~ft of the pand (sitting room). The average hfe of a corn bin is about 20 to 25 years. vegetables in their kitchen gardens. They are made of clay mixed with wheat straw The non-Tharus take boiled rice, cooked and cow dung. Its capacity varies from 12 pulse, wheat chapaties, vegetable and meat maunds to 20 maunds according to size. They are not known to be addicts to liquor as Jal .(fish net), chatai (mat made of straw) , Tharus are. gundn (mat prepared from cane), kandia SOCIAL CUSTOMS (basket made of cane), tokri (hollow basket of round shape made of rangai cane) , gondi Birth Customs (mats made of gondi grass) , chhatri Ordinarily the fact of pregnancy is indicated umbrella made of maurayan leaves), dalia by the stoppage of menstruation. It stands con (bask~ts of daily use made of seenk grass), firmed when no menstruation takes place after machta (an armless small cot-like chair), pankha the second month also. During pregnancy lifting (fan made of bendu or marurphali grass) and of heavy weights or performance of strenuous SO~? (winnowing ~an) are the other petty goods j(lbs is not allowed. The pregnant women, how whIch are found invariably in every household. ever, continue working in the field and inside Except the soops which are purchased, all these the house right up to the time of delivery. No articles are produced by the Tharus themselves. ceremony is performed for celebrating the event !he dhekli which is used for husking paddy of conception. No special diet is taken by them IS also found in every cultivator household. during the period of pregnancy. Food and Drink The delivery takes place at the husband's house in the kono or the sleeping room. An Out of the entire population, only two house elderly female of the household is in attendance holds, one Brahmin and one Kshatriya. are at the time of delivery. If the case is too com vegetarian. Among the non-vegetarians the diet plicated, the wife of Marra Tharu, who is said of the Tharus is slightly different from that of to be an expert midwife, is called in. the non-Tharus. The staple diet of the Tharus, The umbilical cord is severed by the woman as of the non-Tharus, is boiled rice. Ordinarily Tharus take three meals a day. Their break in-attendance. It is buried in the forest, pre fast consists of boiled rice and its mand (the ferably near a tank or a pond. In case of male liquid starch taken out of boiled rice) flavoured birth, 60 seers of paddy are given to the woman with salt and chillies. At mid-day they take in-attendance and in case of a female child, only cooked rice, pulse and a vegetable. The evening 4{) seers. This payment in kind is invari ably made even when the woman-in meal consists of cooked rice. pulse. meat or fish and country liquor. Usually lentil (masur) attendance belongs to the same household. She r '-'--., :;:, :;:, "-' -:::-., -t' W .-- ';;1) 0 ~ Z '_';;l) I:rl ~ ~ -:::- oJ .~ ~ -..-. ..::::! '-W THE P:EOPLE AND 1'HEltl MATERIAL EQU1PMl!:NT 11 can very well sell the grain and utilize the pro with by the caste panchayat. The offering ceeds for her personal use. Immediately after male is sentenced to pay a fine or to give a feast the birth, the child is washed in hot water and to the clansmen. If he belongs to another com fumigated with fire. Fire is kept burning out munity, a severe beating is sometimes given. side the room of confinement, to ward off evil More often than not the marriage contract is spirits and ghosts. A knife or sickle is also kept negotiated. It is the family of the boy which near the child with a view to protecting it from seeks the bride. The proposal always comes from the evil spirits. The village women assemble the groom's side rather than the bride's. The together at this house and sing and dance betrothal is generally negotiated through a merrily on this occasion. The birth of a male middleman called the manjhi who might be a child is an occasion of greater merriment. near relation of the prospective groom. If the For the first two days the mother is served families agree, a date for the marriage is fixed. with pan jeri, (a preparation of gUT, ghee, sonth or dried ginger, and black pepper). No qupor is Marriages are generally of the following types: served to her during this period. The period (1) Mangni Vivah, of confinement is limited to eight days. On the eighth day the Chhati ceremony is performed. (2) Badia Vivah, The child is given a bath and laid in a soop (3) Rand Vivah, and (winnowing fan) over a small quantity of rice (4) Urhra Vivah. as is done on the first day. The mother of the child is also given a bath. On this occasion a Mangni Vivah feast is given, fish being the main plate in the menu. This type of marriage is tne most respectable and popular. It consists of the following four If the child is male, the oldest man of the stages: family presents a kardhani to it and blesses it with long life. (1) Mangni-consists of betrothal of the There is no special ceremony on the occasion couple through the efforts of the manjhi. of giving a name to the child. Some months No gifts are exchanged or feast given on this after its birth, a name is given to the child by occasion. In fact there is no direct contact an elderly member of the household. even between the parents of the parties. No ceremony is performed when a girl attains (2) Poochhna-Mangni takes place quite puberty. early but the marriage is performed at a Marriage Customs latter stage according to the convenience of the parties. Marriages are generally per The Tharus of this village form one endo formed in the month of Magh (January). gamous group. Inter-marriages between various About two months before the date of mar families are performed provided the bride and riage which suits the boy's parents, his father the bridegroom are not blood relations or very goes to the bride's house and formally en close relatives. Marriages with Rana Tharus quires if the engagement of his daughter to living in other villages also take place but mari his son stands. In actual practice the enga tal connexion in far off localities are avoided. gement is rarely repudiated. After the fact of They do not marry in families other than of engagement has been confirmed, and the Rana Tharus. parties are agreeable to the performance Although Mangni or betrothal ceremony is of marriage in the coming month of performed at an early age, yet actual marriages January, further action in the matter is are now ordinarily performed when the parties taken. are rather grown up. No inter-caste marriage has taken place but marriages by elopement are (3) Dil Lena-About a week or two after not rare. Extra-marital tie are severely dealt the Poochhna c~remony, the father of the TIlE l'EOPLE AND THEIR MATERIAL EQUIPMENT 13 panchayat before the actual ceremony is per lena) and stayed in Nepal till a decision was formed. She approaches the panchayat through taken by the tribal pancha),at in which he was her father or father-in-law. The permission of asked to pay Rs.500 to the father of the girl. the panchayat can be taken before or after the Now both of them are living as husband and wife. marriage but the prospective groom has to pay The younger brother can keep his elder some compensation money to the father or the brother's widow but the elder brother cannot father·in-Iaw of the widow, if marriage is per keep the younger brother's widow. Polygamy formed in anticipation of the approval of the is not common among the Tharus but there is panchayat. Even in widow remarriages,. the no objection to it. bhanwar or shaptapadi are necessary but other ceremonies are deleted. Marital garments are Jangi Tharu married his elder brother's widow not prepared. but his wedded wife deserted him and married It was reported that Pooran alias Birbal Tharu another man. had married Srimati Kaidi the widow of Ghoomal Marriage Customs among Non-Tharus Tharu in this manner. Sri Bali Ram, the village blacksmith, migrated (4) Urhra Vivah from Nepal about 18 years ago. He i5 Maisoor This refers to the marriage of a woman when Lohar, a community found in Nepal only. His her husband is alive and she deserts him and family can marry only in families of MaisoOT remarries. In such cases the ,tribal panchayat Lohars of Nepal. The marriage party goes to meets and hears, the parties. If the woman has the bride's house where the paon poojan and been eloped or abducted, the offender is punished bhanwar ceremonies take place. Marriage is to pay a fine or give a feast and the father or complete as soon as the bhanwar ceremony is the husband is given the money realised from over. Friends and near relations participate the offender. In such marriages also, except for in the marriage. Next day, the marriage party the bhal1war, no other ceremony takes place. returns along with the bridegroom and the bride who is 'carried in a doli (palanquin). She It was reported that the present wife of Jhunai returns to her father's place after three days. Tharu was originally married in Dhangari, Nepal The Gauna ceremony is ordinarily perfOlmed before she eloped with him and refused to go after one year but if she is a minor it might be to her husband. The panchayat made Jhunai postponed to a later date when she becomes pay Rs.650 to her husband as compensation. mature. The groom wears white gannents She began living with Jhunai as his wife. and the bride wears yellow garments, pre Srimati Sundar, the present wife of Birchha pared by the tailors of Nepal. Tharu, was originally married in Malakhet, A& regmds other Hindus, they follow the :\Tepal. She did not like her former husband customs practiced by their communities in the and began to live with Birchha. ,,yhen her plains. The Muslims, too, have no changed former husband came she refused to go. The customs. panclwyat directed Birchha to pay Rs.512-50 P. Death Customs as the cost of the bride and allowed her to live as the wife of Birchha. Immediately after death the dead body is laid on the ground in the compound with the head Sagga, a married Tharu, fell in love with towards the north. The usual method of Bhooka the unmarried daughter of Bhoora. disposal of the dead body is by burial. In some When Sagga's wife came to know about it, the cases the body may be cremated if the deceased relations between the husband and the wife had expressed a desire for cremation before b~came strained. He left his wife who eloped his death or at the will of the family members. WIth another man and married him. Sagga The members of the family except the husband elo~d with Bhooka (eloping is called hankai and his elder brother, carry the dead body 12 BANKATI boy again