The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Part 26

_Bad_.--(Banyan tree.) A section of Joshi.

_Badaria_.--(From _badar_, cloud.) A section of Kandera.

_Badgainya_.--(From Badgaon (_bara gaon_), a large village.) A surname of Sarwaria Brahmans. A section of Basdewa, Gadaria and Kurmi.

_Badgujar_.--(From _bada_, great.) One of the thirty-six royal races of Rajputs. A subcaste of Gujar, also of Gaur Brahman. A section of Mehtar.

_Badhaiya_.--(Barhai, carpenter.) A subcaste of Lohar and Kol. A sept of Savar.

_Badharia_.--A resident of Badhas in Mirzapur. Subcaste of Bahna and Dhuri.

_Badi_.--(A rope-walker.) Synonym of Nat.

_Badkur_.--t.i.tle used in the Dhobi caste.

_Badwaik_.--(The great ones.) A subcaste of Mana. A t.i.tle of Dhobi and Pan or Ganda.

_Bagaria_.--(A young buffalo.) A sept of Dhanwar and Sonkar.

_Bagh_, _Baghwa_.--(Tiger.) A totemistic sept of Ahir, Bhatra, Kawar, Munda, Oraon, Sonkar, Teli and Turi.

_Baghel_, _Baghela_.--(A tiger or tiger-cub.) A clan of Rajputs which has given its name to Baghelkhand. A subcaste of Audhia Sunar and Chamar. A section of Bhilala, Dhanwar, Gond, Lodhi, Mali, and Panwar Rajput.

_Baghmar_, _Baghmarya_, _Bagmar_.--(A tiger-slayer.) A section of Oswal Bania, Basor, Chamar, Dhimar, Koilabhuti Gond, and Teli. A subsept of Nika Gonds in Betul, who abstain from killing tigers.

_Bagri_.--A clan of Rajputs. A subcaste of Jat. One of the 72 1/2 sections of Maheshri Banias. People belonging to the Badhak or Bawaria, and Pardhi castes are sometimes known by this name.

_Bahargainyan_.--(From _Bahar gaon_, outside the village.) A subcaste of Kurmi.

_Baharketu_.--(Bush-cutter.) A subcaste of Korwa.

_Bahelia_.--The caste of fowlers and hunters in northern India. In the Central Provinces the Bahelias are not to be distinguished from the Pardhis, as they have the same set of exogamous groups named after the Rajput clans, and resemble them in all other respects. The word Bahelia is derived from the Sanskrit Vyadha, 'one who pierces or wounds,' hence a hunter. Pardhi is derived from the Marathi _paradh_, hunting. The latter term is more commonly used in the Central Provinces, and has therefore been chosen as the t.i.tle of the article on the caste.

_Bahre_.--(Outside the walls.) A subdivision of Khedawal Brahmans.

_Bahrup_.--Subcaste of Banjara.

_Bahrupia_.--A small cla.s.s of mendicant actors and quick-change artists. They are recruited from all cla.s.ses of the population, and though a distinct caste of Bahrupias appears to exist, people of various castes also call themselves Bahrupia when they take to this occupation. In Berar the Mahar, Mang and Maratha divisions of the Bahrupias are the most common: [414] the former two begging only from the castes from which they take their name. In Gujarat they appear to be princ.i.p.ally Muhammadans. Sir D. Ibbetson says of them: [415]

"The name is derived from the Sanskrit _bahu_, many, and _rupa_, form, and denotes an actor, a mimic or one who a.s.sumes many forms or characters. One of their favourite devices is to ask for money, and when it is refused to ask that it may be given if the Bahrupia succeeds in deceiving the person who refused it. Some days later the Bahrupia will again visit the house in the disguise of a pedlar, a milkman or what not, sell his goods without being detected, throw off his disguise and claim the stipulated reward." In Gujarat "they are ventriloquists and actors with a special skill of dressing one side of their face like a man and the other side like a woman, and moving their head about so sharply that they seem to be two persons." [416] Mr. Kitts states that "the men are by profession story-tellers and mimics, imitating the voices of men and the notes of animals; their male children are also trained to dance. In payment for their entertainment they are frequently content with cast-off clothes, which will of course be of use to them in a.s.suming other characters." [417] Occasionally also they dress up in European clothes and can successfully a.s.sume the character of a Eurasian.

_Baid_.--(Physician.) A surname of Sanadhia and Maratha Brahmans in Saugor. A section of Oswal Bania, and Darzi.

_Bairagi_.--A caste or religious order. Subcaste of Bhat.

_Bais_.--A clan of Rajputs.

_Bajania_.--(One who plays on musical instruments.) Subcaste of Panka.

_Bajanya_.--(Drummer.) A subcaste of Panka in Balaghat.

_Bajarha_.--(Bazar.) A section of Daraiha in Bilaspur.

_Bajna_, _Bajgari_.--(Musicians at feasts and marriages.) Subcaste of Ganda.

_Bajpai_.--(A priest officiating at the horse sacrifice.) A surname of Kanaujia Brahmans. A section of Brahmans. t.i.tle of some old families whose ancestors were sacrificial priests.

_Bakar Kasai_.--(Goat-butcher.) A subcaste of Khatik.

_Bakra_.--(Goat.) A totemistic sept of Bhatra and Halba.

_Baksaria_.--From Buxar in Bengal. A clan of Rajputs. A section of Daraiha and Lodhi.

_Balla_.--One of the 36 Rajkuls or royal clans of Rajputs noted in Tod's _Rajasthan_.

_Balnik_.--Subcaste of Kayasth.

_Balusudia_.--(Shaven.) t.i.tle of Khond.

_Balutedar_.--Name for a village menial in Berar. t.i.tle of Dhobi.

_Balwanda_.--(Quarrelsome.) A section of Teli.

_Bam-Margi._--Synonym for the Vam-Margi sect.

_Baman_ or _Brahman_. Subcaste of Bishnoi, Darzi and Gondhali.

_Bamania_.--(From Brahman.) A section of Ahir. They do not touch the pipal tree. A section of Mahar and of Rajjhar in Hoshangabad.

_Bamhan Gour_ or _Brahman Gour_.--A clan of Rajputs in Saugor and Narsinghpur.

_Bamhania_.--A subcaste of Kasar, from Bamhan or Brahman. A section of Katia.

_Bamnaiha_.--(Belonging to a Brahman.) A section of Basor.

_Banaphar_, _Banafar_.--A clan of Rajputs. A section of Daharia.

_Banbhainsa_.--(Wild buffalo.) A section of Rawat (Ahir).

_Banda_.--(Tailless.) A section of Kirar.

_Banda Bagh_.--(Tailless tiger.) A section of Teli.

_Bandar_.--(A rocket-thrower.) Synonym of Kadera.

_Bandarwale_.--(One who catches monkeys.)--Subcaste of Pardhi.

_Bandesia_.--(A man of 52 districts.) Subcaste of Banjara.

_Bandhaiya_.--A subcaste of Nunia who confine themselves to the excavation of tanks and wells. Also a subcaste of Dhimar.