comes to the bride's house for a fire. The Kanyadan or the ceremony of giving day and settles the date of marriage and away the daughter in marriage to the groom i~. other details with her father. performed by the father of the bride. The (4) Pachhachaon or Pachauti-This cere marriage becomes effective after the completion mony is performed 12 days before the date of of shaptapadi or pheras (the circumambulation actual marriage. The father of the groom of the nuptial fire seven times) to the recitation goes to the bride's residence with one maund of marriage vows by the bride and the groom. of rice, 20 seers of urd pulse, five pieces of Vermilion is not daubed by the groom in the hair turmeric, two bhailies of gur, some mustard parting of the bride. oil and fish. This is followed by a feast in which meat and One day before the marriage party (barat) liquor arc not served. The marriage party stays leaves for the bride's house, the Kasthai cere in the village of the bride during the night. On mony is observed. On this day the groom's the following morning, the bride is sent in father goes to the forest to worship goddess veiled dala to the house of the groom. She Vanaspati in the morning. He takes some gur is usually accompanied by some male and and ghee and puts it on fire under an all-green female members of the household who stay at the tree (preferably sakhoo). He then wraps a house of the groom. When she reaches the yellow thread seven times round its trunk. house of the groom, the latter's sister gives a dance performance. The groom is not allowed In the evening, puja of Nagarihayi Bhawani to meet the bride. Next morning she returns is performed by the Pradhan and his wife along to her village with the members of her father's with other females of the village under the household. pandariya tree. Gauna ceremony is performed within a month White jama or jhagula (a long coat), dhoti of marriage if the bride is mature but it has to or pyjamas, pagri (turban) and shoes are worn be postponed to a later date if she is a minor. by the groom. He also carries with him an On the appointed day, the bridegroom accom angochha (scarf) about two yards long. The panied by four persons comes to the house of the dress of the bride is also prepared at the groom's bride. The next morning the party returns with place. Red ghagra is generally worn by her. the bride. . The arrival of the bride is celebrated All these garments are prepared by the tailor with songs and dances and a feast is usually given who comes from Nepal. He is not paid in cash in which meat and liquor are served to the near but always in the form of grain. and dear ones. Thereafter, they begin living as The groom is carried on a dola (a sort of husband and wife. ordinary palanquin) decorated with the feathers of peacock. It is carried by honorary Tharu (2) Badla Vivah (Marriage by Exchange) bearers. The womenfolk of the groom's house Marriages by exchange of sisters also take place hold accompany the barat for some distance and in this village. All the formalities and the cere then see them off. Only males go in the marriage monies that are performed in a regular marriage party. The baratis are made to stay in a hut, (Mangni Vivah) are performed in these mar set apart for the occasion. riages also. There is no dwar puja ceremony. The bride 3. Rand Vivah (Widow Remarriage) groom is called i~side the house arid the hem of his angochha is tied with the hem of the Widows with one or two encumbrances are orhni of the bride by the husband of the groom's remarried if they so desire. Such marriages are sister. It is he who presides over the marriage performed only when the widow shows her ceremony and conducts it. The boy and the inclination of marriage to a man selected by her girl are made to sit side by side near the nuptial self. She has to take the approval of the tribal 14 :sANUn of a female. No ceremony is perfo.rmed before convenience of the family. No offerings to the taking away the dead body from the house. It soul of the deceased are ever made. is bathed and wrapped in a white shroud of a Death ceremonies are identical in case of males new cloth 7 yards long, and then carried to the and females with the only difference that burial ground near the river Mohan. If death moustaches are not shaved by the sons in case occurs in the rainy season, the dead body is buried of the death of the mother if the father is alive. or cremated at the bank of the Terha nala to the south of the village. Corpses of children CUstoms relating to Inheritance up to the age of 14 years are invariably buried. On the death of a Tharu, the sons become the In case of earth burials, the grave is about four legal heirs of the immovable and the movable to five feet deep, six feet long and three feet properties of the deceased. All sons get equal wide. The shroud-draped corpse is lowered shares. If there are no sons the wife of the in the grave. The dea :ECONOMY Occupation Only 56 per cent of the population consists of workers; and out of the working force, about The following table give!! a detailed split-up 55 per cent are males. Agriculture is the most of occupations, showing the number of persons in important occupation in which 86.6 per cent of each occupation: the working population is. engaged. In culti· TABLE No. 3.1 vation about 50 per cent of the workers are males. Out of the remaining workers 15 per Huml){~r of Persons engaged Z1l difJPrl'11t sons consisting of 11 males and 4 females are Occupations engaged as agricultural labourers, 8 males are Propor- Number of Persons tion of engaged as cattle grazers, 2 males are engaged Occupation .------'- -., total as retailers of general merchandise, one person Persons Males Females workers a, blacksmith and 11 persons consisting of 10 1. Cultivation 240 121 119 86.6 males and one female as employees of the Forest 2. Agricultural 15 11 4 5.4 Department. The female employee is the wife Labour of the sweeper. In addition to these occupa 3. Forest Service~ 11 10 4.0 tions, most of the male workers sometimes work 4. Trade 2 2 0.8 as lumbermen on daily wages of Rs.1.25 per day ~. Blacksmith 1 0.4 under the Forest Department or its contractors. 6. Cattle grazing 8 8 2.8 The number of such workers fluctuates as this ---- _... _-- seasonal work is done according to one's needs Tot!l Workers 277 153 124 100 and convenience. ------_- ---~---- Non-workers 215 100 115 Occupation by Caste Total Population 492 253 239 The following table gives a castewise distribu tion of workers in various occupations : TABU No. ~.2 Occupations by Caste Caste Cultivation Agricultural Service Trade Black~mith Cattle grazing Labour ,..-_...... _"""\ ,-_.A._~ M F M F M F Hindus- Brahmin 2 Kshatriya 2 Kayastha Ahir Lohar Pasi 2 Tharu 121 119 9 3 I Mehtac 1 16 llANKATI Caste Culti •.ition Agricultura I S;;:rvice Trade Blacksm th Cattl Labour r-_.A.grazer ___ r- -...A-l ~ __ .A._~ r-_.A._....., ,- -- A -"-l r---"'----.. M F M F M F M F M F M F Mrnlims- Pathan Sheikh 2 Saiyad GRAND Total 121 119 11 10 1 2 8 Out of the 277 workers, 260 persons or 93.S Present F'lther's No. of Cause C:lste Occu- Occu- House- of per cent are Tharus and the remaining 6.2 per p:ltion p.ltion holds Change cent are non·Tharus compnsmg Brahmin. 4. Kshatriya TraDe Cult iva- Trade Kayastha, Lohar, Pasi, Ahir and Mehtar among tion more the Hindus, and Pathan, Sheikh and Saiyad profitable 5. Pasi Chow- Cultiva- Chowkidari among the Muslims. kidar tion more secure and Occupational Mobility profitable 6. Sheikh Service Cultiva- Got There has been almost no occupational mobi tion service which is Ii ty among the Tharus of this village. No more Tharu of this village has ever gone to city for secure 7. Kshatriya Senice Retailer service. The occupations of the present heads of of households with reference to the occupa General Merchan tions of their fathers weTe studied. Out of the dise 3<1 Tharu households of this village, it is only The occupational mobility in respect of the in one case that the father was cultivator but Tharu household occurred because the head of the son is an agricultural labourer. the household left the village for Nepal and, Among the non-Tharus there has been a therefore, lost the land in this village. When he change in the occupation of the son as compared returned he ·found that his land has been allotted with that of the father in 8 cases only. to his neighbour. He has to work as an agri cultural labourer. The following table indicates the details of occupational mobility in the village: The occupational mobility in respect of two Brahmin households who are under the employ TABLE No. 3.3 ment of the Forest Department occurred because Occupational Mobility they preferred service. Their fathen are Itill working a" cultivators in their villages. Present Father's No. of Cause Caste Dccu- Occu- House- of The father of the Mali used to keep a shop. pation pation holds Change There was loss in the business and hence the son 1. Tharu Agricul- Cultiva- Lost land lural tion due to sought employment in the Forest Department Labour migration as a gardener. 2. Brahmin Service Cultiva- 2 Preferred Of the two Kshatriya households, one has tion service changed over from trade to service. His father 3. Mali Service Trade Got service, still works as a retailer of general merchandise. which is The other Kshatriya, Sri Puttu Singh, has not more secure actually changed his traditional occupa.tion. Ht' ...... "'t:$ tu l.!') ~ C'J tu C ~..... Z ':>I.J o_>:: ~ < ~ .J'""' ~ ~ -.C> R., \. .~ ; j :.4' p ~<~' ~ "f.) ~ -. 00 ';5 ~ ~ 0 ...... - z .... ~ '_ ~ ,..l --~ ~ ...... :::: I..l"" ~ ~ ZOONOMY 17 is still doing cultivation work which his father The number of workers who work as lumber used to do but in addition to cultivation he men could not be found correctly because when works as a trader too. Trade is more profi· ever anyone finds spare time, he works in the table than cultivation. He is also a contractor, forest and earns some money. a money-lender, a doctor, and a chemist. He was originally a Forester in the Forest Depart Agriculture ment but resigned and took to numerous Agriculture is the principal occupation of this occupations that he is doing. village as 240 persons, 121 males and 119 females, The Pasi male works as chowkidar of the out of a total of 277 workers were found engaged village whereas his father was a cultivator. in cultivation while another 15 persons, 11 There was little land with his father and hence males and 4 females, were found dependent on he left his village and took up the present job. agriculture as labourers. The Sheikh male also preferred service because The following table indicates the age-group It IS more secure. Besides, his presence as culti of workers in cultivation: vator would have added further pressure on the TABLE No. 3.4 ancestral land. Workers in Cultivation Classified by Sex and The heads of all the 49 households in the Age Groups village were questioned about their aspiration in regard to the occupations to be followed by Cultivation Agricultural Labour r---.A.--, ,...-___.A.___., their sons. All the Tharus want their sons to Age Groups be cultivators because firstly they do not find P M F P M F them fit for any other job or service, and secondly All ages 240 121 119 15 11 under the forest rules they cannot accept the 0-14 33 11 22 2 2 employment under anyone else. The non Tharu households want their sons to be in the 15-34 129 67 62 1 6 occupation in which they are except the Forest 35-59 68 35 33 6 3 3 Range Officer who likes his son to become a 60 and over 10 8 2 doctor. In [his village femaLes work equal to and S1/bsid ia ry OCC1lpations sometimes even more than males. Except ploughing, the Tharu fem:Jle does every odd job A study of the subsidiary occupations among in connection with agriculture. In cultivation the workers of this village was made. As regards and agricultural labour there are 123 females or the two Brahmins and one Kshatriya who work 48.5 per cent of the total workers engaged in in the Forest Department, cultivation is being agriculture. done in their respective villages. The subsi diary occupations of Thakur Puttu Singh have System of Land Tenure already been mentioned. The blacksmith is employed as &easonal fire-watcher also. This village is basically a Tharu settlement allowed by the Forest Department within the Among the Tharus, the following subsidiary forest area. Such forest village are designed occupations are followed: solely to afford a permanent supply of suitable Number of local labour and are not to be established Subsidiary Occupations Persons in the merely for the purpose of extending cultivation Occupations and bringing in rent. Some land is allotted for 1. Transport by Bullock Cart 26 cultivation to the residents of the vilbge so that 2. Forest Labourer 14 they might remain busy with some occupation. Ordinarily only those persons who are by race, 3. Aulcultural Labo~r 18 BANXATI caste or occupation habituated to the extraction plots are ploughed up five or six times before or handling of forest produce are admitted to re the seed is sown. Locally prepared compost side in a forest village along with their families manure is used. and dependents. The number of houses in each village and the extent of cultivation is fixed by VveeJing is done by an implement known as the Conservator. When by natural increase of kilwa which is operated in the field with the help population the number of houses and of inhabi of bullocks. tants approaches the limit of their means for their support afforded by the village land, the At the time of harvesting, the plants are cut Government assumes the right of removing the with a sickle at the lowest part of the stem. The excess population, if necessary. harvested crop is collected in the compound. The grain is separated from the chaff after the The land revenue is 25 Paise per bigha for plants have fully dried. all cultivators except the Pradhan and the two bhnlamanus, who are required to pay at the rate The seed sown per acre is 40 seers and the of 12 Paise per bigha only. The village is in yield about 20 maunds. The yield per acre cluded in alluvial tract of land which is quite of other crops waG reported to be as follows: fertile. Land is held at the will of the Forest Seed Yield in Number of Department. Crop sown maunds timc5the per acre per acre land is ploughed Irrigation 1. Wheat 50 10 S There is no provlSlon for irrigation as there are no canals or tube-wells. The tobacco and 2. Gram 40 15 4 ghuinyan crops are cultivated near the wells where they can be irrigated with water. 3. MaslIr 30 15 J 4. Maize 10 20 3 7111 purta II t Crups 5. Rape S 20 3 Only kharif and rabi crops are grown in the Pests and Crop Diseases village. The crops raised during kharif are paddy, maize, urd and ghllinyan (a vegetable) The crops are not free from disease and pests. and the crops raised during the mbi season are The following diseases and pests are generally wheat, gram, maSUT) a/{sa (a type of coarse pulse) , found in the various crops: rape, potato and tobacco. PaTtal is not done in this village and hence the actual area under Crop Insects Diseases various crops is not correctly known. 1. Paddy Gundhi Paddy is the most important crop. Anjana, Solhiar, rnahesho and g1ltTa varieties of autumn 2. Maize Grass hopper paddy and rehmanwa, jhinwan and andi of winter paddy are generally sown. Paddy sown 3. Wheat Gunjhia and Rat Rust in the month of July-August and harvested in the month of November-Detember is called 4. Gram Cutworm winter or aghani paddy and paddy sown in .~ Potato Mo~aic and June-July and harvested in the month of Sep Blight tember-October is called autumn or kunwm'; paddy. The seed is sown by the broadcasting Besides the above insects and diseases, loss is method and no transplantation takes place. The caused to the crops by fire, wild animals and ECONOll-{Y 19 floods also. Nothing is done by the cultivators TABLE No. 3.6 for fighting these -diseases and calamities. Size of Agricultural Number They are simply at the mercy of nature in the Holdings of House- matter. Holds Agnwlt1l1al Produce and its Disposal 1. Between 5 to 10 acres 7 2. Above 10 acres 25 The following table shows the agricultural produce of cultivation run by the households Total 32 and its disposal: Thakur Puttu Singh has got about 20 acres TABLE No. 3.5 of land in his possession whereas the rest of the Agricultural Pmduce and its Disposal cultivator households who are all Tharus have land between 5 acres and 15 acres. Annual Amount Amount Product Produce consumed sold (in Mds) (in Mds) (in Mds) Source of Finance and Marketing Paddy 5,270.00 2,214.00 3,056.00 The money-lending business and the purchase of the grain are done by persons who are licensed 2. Wheat 48.45 41.12 7.33 by the Forest Department. Sri Amir Ahmad of Sheshgarh district Bareilly and Thakur Puttu 3. Maize 90.25 90.25 Singh have taken licence for this purpose. In winter season Sri Amir Ahmad comes to this 4. Pulses 218.50 218.50 village, stays here for a fortnight or so, lends money, collects grain and goes back. The 5. Barley 19.45 19.45 Tharus take loan in cash and repay it in 6. Vegetables 337.00 337.00 instalments. The instalments are paid in terms of paddy which is accepted at the rate of Ii 7. Fodder 4,490.00 4,490.00 times of the prevalent market rate. Instead of using weights, paddy is measured by muththis 8. Oil-seeds 215.00 185.00 30.00 (handfuls). Thus the money-lender is able to realise a big amount by way of interest, even Paddy, wheat and rape-seed are sold in the though he says he charges no interest. The other market to meet other domestic needs. There is money-lender, too, was reported to be realising no oil-crusher in the village. The oil crushing a big amount in a similar manner. is done by a teli named Lal Singh, resident of Nepal, who temporarily shifts to the village every Agricultural Implements year for some time. The agricultural implements in use are locally Size of Holdings made. The wood is available from the forest free of cost; only iron has to be purchased. The land utilization survey is not made every The blacksmith of the village makes irori year as is done in the plains. It is only the implements that are used in agriculture. He Forester who measures the land and assesses the also repairs and maintains them from time rent to be paid by the cultivator. The holdings to time. For this servicing a contract is made are divided according to the rules of the Forest between the cultivator and the blacksmith for Departmens· payment 'of wages which ranges from 15 seers to 20 seers of paddy per plough per year. The The foMowing table shows the SIlL of the wooden portion is prepared by the Tharus holdings in the village: themselves without the hrup of any carpenter. 20 BANJr.ATI In addition to the old agricultural implements, the household. This ceremony is performed one cultivator plough and 7 harrow ploughs are twice in the year - once for the maize crop repre owned by Thakur Puttu Singh and 13 harrow senting the kharif harvest and again for the ploughs are used by the Tharus. wheat and barley crops representing the rabi The following other agricultural implements harvest. are generally used in the village: Another cuslom prevailing in the community Local English Made Used is the gift of a small quantity of the newly Name Synonym of produced crop to some beggar or priest, usually a bharra. I,f he is not readily available his 1. Hal Plough Wood for tilling the and Iron soil share of the grain is kept separately and is given to him when he visits the household. 2. Juwa Yoke Wood for putting a pair of bullocks The Tharus observe the Harawat ceremony together for ploughing or also. In the moonlit fortnight of the month of levelling Aghan at about 4 a.m., every cultivator quietly goes to his field without speaking to anyone. 3. Kilwai Leveller Wood for breaking Next day regular ploughing of the fields starts. and weeder the clods and weeding out the According to common belief it is inauspicious grass if anyone going out on a mission is questioned 4. Pilar Plough Iron in plough for by someone as regards his destination. For obviat shear tilling the soil ing such a possibility the auspicious operation of 5. Kudal A long Iron with for digging ploughing is performed so early in the morning. hoe a wooden earth to an Special dishes are prepared on this occasion. handle ordinary depth The 1\1 oath ceremony consists of digging part 6. Kudari A small of a field with a spade in the month of Baisalth hoe " .. and then scattering a handful of paddy over it, 7. PharUlI'a Spade for digging earth to a greater as a token of starting the preparation of land for depth the paddy crop. 8. Hansia Sickle for harvesting In the month of Kutlwar, a handful of and grass ears of new paddy brought from the field are cutting offered to Nagarihayi Bhawani, to show respect 9. Khurpa Scythe for grass-cutting to her and obtain her blessings. This is known 10. Akhayin Wood a thin wooden as the Arawun ceremony. log, bent in the lower part for turning up and The following sayings relating to agriculture down the straw are prevalent in the village; while thrashing it. ~T;n ~~ ~~;ft, Rites and Proverbs relating to Agricultural Ope mtions and Seasons Q"i{ ~ aiQ"T ~T(l I The Tharus observe Nava ceremony before (if".. f:'~l ~ '"s~ I starting consumption of the cereals of the 'J;ft1: ~q lH~ !""~('f " new crop. When a crop becomes ripe and ready for harvesting, a small quantity of new grain 1£ on Shukla Saptmi in the month of Shrawan is brought by the head of the household all an cloud thunders· in the midnight~ there is auspicious day in the evening. This new grain sure to be a drought and a famine due to non is taken with other articles of food prepared in availability of rains. In such circumstances, the Cl C\l ..:;:: bI) 0 ~ Z .._0 ~ t:i 1::! ' --::- .-~ .. ---::-:-'" L. .-.. -.--~ A spade PLATE No. 33 Sic1de and scythe PLATE 1\0. 34- Hal ECONOMY 21 wife tells her husband that both of them. would If there is no rainfall on the P4f;va day in the be separated as victims of famine. month of faith, there is every possibility of a famine alround. Under such circumstances etc., e ~ ~ ,it t one has to sell one's bullocks, in order to ... k.eep one's sons alive. ., Nf« q, ~, . Livestock 1m ~ .. ~, The following table shows the position of live ~ fW.tl ~ " stock. in the charge: TABLE No. '&.7 Distribution of Livestock Castes, Households and Number of Animals r- .A. """'\ Brahmin ,-___Kayastha.A. __ • ,-__Mehtar.A. Pasi Items of Liv.;stock r-____,.A. ,-_,.A.___ """'\ Number of Number of Number of Number of households Total households Total households Total households Total owning No. owning No. owning No. owning No. Milch cattle 1 1 1 1 1 1 Drought bulls Goats and sheep 1 3 1 2 Pigs 1 1 . Duck and geese Hens and cocks 1 15 Dry cows 1 1 1 1 4- Dry buffaloes 1 1 Horse Castes, Households and Number of Animals r- "'"\ Pathan Saiyad Thakur Tharu Sheikh Items of r--_.A.-----. r---...... ,-----"- ,-____,.A. ,-__.A. Livestock Number of Number of Number of Number of Number of households Total households Total households Total households Total households Total owning No. owning No. owning No. owning No. owning No. Milch cattle .. 1 1 3 34 160 Drought bulls 6 34 252 Goats and sheep 20 146 1 2 Pigs Duck and geese 10 28 Hens and cocks 3 1 3 31 342 2 Dry cows 34 166 Dry buffaloes 32 206 Horse 22 BANKATI The number of poultry birds is more than even labour is engaged. The agricultural labourers the number of bullocks in the village. All the are engaged from Phagun (February-March) bullockl; are of the famous Khairagarh breed to Agahan (November-December). The village which is found mostly in the northern portion of has 15 agricultural labourers, 11 males and 4 this district, Lakhimpur Kheri and a part of females. Out of the 11 males, 6 are regular agri Bahraich. Cows are not milked among the cultural servants and others are agricultural Tharus who take only buffalo milk. Cattle are labourers who are engaged from time to time allowed to be grazed only in defined grazing for sowing, harvesting, threshing, etc. The blocks in the forest area, the maximum number agricultural labourers employed on daily wage of grazing units being fixed for each block. basis get about 12 seers of paddy per day. They The existing grazing rates are as follows: work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a break of two Annual hours and a half in the noon. There is no Kind of Cattle Charges (Paise) difference in the working of males and females. The females do not, however, work as seasonal 1. Buffalo 0.50 agricultural servants. 2. Horse 0.50 3. Cow, bullock 0.25 Transport 4. Donkey •• 0.25 Most of the Tharu households are engaged in S. Goat 0.12 transport of timber and WOAd by bullock cart 6. Sheep 0.06 from the forest to Paulaha and Dingania railway The Tharus are exempted from payment .?f stations. As the stations are only two miles away. any dues. The non-Tharus too are not to pay four to five trips a day can be made. "The load~ anything up to foui units of cattle per plough;'a ing and the carrying of logs is done on the basis buffalo being equivalent to 2 uni ts, a donkey of contract between these workers and the i unit, a goat i unit and a sheep i unit. contractor. The bullocks are fed in a manger kept on a GO'ue1"11ment Service raised platform. Goats are reared for table meat moi-e than for milk. Hens are reared The 11 Government servants consist of 10 by Tharus and non-Tharus alike for eggs and males and one female. A Mehtar and his wife chicken. work as sweepers. The remaining 9 males con sist of one Ranger, one Deputy Ranger, two Fishing Foresters, two Forest Guards, one Range Clerk, All the Tharu households are engaged in one peon and one mali. The Deputy Ranger, fishing in spare time either in the tanks and the Range Clerk, one Forester and the peon are ponds found here and there in the forest or in Muslims; others are Hindus. All of them are river Mohan. The fish are of small size and are temporary migrants to this village. used only for domestic consumption. Better variety of fish is rarely available. For catching Trade fish, they use nets made of strings. Fish ing is done only in day time. The females, too, Thakur Puttu Singh owns a shop run by his go out for fishing. The fish are mostly salted adopted son Ram Chander Singh. Grains, spices, and dried in the sun or on fire and then cloth, sugar, medicines and other commodities of consumed. daily requirement are sold by him. The resi· ~ents of other villages also come to this shop. Agricultural Workers Transactions are made in cash and credit both. ' Normally the Tharus cultivate their plots with Barter system is more prevalent thereby provid. their own efforts. It is seldom that agricultural ing an upper hand to the shopkeeper. ~ ::::: ~ ;,..."'-' ,,_, lr.l -.- ~ '"<::::: c ~ Z ._::::: ..... -~ E-4 '<..l -"';, ':u ...... s::: ~ "'3'" :;:: <::::: ~'" --(;) c.J ! t. ~ ~ ~ <0 t; ~ ~ 0 ::; z ._~ !:: ..... -:: '" .....:l ~ t:l. 'l..I ....,..., <;S U PLATE No. 37 A provision shop .... -0 ..c: u PLATE No. 39 ..!<: ~ i::3 ..... Co '::l "'7" .... c '":;:: % ~"" § ~ ~ ~J) <:: -...... ~ . "'1::'! (" I WORKERS & NON-WORKERS AGE GROUPS .0 + ] l2:2::l WORKERS D NON-WORKERS JS _ 59] /'- '4 ] ~~~~==~~~~==~~~---, 0- /4] ..____._~______, 100 BO 60 40 20 o 20 40 eo 100 MALE FEMALE OCCUPATION § CUl.TIVATION BLACKSMITH • TRADE 0 [] CArnE GRAZING SERVICE f_--J INDEBTEDNESS BY INCOME GROUPS II INCOME GROUPS 'A Ll G~OUPS ~r-T""'T""::r-r~'_"'~-T"~~r-7~r7'~""'T""::'_'" RS'41_60~ ~S. 6\ _ B 0 ~S. 81 _ 100 AS. 10\ + o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 PER CENT HOUSEHOL.DS IN DEBT INDEBTEDNESS BY CAUSES HOUSE CONSTRUCTIONS ETC. ., HOUSEHOLD MARRIAGES CULTIVATION ECONOMY 23 Blacksmith 2. Chatai: It is a mat prepared from paddy There is only one blacksmith in the village. straw tied with a string. He is Lohar by caste and has migrated from 3. Jal: The fishing net made of thread. Nepal 18 years ago. He manufactures scythe, sickle and small agricultural' implements besides 4. Gllndri: It is a mat prepared from the repairing and maintaining the major agricultural stem of the gond grass. lffiplements of the cultivators. He gets 15 to 5. Kandia: A basket made of cane, 20 seers of paddy per plough per year. He serves the cultivators of this village only._ 6. Tokri: A basket made of rangai cane. Lumbering 7. Dalia: A basket made of seenk grass. The Tharus also work as lumbermen in the 8. Khatia: Cot made of wood and woven forest casually. Only the able-bodied can do with string. this strenuous ·work. VVhen they are spare, Gondi : A mattress made of gundi grass. they are engagrd by the forest contractors who pay them between Rs.1.25 P. to Rs.1.50 P. per 10. Ban: Moonj string used for inter-weaving day according to the work. a cot. Household Industries 11. Machia: An armless small cot-like chair. The following articles are prepared by the 12. Pankha: A fan made of bendu or marur . fharu households for domestic use and not for phali grass. sale: Non-workers 1. Chhatri: An umbrella prepared from the leaves of the maorayan plant. First of all, Out of 492 persons in the village, only 277 small pieces of bamboo are interwoven without persons, 153 males and 124 females, are workers string; then leaves of the maomyan plant are and the remaining 215 persons, 100 males and spread over it. ,Then a web of ban has grass 115 females, are non-workers. Thus 44 per cent string is knit on it. An are tied together with ivy of the population was found dependent upon 56 of a creeper locally called bail. The reqmsIte per cent of the population. The following table raw material is available free of cost from the shows the non-workers by sex, broad age groups forest. and nature of activity: TABLE No. 3.8 Non-workers by Sex, Broad Age Groups and Nature of Activity ------~--- Total Full-time Persons Dependents, in- Retired Non-workers Students engaged in rants and child- persons household ren not going to Age Group duties schools and ~er- sons permanently disabled .-____J.. ____--. .-__ J..-----., .-__J.. __--. .--A__ • .-__J.. __ -""\ P M F M F M F M F M F All ages 215 100 115 4 3 12 93 90 3 10 0-14 190 96 94 4 3 92 91 15-34 7 7 7 35-59 5 5 5 60 and over 13 4 9 -4"'-' 9 ---'------.~-.,--- %4 BANKATI Thus 85 per cent of the non-workers consist of Evidently the main causes of debt are marriages dependents, infants and children not attending (41.11 per cent) and household cultivation school and persons permanently disabled. Only (39.32 per cent). 12 females are exclusively engaged in domestic duties. Income A little difficulty was experienced in finding Indebtedness out the income of the households. True to The following table shows the extent of indebt human tendency everywhere, the villagers were edness in the village at the time of Survey : a bit reluctant to disclose the household income correctly. The income of the households as TARLE No. 3.9 returned at the time of Survey is shown in the Indebtedness by Income-groups following table: Total Number Percentage Average TABLE No. 3.11 number of of indebted of house-, house- ness per Distribution of Households by Occupation and house- holds holds house holds in debt in debt hold in Number of Members debt Number Households by Monthly Total 1ls.40 and below of Income number Occupation House r- ""' of Rs.41 to 60 .. 8 3 37.50 200.00 holds Rs. Rs. Rs. Rs. members Rs.61 to 80 .. 6 3 50.00 320.00 25-50 51-75 76-100 101 in Rs.81 to 100 •• 11 11 100.00 517.27 and house over holds Rs.IOl and above 24 15 62.50 701.20 1. Cultivation 32 2 11 19 427 As is seen from the above figures, all the 11 households in the income-group Rs.81 to 100 2. Agricultural 4 4 ~5 Labour are in debt, the average indebtedness per house hold being Rs.517. 27 P. Another feature of 3. Trade 1 1 20 indebtedness figures is that the average (Subsidiary) indebtedness per household in debt increases with the rise in the level of the income-group. 4. Industry 1 1 3 The following table shows the indebtedness 5. by causes: Service 12 3 4 5 37 'The highest income in this village is from TABLE No. 3.10 cultivation followed by service and trade. More Indebtedness by Causes than 50 per cent of the households fall within the income-group Rs.IOO and over. The house Percent ge Amount Number of debt due hold having the highest income (Rs.500 per cause of debt of to the total (Rs.) families amount of debt month) is that of Thakur Puttu Singh who in debt follows more than one occupation. Amongst 1. House construc- 35 1 0.23 the Government servants, the Forest Range tion or repairs Officer gets a salary of Rs.250 per month and is 2. Marriages .. 6,170 15 41.11 the highest paid man. 3. Funerals 590 4 4.00 4. For clearing 500 1 3.38 Expenditure standing debts For determining the expenditure pattern, the 5. Sickness 425 4 2.47 budgtt5 of all the households of the viIJage were 6. OrdinarY wants 1,425 7 9.49 studied. People in general have a tendency to 7. Household 5,860 20 39.32 cultivation exaggerate their expenditure. The budget of ECONOMY 25 the following three households which are of a years he has repaid a debt of Rs.200. At pre repres<;ntative character are discussed below: sent the household is in debt of Rs.500, Rs.360 having been borrowed for the purchase of a pair 1. A cultivator named Labra, with an income of bullocks and Rs.140 for marriage. The budget of about Rs.300 per month, who is also the is otherwise a balanced one. bhalamanus of the village. 2. A cultivator named Dehrha with an The household of Dehrha consists of 6 income of about Rs.IOO per month. members including his wife, brother, brother's wife, brother's son and mother. Dehrha is 3. An agricultural labourer named GarilYa aged about 25 years and bis wife about 28 years. with a monthly income of about Rs.60 per month. Except the brother's son who is one year old, everyone works on the 10 acres of land under The household of Labra aged 41 years con cultivation, thereby earning about Rs.lOO per sisted of 22 members at the time of survey. His 3 brothers Sagra, Bal Krishan and Hari Kishan month. live with him jointly with their families. Out The expenditure pattern of the household was of the 22 members, 10 persons are below 12 years; reported to be as follows : his widowed mother is more than 70 years. Thus 50 per cent of the members are dependents. Items Expenditure He has 16 acres of land under cultivation. (Rs.) His expenditure was reported to be as follows: 1. Cereals and pulses 45.50 2. Rape-Seed oil 4.00 Items Expenditure (Rs.) 3. Daru 1.50 1. Cereals and pulses 182.00 4. Other food items 8.50 2. Rape-seed oil 8.00 5. Kerosene oil 0.62 3. Other food items 22.37 6. Clothing and footwear 10.00 7. Other items 10.00 4. Kerosene oil 1.50 Total 80.12 5. Clothing and footwear 28.00 6. Daru 12.00 The expenditure on food items is about 75 per cent of the total expenditure. There is no ex 7. Religious ceremonies 20.00 penditure on milk as it is available from the she-buffalo in the house. Similarly, fish and Total 273.87 fuel are available free of cost. Hence the expen diture on these items has been induded neither The expenditure on food items was about 77 on the income side nor on the expenditure side. per cent of the total expenditure. There is no The budget is a surplus one but this year due expenditure on education. Milk is not pur to illness of family members and the marriage of chased. Meat and fish are consumed almost his sister, he had to take a loan of Rs.250. Out daily but these too are not to be prQcured on of this he spent Rs.lOO on marriage, Rs.50 on payment of cost. Hence these items have not sickness and Rs.I00 on the purchase of a buffalo. been included either on the income or the ex Thus the household is in debt at present. penditure side. The expenses on daru and on religious observances are unavoidable. He has Gariba, aged 38 years is an agricultural labour paid Rs.3 to the bharra. During the last ten er and earns Rs.50 per month as wages. He has 26 llANKATI no land under cultivation. He has three The expenditure on food items is about 80 members in his family, viz., his wife aged 38 years per cent of the total expenditure. There is no and his son aged 20 years besides himself. All expenditure on milk and ghee as these articles of them work as agricultural labourers. His are not used in the household. Fish and fuel wife works only casually. The expenditure are available free of cost. The household is not pattern of the household was reported to be as in debt and this budget is a surplus one. follows: The aforesaid study of the budgets leads to Items Expenditure (Rupees) the following obvious conclusions: 1. Cereals and pulses .. 33.50 (1) The percentage of expenditure on food 2. Rape-seed oil 0.50 items is high which indicates low per capita 3. income and lower standard of living. Other food items 5.44 4. Kerosene oil 1.50 (2) No amount is usually spent on fuel, fish, meat, chicken, vegetables and construction and 5. Clothing and footwear 6.00 maintenance of houses. 6. Daru 1.50 (3) Every Tharu spends some amount on 1. Other items 2.00 dam. Total 50.44 --- (4) Incidence of debt is quite high. CHAPTER IV SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIFE Brief Review of PopulatIOn has gone down. The vaccinator comes to the village from Palia once a year. At the time of Survey the total population of this village was 492 persons with 253 males Medical Aid and 239 females. The population at the time of 1951 Census was 362 persons with 188 males Dispensaries are situated at villages Palia and and 174 females. Thus during a period of 10 Dmlhwa at a distance of 16 miles and 18 miles years there was an increase of about 36 per cent respectively from this village and hence in the population of this village. the patients go there for medical aid only in rare cases. The officials of the Forest Department Density of population sometimes get themselves treated in the dispen sary of Forest Department at Dudhwa. One The area of the village is about 1.1 sq. miles Thakur Puttu Singh keeps a stock of medicines. and hence the densitY' of population comes to He is not a qualified physician but works as a 446 ·persons per square mile. doctor and a chemist both, prescribing medicines for administering injections to the patients and Sex-ratio also selling medicines at exhorbitant prices. At the time of Survey the village had 253 males It is a common belief among the Tharus that and 239 females, thereby giving a sex ratio of disease and illness come upon them on account 944 as against 926, the sex ratio at the time of of the wrath of gods and goddesses which should 1951 Census. The little disparity is explained be suitably propitiated for securing a relief. by the fact that some employees of the Forest Whenever a Tharu falls ill, Baura Tharu is Department do nor keep their families with called in from village Saunahan of Dudhwa them. The Tharu population has 212 males Forest Range, which is about 8 miles away from and 214 females, thereby showing a balance in this village. He is locally known as bharra and tht! number of the two sexes. cures a patient through his magical art. He feels the pulse of the patient and comes to know of Births and Deaths the evil spirit or deity which is responsible for the disease. He takes a handful each of wheat Since it is not a revenue village, no Gaon and rice in a thali (brass plate) and throws the Sabha has been constituted in it under grain in pairs in all the directions, chanting the U. P. Panchayat Raj Act and hence no some mantras in low and unintelligible tone - birth and death records have been maintained. perhaps invoking his favourite deities. Ordi During the period of 12 months preceding August narily the patient is cured through this device 1, 1961 there had been 20 births and 11 deaths but if the disease persists, Thakur Puttu Singh in the village. There has been no case of small is consulted for diagnosis and treatment. It is pox 'for the last 25 years and of cholera for the only rarely that the patient is taken to the last 30 years. Malaria and fever are the general hospitals at Palia and Dhudhwa for treatment. causes of death. D. D. T. is sprayed in the In December 1962, Maharaj ThartL contacted village twice a year by the Anti-malaria staff pneumonia. He was treated by the bharra for as a result of which the incidence of malaria some time but his condition worsened and hence 28 BANKATI Thakur Puttu Singh was consulted. The patient TABLE No, 4.1 got some relief after medicines, including injec tions, had been administered to him. Population by Age Groups The bharra is invariably a Tharu by caste. Total Population Aae groups r- .A. ---. He knows the art of propitiating the deities or (Years) Persons Males Females controlling the evil spirits because he is supposed All ages 492 253 239 to have acquired such power through concen 0-4 93 43 SO trated prayers and worship. The post of the 5-9 80 43 37 bharra is not hereditary nor is it restricted to a 10-14 54 2S 19 particular family. One who acquires the power 15-19 31 15 16 of controlling the evil spirits and propitiating 20-24 40 24 16 the deities on the one hand and gains the con 25-29 51 25 26 fidence of the Tharus on the other hand can 30-34 30 17 13 become a bharra. Formerly. Mullahay Tharu 35-39 21 11 10 25 12 13 resident of village Chhidya served the community 40-44 45-49 18 13 5 in this capacity for 3 years but he was dethroned SO-54 11 i 3 because people lost faith in him. He was suc 55-59 13 3 10 ceeded by Baura Tharu in 1958. He 5erves 60 and over 25 14 11 Tharus in 8 villages. He is given 30 seers of Thus 227 persons or 46 per cent of the total paddy per plough every year in lieu of the population belong to the age group 0-14 years, services rendered by him to his jajmans (clients). and 49 persons or 10 per cent belong to the age Whenever he visits a patient for treatment, he group 50 years and above. The proportion of is also served with meal and dam. The bharra population in the age group 0-14 years is more does not act as a priest nor does he play any than tiwce that in the age group 50 years and significant role in the economic and political over and hence the population of the village is life of the village by virtue of his office as a progressive just like the population of the witch-doctor. The non-Tharus do not consult whole State. him. Maternity cases are ordinarily conducted by the Marital Status old and experienced Tharu females. They have not received any training for this work but have The following table shows the marital status gained adequate experience. Complicated cases of the population by age groups are referred to the wife of Marra Tharu, who is TABLE No. 4.2 considered to be an expert midwife even though she has received no formal training for the Marital Status by Age Groups job. Even complicated cases are handled success fully by these women. They attend the non Age groups Never Married Widowed Divorced of Tharu females too. The woman who acts as (Years) married Separated midwife is given 60 seers of paddy in case of a ,....~ ~ ,-~ ~ M F M F M F M F male issue and 40 seers of paddy in case of a All ages 109 105 132 117 11 17 1 female issue, in addition to meals, even when 0-4 42 49 1 1 she belongs to the same household. 5-9 39 36 4 1 10-14 17 20 8 9 Population by Age Groups 15-19 7 8 16 The following table gives a break-down of the 20-24 3 21 16 25-29 22 24 population of this village according to age 3 2 30-34 17 13 groups: 35-39 11 9 1 • o 111 u o a: 00 o o > II) o VI ~ lJJ _J (/) o ct a. .. ~ IDlJI ;:) LlJ o U. o o III I a: o 0 ~ '" 0 ~Io i .... ~ a: !t I w 111 ~ o Q. ~ " I o aI I x I UJ en > In o U) ::> o " ~ o IJ) ~ 1"1 LlJ V') a o _J w '" ~ a: ....J ~ a: o ~ ~ In 0 ~ o 0 cc a: .. llJ > « ILl ~( R cc UJ Z o a. ID o o '" Ir:- _ --.... _, ,- .. , EDUCATION' / / / / FE M A.L E i MALE MATRICULATE PRIMARY OR BASIC LITERATE WITHOUT ' EDUCATIONAL 1 STANDARD 5 16 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL UFE 29 Agc-gfoupl Never M.uried Widowed Divorced or The above figures indicate that 92.~6 per <:ent (Vears) married Separated r-'---. r-'---. ,-.....__, ,....-A--. of the males were married before they had M F M F M F M F attained the age of 18 years and 85.8 per cent 40-44 11 13 1 of the females were married before reaching the 45-49 11 3 2 2 age of H years. Among the Tharus, out of 128 SO-54 5 1 3 2 ever-married males, only two were marrjed on 55-59 2 9 attaining the age of 18 years. Similarly, out of 60 and over 11 2 3 9 lhe 121 ever-married Tharu females, only 11 Out of 492 persons, 214 persons or 43.5 per female~ were married on attaining the age of cent were never-married. 249 persons or 50.6 14 years or after. per cent were married, 28 persons or 5.7 per cent were widowed and one person only was divorced. M05t of the Tharu males and females were married at the age of 2-8 years. After the Out of the never-married persons, 203 persom or enfon.ement of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, 95 per cent belonged to the age-group 0-14 years. seven Tharu males and six Tharu females were married. Out of them two males were married Age at Marriage before reaching the age of 18 years and three females were married before reaching 14 years. Thefol1owing table shows the age at marriage People in general are not aware of the provi of all the ever-married persons: sions of law nor do they care to know about it so long as the penal provisions remain un TABLE No. 4.3 extended to them in actual practice. Age at Marriage Age at Frequency amongst Size and Composition of Households Marriage ,..-.------"------, (Years) Tharus Whole Population ,--...... _--, r------'------, The following table indicates the size and com· M F M F P position of the households in the village: 2 3 3 13 3 13 16 TABLE No. 4.4 4 3 51 8 51 59 5 4 26 4 26 30 Size and Composition of Households 6 94 16 94 16 106 8 4 1 4 1 5 Number Population 9 1 1 Size of Households of r--_.A. __--, 12 2 2 4 6 Households Males Females 13 1 2 3 14 3 4 3 7 10 IS 2 4 2 4 6 Single member 5 5 16 3 4 1 5 17 3 1 4 2 6 2-3 members 9 15 10 18 2 4 2 6 19 2 3 20 1 4-6 members 9 23 24 21 2 2 22 2 2 7-9 members 6 2S 24 23 2 2 24 10 members and above 20 185 181 25 1 1 30 2 2 The highest number of households. mostly of Tota' 128 121 144 134 278 Tharus, has 10 members and above. The average 30 BANKATI family consists of 10 members. The Tharus have Not a single Tharu has received any educa an unshakeable faith in the virtues of a joint tion. Most of the literate persons are not resi family system. Partition in the family takes dents of this village. place rarely. The following households-all Educational Institutions Tharmi-have the largest number of persons: Number There is only a Lower Primary School in the Name of Head of village established in 1954 by' the Antarim Zila Members of Household Parish ad. It is located in a hut in the mango 1. Sachcha 39 grove outside the village. In December, 1962 it had one teacher, a non-Tharu, and 35 students, 2. Lalu 29 all boys belonging to this village. Out of these, 25 3. Bhuka 28 students were Tharus and the remaining 7 4. Latlha 23 belonged to non-Tharus, who were sons of the 5. Lallra 22 employees of the Forest Department. Recently the Tharu caste panchayat decided that a Tharu 6. Shiva Charan 20 who will not send his son to the school will have 7. Chanta 19 to pay fine to be imposed by the panchayat. 8. Bikram 18 16 Family Structure 9. Labra 10. Chutka 16 Family plays an important role in the socio economic life of the Indian village. It is a domi 11. Ram Bux 16 nant force of social control. economic progress Literacy and Education and ritual performance. By tradition a joint The following table indicates literacy aJ'ld family system has been prevalent in the Indian education castewise ; society. As mentioned earlier, the Tharus have extraordinarily big families. TABLE No. 4.5 Litel ... cy by Caste and Sex In this village. out of 49 households, 17 house holds (35 per cent) were simple, consisting of 0:1 0:1 .5 .... .c a husband, wife and unmarried children, 4 .E' E eo to 0:1 »0:1 -0:1 households (8 per cent) were intermediate con .c ~ i 0:1 ... ~III ::.4'" ::g ~ ::.4 ~ sisting of a married couple, unmarried brothers r-"\ ..--.. ,--, r-'""\ r--. ~ MF M FMFMFM FMF and sisters and one of the parents, while 27 households (55 per cent) were joint, consisting Literate without 1. 2 1 1 .. .. 4 4 standard of a married couple with married son(s)/ daughter(s) or with married brothers/sisters. Primary standard 3 2 6 1 One household consists of the husband only. Middle School 2 .. 3 .. Out of the 34 Tharu households, 25 households Higl) School 1 2 are joint. There is no instance of separation of the son and his family from the main family Intermediate .. 1 during the lifetime of the parents. Only 21 persons, 16 males and 5 females, are literate or educated. Thus only 4.2 per cent The relations within the family are generally population is literate. A clerk of the Forest Range cordial. In a Tharu household, the word of the Office has passed the Intermediate Examination; head of household is final. It is he who makes the the Ranger and a Forest Guard have passed the division of work among the family members and High School Examination. The three persons allots work to each according to his indi who have passed the Middle School Examina vidual capacity. The work of cultivation i. tion are also employees of the Forest Department. allotted to the strongest and the lighter job of ~e c:-.t ~ 'T \) 0 E Z ~ ....f; worshipped nor do women keep a fast on woven after sunset, the common belief being this day~ Coloured water is thrown by that one who does so will beget a one-eyed villagers on each other the next day. They also daughter. smear each other's faces with gulal (powdered _ The Tharus consider sickness to be due to the colour) and embrace each other with affection. curse of some deity and in order to cure the The Tharus drink in plenty on the occasion. patient an offering of dant is made to the deity. They dance and sing, sometimes obscene and Animal sacrifices are also made in serious cases. lewd songs, water, mud and filth are also thrown Sun, moon, cow, serpent and the peepal tree are by some people. The celebrations continue for also held in veneration. They believe .in bhoots 8 days, culminating on this gay day of colour (evil spirits). throwing, merry-making and laughter all round. Special dishe-; are prepared in all the households. Fillage Organisation The Hindus, other than Tharus, living in this The village organisation is an integrated whole village celebrate all the Hindu festivals observed and no tension is visible. All the Tharus in this by other Hindus in the plains, the main festivals village belong to the same sub-caste. They are being Basant P:mchami, Holi, Janam Ashtami, not quarrelsome by nature. Disputes are Dasehra and Diwali. None of them has started referred to the pradhan for decision and if he celebrating the festivals observed by the Tharus. cannot decide to the Bhai Balldi Panchayat of Similarly, the limited number of Moha Tharus or ultimately to the Tharu Association, mmedans . living in this village perform the usual but no matter is referred to the police or the Mllslim festivals such as Idul Fitar, Id-uz-Zuha, courts. They mix freely with each other, smoke Mohanum, etc. the same hookah, eat together, drink together and observe all the community festivals together Beliefs and Superstitions without any reservation. They share the joys and SOlTOWS of each other. In one form or the other, beliefs and supers titions are so mingled in the life of our country In{C'J'-caste Relationship men that not to say of the uneducated even the Residents of the village are interdependent in educated persons are firm believers thereof. The the village economy. The pivot of actiyity in Tharus, too, have their own beliefs and supersti tions. this village is Thakur Puttu Singh. He is resi. dent of district Sitapur and was once pmted as 'While starting on a journey it is considered Forester in this village. He resigned and inauspicious if some one sneezes or a person with hecame forest contractor, a cultivator, a shop empty vessels is met or a cat crosses the way from keeper, a money-lender, General Secretary 'of left to right or a one-eyed person comes across. Tharu Association (even though he is not a Meeting a person with filled-up vessels or the Tharn). village doctor-cllm-chemist, village sight of a magpie 011 the right hand or the calf balTister and President of Bankati Congress suckling the cow or a washerman carrying dirty Committee. Everyone looks to him for guidance clothes for washing are considered auspicious. and goes to him for advite. He is in fact the It is an ill omen if someone inquires the desti friend, philosopher and guide of the village nation of the prospective traveller on the population. The employees of the Forest commencement of his journey. Similarly it is Department too keep a close contact with him. considered inauspicious if just after getting up There is no occasion for an inter-caste dissen from one's bed the first person whom one sees sion and hence the relations are quite cordial. happens to be one-eyed or squint; or if a lizard III ted/fun let Relationship falls on anyone. To ward off the evil effect of a lizard a bath has to be taken and some seedha The village has no hamlet. The villages in given in charity to a Brahmin. A cot is not the neighbourhood visited by the residents of BA.NUn this village arc Sarayya Pata at a distance of one holds. Ordinarily the meeting is held at the milc to the east of this village and Singhayya at residence of the pradhan and sometimes at the a distance of 2} miles to the west of this village; house of the complainant. Such meetings are all th('se villages have a predominant population generally called in the afternoon. Participants of Ra':1a Tharus. They visit each other at the sit together on mats spread on the ground with. time of caste panchayats, marriages, death and out any distinction of high or low. The hookah other occasions. Their relations with each goes round. The pradhan presides over the other are quite cordial. There has been no meeting. In the proceedings every adult male occasion for any rift or tension. Inter-village (females are not invited to these meetings) is free rivalry does not exist. Everyone in this area to discuss and express his views on the subjeCt lives in houses which can catch fire very easily but the opiniom of the elderly persons are and hence none can afford to have enmity with valued and respected more. After hearing the others. All the land belongs to the Forest parties and discussing the matter, the final deci Department and hence it is not a bone of conten sion i, announced by the pradhan. tion. Crime is almost unknown. The matters that come up for decisions before Organs of Democratic Decentralisation the panchayat are of the following nature There is no GaOlI Pa/lchayat as Nyaya Pan· (1) Abduction, rape and aduHery, chayat because the U. P. Panchayat Raj Act (2) Trespass by men or cattle in the has not been extended to this village. The ad. fields, ministration of the village is in the hands of the (3) Theft case~, Forest Department. (4) Other petty disputes, Tharus have a strong tribal organisation (5) Undue harassment by the Forest of their own for dealing with disputei within Derartment, and the community. Manna Tharu is the prrrrlhan of Tharu community within the (6) Matters concerning the welfare of Village. He is also responsible for collecting the the village community such as eradica tion of social evils and bad habits and limit land revenue from the cultivators in this village and depositing it in the Forest Office. For these ing expenditure on marriages and drinks. services he get5 a commission of 6-1 per cent. He In cases of abduction, rape and adultery the is assisted by two .bhalamanus (bhala, guilty person is ordered to give a feast with Hindi for good and manus, Hindi for man), liquor to the clansmen. In other cases the Sachcha Tharu and Labra Tharu, both of whom guilty is made to compensate for the loss caused pay rent at the rate of two annas per bigha to the complainant. Disputes among Tharus while others pay at the rate of four annas per are frequent but they are of a petty nature and bigha. The pradhall also supplies Tharu labour arc invariably settled by the caste panchayat. to the Forest Department and the local Tharus deriye benefits from the Forest Department Ram Lal Tharu began living with the widow through him. Thus the pradhan and the bhala of Ghamman Tharu as her husband with the con manus hold privileged position in the village com sellt of the panchayat. After some time they munity. Their posts are ordinarily hereditary quarrelled and Ram Lal deserted her. He was but are subject to the appro~al of the Divisional summoned by the panchayat, fined Rs.lO and Forest Officer. restored to his wife. Tharus do not take recourse to courts Similarly. Mela Ram Tharu gave a beating for settlement of their disputes. Whenever a dis· to the wife of his brother Ganga Ram over a pute is referred to the pradhan, a meeting of the petty dispute. Consequently, the two brothers pa/ldta)'llt is held by circulating a message quarrelled and separated. The panchayat through the c/zaukidar to heads of all the house- imposed a fine of Rs.5 on Mela Ram and ordered SOCIAL AXD CULTURAL UFE 33 the two brothers to get united again. They have initiative of Thakur Karan Singh of village beell.living jointly ever afterwards. jhandi, who was then the Member of Legislative Assembly from this locality. The aims and Cases which are not decided by the village objects of the Association are as follows : pancltayat, generally those involving two or more villages, are referred to the Bha; Bandi (Tribal) (1) Development of Tharu community pancltayat, which covers the following villages: socially, economically and politically. (1) Villages Kiratpur, Bangawan, Kajaria. (2) Decision of cases which could not be Singahiya. Bankati, Saraiyapata, Sunda and decided by the village panchayat or the Berihya;.. of Bankati Forest Range. Tharus Tribal pamhayat. and non-Tharus both live in villages Sunda. (3) Removal of the difficulties and Berihya and Bankati but in other villages enlightenment of Tharu community. only Rana Tharus live. (1) Safeguarding Tharus from harras (2) Villages Bhoora, Pipraula, Bajahi, ment by the officials of the Forest Depart Chhedia East. Chhedia West, Dhakia, ment. Najhola. Masan Khambhi, Deorahi. Jainagar, Saunaha, Bharari Dhyanpur and Surma of The first President of the Association was Dudhwa Forest Range - all inhabited by Thakur Puttu Singh of this village. The last Rana Tharus. elections took place on November 6, 1962. (3) Villages Gohraula, Purania, Mangal Thakur Karan Singh of village Jhandi was purwa, Chandan Chowki, Bichpalia, Ram elected as the President, Thakur Puttu Nagar (Chamrahiya), Beldari, Barera, Singh of this village as the General Pachperi, Barhata, Persia and Poyan of Secretary and his adopted son Ram Chandra Sonaripur Forest Range. Only village Singh as the Treasurer. The other office Bichpalia has a mixed population of both bearers and members arc all Tharus. The Tharus and mm-Tharus. headquarters is at Bankati. The Association has 411 members who reside in the villages of At preient Mulha pradhan resident of village Bankati, Dudhwa and Sonaripur Forest Ranges. Chhedia of Dudhwa Forest Range is the The term of the office-bearers is only one year. 3arpanch of the panchayat. Every village is represented by a panch. Whenever inter-village Sri Raja Ram, pradhan of village Persia, was dispuLes arise, this panchayat takes action for removed from his post as pradhan by the Forest settlement. It was reported that the wife of Range Officer. The Association has taken up Bansi Tharu of this village eloped with the son the matter with the Divisional Forest Officer. of the pradhan of village Pachperi. A panchayat Similarly, the pradhan of village Puraina was meeting was summoned. It was presided over removed by the Forest Rangt! Officer, Sonaripur. by the Sal panch and attended by the panchcs of The Association made a representation to the villages B;mkati and Pachperi. She refused to Divisional Forest Officer who cancelled the order return to her husband. The pradhan of Pach of removal. peri was, therefore, made to pay Rs.200 as com pensation to Bansi. The Association has also set up the National Another organisation of Tharus is the Tharu Defence Organisation and collection of funda Association which was founded in 1957 at the has been going on. CHAPTER V CONCLUSION Traditionally the Indian village enjoys the The U. P. Panchayat Raj Act has not been ex reputation of being static, dogmatically cling tended to this village and hence there is no Gaon ing to the old order. This applied with greater Sabha or a Nyaya Panchayat for them. The force to an isolated forest settlement like Tribal P1mchayat and the Tharu Association are Bankati which is situated near the border of the main agencies for settling their day-to-day dis Nepal. Outside influences are naturally slow putes. They have not had the facilities which to penetrate this far-off habitation and hence it are provided by the Planning and Development is expected that the life of this village is likely Department. There is no Co-operative Society to change only at a very slow pace. for charinelising their economic activities on mutual help basis. Some households have no doubt introduced improved types of ploughs and Tharus are a simple, honest and hard harrows for cultivation but the methods of cul working people with comparative immunity tivation have remained unchanged. The against the adverse effects of the malarial climate Japanese method of paddy cultivation is un of the area inhabited by them. They are known to them; they are totally ignorant of the uneducated and illiterate and the world of their Kharij and the Rabi Campaigns undertaken by knowledge and activity is generally confined to the Planning Department for raising agricultural their o>m village and a few villages more which production; chemical fertilizers are not used ha,'e to be casually visi~ed by them. They come by them and they stick to the traditional com in contact with people of Nepal where they go post manure; there is no seed store for supply quite often either for visiting fairs or meeting ing improved varieties of seed to them and other Rana Tharus. These contacts, however, hence they have to use whatever seed is available cannot bring about a change in their outlook to them locally. Under these conditions it on life and the way of their living. They can cannot be expected that they would advance on not seek employment outside because under the the economic front. That.is why most of these terms of settlement they are meant for provid households are in debt. ing labour in connection with the exploitation or improvement of the forest area. They can Perhaps the only facility provided to them is not sell their produce to anyone other than the the community listening radio-set. Being illi two dealers who hold a licence from the Forest terate, they cannot read newspaper. What Department. I t is not necessary that the prices ever they learn is either through the radio or offered by the two licencees should be profitable. by listening to what is being discussed by the Similarly, they cannot borrow money from any Forest officials or Thakur Puttu Singh or by the one other than these dealers who are also the village school master. They do not have any licensed money-lenders. Thakur Puttu Singh political consciousness. Even the three Assembly naturally holds a great influence on them and Parliament elections have not been able to because in times of need they look up to him bring about any political a'wakening among as friend, philosopher and guide. The sphere of them, obviously because they are uneducated. their activities is also restricted by the attitude of Only last year they seem to have realised the the local officials of the Forest Department. It virtues of education because their Tribal is only these officials and Thakur Puttu Singh panchayat has passed a resolution that anyone who influence the life of these people in various who does not send to school his children of ways. school-going age would be severely dealt with. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIFE 37 As a lesult of this decision the number of Tharu death customs and the marriage customs have children going to the village school has increased registered almost no change with the passage . abruJ:ltly. of time. In the social and religious spheres Tharus Tharus are content with their lot, probab have not changed much. An indication of their ly because they are not aware of something better conservative attitude is evident from the fact or because they feel that there is no way out. that the wives still treat themselves superior to They get their necessities of life, and for the their husbands who are generally henpecked and comforts and luxuries provided by modem docile, submitting meekly to the will of their civilization they have n6 ambition. Perhaps the wives, following the old tradition according to Tharu Association of which the presid~nt and which these womenfolk were the wives of the secretary are non-Tharus might in course of Rajput warriors and the menfolk were their time do something substantial for the emancipa palanquin-bearers. The birth customs, the tion of these people. TABLES TABLE I Area, Houses and Population Area in , ______Population__..J>.. ______~ r---_,.A------, -Acres Hectares Density Number of Number of Persons Males Females Houses Households 706 245 4461 86 49 492 253 239 Persons Per sq. mile TABLE n Population by Age Groups Total of all ages1 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-44 45-59 60 & over r------.-..A...------. ,---"--.. r-"--. ,---"--.. ~ ,..A...-, ,...... , ...... ,---"--""""\ ,---"--, ,---"--, Persons Males Females M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F 492 253 239 43 50 43 37 25 29 15 16 24 16 25 26 17 13 23 23 24 18 14 11 TABLE III Size and Composition of Households Size of Households Total no. of r- .A.. , Households Single member 2-3 members 4-6 members 7-9 members 10 members & over ,.... ___.A-_----v- ____..J>.._~-- ...... ,_--.A..____v_--.A.-__...., House- Males Fe- House- Males Fe- House- Males Fe- House- Males Fe- House- Males Fe- holds males holds males holds males holds males holds males 19 5 5 9 15 10 9 23 24 6 25 24 20 185 181 TABLES 39 TABLE IV Caste and Nature of Families Total Caste N umber Simple Inter- Joint Others of House- mediate holds Ahir 1 Brahmin 2 2 Kayastha Lahar ., Mali 1 Mehtar 1 Pasi Pathan Sheikh 2 Saiyad Thakur 3 2 1 Tharu 34 6 3 25 N. B.-Simple family consists of married cOuple and unmarried children. lntermdiate f.tmily consist~ of married couple and u.lmarried brothers, ~isters Or one of the parents. Joint familY consists of;Farried couple living or with married children or married brothers. Others refers to single ;m:mbers or u'1married brothers and sisters or one parent living with unmarried sons or daughters. TABLE V Households da,osified by Religions, Castes and Sub-castes Population r-______.A. .___ ~ Religion Caste Sub-caste P.:rsons Males Females Number of House holds Hindu Brahmin Tewari 5 3 2 1 Chaubey 2 2 Kshatriya Ahban 23 13 10 2 Rawat Ahir Gowal 1 1 Mali 1 1 Tharu Rana 426 212 214 34 Lohar 3 2 Pasi 6 4 2 Mehtar Balmiki 6 3 3 Kayastha lauhri 2 1 Muslim Sunni Saiyad 1 Pathan " 3 2 1 1 Sheikh 12 7 S 2 .0 BANUTI TABLE VI Age and Marital Status Total Population Never married Married Widowed Divorced or separated -"-____ --. r-___.A. ____ --. r-__.A. Age Groul')S r------"'------. r------"---""", r--- --""'\ Persons Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females All ages 492 253 239 109 105 132 117 11 17 0-4 93 43 50 42 49 1 5-9 80 43 37 39 36 4 10-14 54 25 29 17 20 8 9 15-19 31 15 16 7 8 16 20-24 40 24 16 3 21 16 25-29 51 25 26 22 24 :3 2 30-34 30 17 13 17 13 35-39 21 11 10 11 9 40-44 25 t2 13 11 13 45-49 18 13 5 11 3 2 2 SO-54 11 8 3 5 1 3 2 55-59 13 3 10 2 9 60 and over 25 14 11 11 2 3 9 TABLE VII Education Total Population Illiterate Literate without Primary Matric or Intermediate ~ucational or Basic High School Age Standarc. Group r--___ ~..A.. __--. r---.A.---.., r--- - - ..A.. __- ., r----..A..- - .. r----..A..---. ,.--- _..... _---.., P M F P M F P M F P M F P M F P M F ~1l ages 492 253 239 471 237 234 8 4 4 7 6 5 5 1 0_4 93 43 50 93 43 50 5--9 80 43 37 75 40 35 4 2 2 10-14 54 25 29 53 24 29 15-19 31 15 16 40 14 16 20-24 40 24 16 38 23 15 1 1 . ., 25-29 51 25 26 47 22 25 2 1 2 2 30-34 30 17 13 29 16 13 1 35-39 21 ! 1 10 18 9 9 1 40-44 25 12 13 25 12 13 45-49 18 13 5 15 10 5 3 3 50-54 11 8 3 11 8 3 55-59 13 3 10 12 2 10 60 and 2S 14 11 15 14 11 over. TABUS 41 TABLE VIn Workers and Non-workers by Sex and Broad Age Groups Total Population Workers Non-workers Age Groups r------...-"--- _4__ _ , r--"'-~-"- .. ..A... ___ .. ~ ... _. ___ --.') ,...-,_ .. __._1'___...."A._ ...... _ .. _._. _ _..... Persons Males Females Persons Males Females Persons Males Females All ages 492 253 239 277 153 124 215 100 115 0-.14 227 111 116 37 15 22 190 96 94 15-34 152 81 71 145 81 64 7 7 35-59 88 47 41 83 47 36 5 5 60 and over 25 14 11 12 10 2 13 4 9 TABLE IX Workers classified by Sex, Broad Age Groups and Occupation Age Cultivation Agriculture Service Trade Blacksmith Cattle grazin3 Groups labour r- __.A. __ • ,----.A...-_--. r--__..A...-----1- .. ---., r-- _.A.__ .--. r-_._..A._._--. r- --.. -"----"'"""'" p M F P M F P M F P M F P M F P M F AU ages 240 121 119 15 11 4 11 10 2 2 8 8 0--14 33 11 22 2 2 2 2 15-34 129 67 62 7 6 6 5 2 2 35-59 68 35 33 6 3 3 5 5 2 2 60 and 10 8 2 2 2 over TABLE X Households by Number of Rooms and by Number of Persons occupJing Total Total Total Households Households Households Households Households Households Househo!ds number of number number of with no with one with two with three with four with five with five households of rooms family regular room rooms rooms rooms rooms rooms and members room more r--. ..A..~ ••-. ,.---••..A.._...... ,.---._.A.._<-, r-- . ..A.._~ •• r--•...A...~.--. ,.---...A.._-, ,-_._.A._-.. Num· Num- Num- Num- Num- Num- Num· Num- Num- Num· Num- Num- Num- Num- ber ber ber ber ber ber ber ber ber ber ber ber ber ber of of of of of of of of of of of of of of house· fa- house- fa- house- fa- house· fa- house- fa· house- fa- house- fai holds mily holds mily holds rnily holds mily holds mily holds mily holds mly memo memo memo mem- mem- memo memo bers bers bers bers bers bers bers 136 492 2 9 IS 50 10 68 7 66 7 107 4 92 4 108 42 BANKA"tI TABLE XI Livestock Milch,attle .A.. ______Fowl .A.. ___"""'\ Draught bull Goatsr-__ and sheep Pig Duck and geese r ___ .A.. _ _ .. ~ r- _.. __ J... __~ r-__ r-_.. _ .. A __~ r-__.A.._-., Caste Numb~r Total Number Total Number Total Number Total Numb~r Total Number Tot~1 of no. of no. of no. of no. of no. of no. house- house house- house- house- house holds holds holds holds holds holds owning owning owning owning owning owning Brahmin Kayastha 15 Mehtar 3 Pas; 2 Pathan 3 Sheikh 2 2 Saiyad Thakur 3 6 3 Tharu 34 160 34 252 20 146 10 2S 31 342 Dry cows Dry buffaloes r--___Horse..A. ____ --. r-----..A. ____ --. ,..-___-A. ___ • Caste Number of Total Number of Total Number of Total household no. household no. household no. owning owning owning Brahmin Kayastha Mehtar Pasi 4 Pathan Sheikh Saiyad Thakur Tharus 34 166 32 706 TABLE XII Agricultural Produce of Culthation run by the Houselwlds and its Disposal (In Mds.) Name of products Paddy Wheat Maize. Pulses Barley Vegetables Fodd~r Oil-seeds Jowar, Hajra (I) Annual quantity produc~d 5,270 4S.45 90.25 21S.50 19.45 337.00 4,490.00 215.00 (2) Total annual quantity consumed 2,214 41.12 90.25 21S.50 19.45 337.00 4,490.06 IS5.00 hy the producing households. (3) Total annual quantity available 3,056 7.33 30.00 for slle. TABLES 43 TABLE XIII Indebtedness by Income Groups Indebtedness by Income Groups ,--______-~ ____-"'!.A..- ____------"'--l Income Groups Total number of N umber of Per<.entage of Average indebted- (RupeeS) households households in debt col. 3 to 2 nes~ per household in debt 20 and below 21-30 31-40 41-60 8 3 37.50 200.00 61-80 6 3 50.00 320.00 81-100 11 11 100.00 517.27 101 and above 24 IS 62.S0 701.20 TABLE XIV Indebtednesj by Causes Indebtedness by Cause of Debt r-~~-- __~ __~ __._..A.. ______, PerCentage of debt Cause Amount of debt Number of families due to the total in debt amount of debt Rs. (a) Purchase of land .. (b) House construction or repairs to existing building .. 35 0.23 (c) Marriages 6,170 15 41.11 (d) Funerals 590 4 4.00 (e) To give dowry (f) To clear outstanding debts 500 3.38 (g) Sickness 425 4 2.47 (h) Ordinary wants .. 1,425 7 9.49 (j) Household cultivation 5,860 20 39.32 (j) Industry run by the household (k) Business run by the household LIST OF VILLAGES SELEOTED FOR SOCIo-EcoNOMIC SURVEY District Tahsil Village 1. Uttarkashi Dunda Birpur 2. Pithoragarh Munsiari Ghorpatta Malla Darkot 3. Pilibhit Bisalpur Daulatpur Hira 4. Garhwal Pauri Thapli 5. Almora Ranikhet Bijepur 6. Bijnor Bijnor Rafiulnagar urf Raoli Mughalpura 7; Budaun Bisuali Mirzapur Behta Budaun Kachla Pukhta 8. Bareilly Nawabganj Adhkata Rabbani Begam Barkhan 9. Dehra Dun Chakrata Dhaura Chapnu Sarari 10. Saharanpur Deoband Sadharansar Bilaspur 11. Aligarh Atrauli Barauli 12. Mathura Sadabad Nagla Beru 13. Agra Kheragarh Bed Chahar Etmadpur Chawli Bah Pidhaura 14. Etah Jalesar Baghai IS. Etawah Etawah Udi Auraiya Ayana 16. Kanpur Kanpur Ishuriganj 17. Allahabad Soraon Sarai Kesho urf Bagi Kalyanpur Phulpur Bhadkar Uparhar 18. Hamirpur Rath Qasba Khera 45 LIST OF VILLAGES District Tahsil Village 19. Banda Naraini Akbarpur 20. Kheri Nighasan Belapursua Bankati Lodhauri Rakehti 21. Sitapur Biswan Kanduni 22. Gonda Balrampur Suganagar Domri Rajderwa Tharu 23. Bara Banki Nawabganj Gadia Dadra 24. Sultanpur Sultanpur Barasin 25. Azamgarh Phulpur SumbaDih Surhan Ghosi Pakri Buzurg 26. Ghazipur Ghazipur Para 27. Varanasi Varanasi Lohta Mehndiganj 28. Mirzapur Robertsganj Mitapur Gjdhia Parsoi PSUP-A. P.-10 Census. 1965. 850. (M).