Workers in Metals and Minerals (Punjab, 1883)
This article is an extract from PANJAB CASTES SIR DENZIL CHARLES JELF IBBETSON, K.C. S.I. Being a reprint of the chapter on Lahore: Printed by the Superintendent, Government Printing, Punjab, 1916. Indpaedia is an archive. It neither agrees nor disagrees |
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Workers in other Metals and Minerals
Having discussed the blacksmiths, stone-masons, and potters, I next turn to the group for which figures will be found in Abstract No. 103 on the opposite page divisible into four classes, the Sunar, the Nyaria, and the Daoli who work in the precious metals, the Thathera who works in brass, bell-metal and the like, the Agari, Nungar, and Shoragar who make salt and saltpetre, and the Churigar or glass-blower and bracelet-maker. The workers in precious metals are found all over the Province, though they are less numerous among the rustic and comparatively poor population of the Western Plains, and most numerous in those districts which include the great cities, and in the rich central districts. The salt- workers are naturally almost confined to the eastern and south-eastern portions of the Province and to the great grazing plains of the Multun division, where the saline water of the wells, the plains covered with soda salts, and the plentiful growth of the barilla plant afford them the means of carrying on their occupation. The salt of the Salt-range is quarried ready for use, indeed in a state of quite singular purity ; and the work of quarrying and carrying is per formed by ordinary labourers and does not appertain to any special easte or calling.
The Sunar
(Caste No. 30)
The Sunar, or Zargar as he is often called in the towns, is the gold and silver smith and jeweller of the Province. He is also to a very large extent a money-lender, taking jewels in pawn and making advances upon them. The practice, almost universal among the villagers, of hoarding their savings in the form of silver bracelets and the like makes the caste, for it would appear to be a true caste, an important and extensive one ; it is generally distributed throughout the Province, and is represented in most considerable villages. The Sunar is very generally a Hindu throughout the Eastern Plains and the Salt-range Tract, though in the Multan division and on the frontier he is often a Musalman. In the central division there are a few Sikh Sunars. The Sunar prides himself upon being one of the twice-born, and many of them wear the janeo or sacred thread ; but his social standing is far inferior to that of the mercantile and of most of the agricultural castes, though superior to that of many, or perhaps of all other artisans. In Dehli it is said that they are divided into the Dase who do and the Ueswale who do not practise Icarewa, and that the Deswilla Sunar ranks immediately below the Banya. This is pro bably true if a religious standard be applied ; but I fancy that a Jat looks down upon the Sunar as much below him.
The Nyaria
(Caste No. 131)
The Nyaria or refiner (from nyara separate ) is he who melts the leavings and sweepings of the Sunar and extracts the precious metal from them. In the west of the Panjab he seems to be known as Shodar or Sodar : and as oue of the Sunar clans is called Sodari, it may be that, the Nyuria is generally or always a Sunar by caste. The boots are silent on the subject ; and I have no other information. The Nyaria however is, unlike the Simar, generally a Musalman ; though curi ously enough he is shown as Hindu only in Peshawar.
The Daoli
(Caste No. 134)
Under this head I have included 87 men who have returned themselves as Sansoi, as this appears to be the usual name in the higher ranges for the Daoli of the low hills. The Daolis are men who wash gold from the beds of mountain streams, and are naturally found only in the hills, those returned from Patiala being inhabuants of the hill territory which belongs to that State. They also work the water-mills which are so common on The mountain torrents. Most of them are Hindu, a few Sikh, and none Musalman. These men are outcasts of about the same status as the Drimna ; indeed they are said by many to belong to the Dumna caste, and it appears that they also make matting and the like.
The Thathera
(Caste No. 115)
The Thathera is the man who sells, as the Kasera is the man who makes vessels of copper, brass, and other mixed metals. He is generally a Hindu. The word seems to be merely the name of an occupation, and it is probable that most of the Thatheras have returned themselves as belonging to some mercantile caste. Those shown in the tables are for the most part Hindus. The Thathera is also known as Thathyar. He is said to wear the sacred thread.
The Agari
(Caste No. 109)
The Agari is the salt-maker of Raj putana and the east and south-east of the Paujab, and takes his name from the agar or shallow pan in which he evaporates the saline water of the wells or lakes at which he works. The city of Agra derives its name from the same word. The Agaris would appear to be a true caste, and are said in Gurgaon to claim descent from the Rajputs of Chitor. There is a proverb : The Ak, the Jawasa, the Agari, and the cartman ; when the lightning flashes these four give up the ghost,because, I suppose, the rain which is likely to follow would dissolve their salt. The Agaris are all Hindus, and are found in the Sultanpur tract on the common borders of the Dehli, Gurgaon, and Rohtak districts^ where the well water is exceedingly brackish, and where they manu facture salt by evaporation. Their social position is fairly good, being above that of Lohars, but of course below that of Jats.
The Nungar and Shoragar
(Caste Nos. 76 and 154)
Nungar, or as it is often called Nunia or Lunia or Nunari, is derived from nun salt, and denotes an occupation rather than a true caste. This is true also of the Shoragar or saltpetre-maker, who is sometimes called Rehgar from reh or saline efflorescence. But the two terms are commonly applied to the same class of men,^ who indeed, now that the maldng of salt is prohibited in most parts of the Panjab, manufacture either saltpetre from the debris of old village sites, or crude soda {sajji) from the barilla plant which is found in the arid grazing grounds of the Western Plains. Many of them have settled down to agricultural pursuits, and this is especially true in the Multan and Dcrajjit divisions. They also appear to carry goods from place to place on donkeys, which would seem to indicate a very low social status, though these men are said to consider themselves superior to the Nungars who still work at their hereditary calling, and to refuse to intermarry with them. They are generally Hindus in the east and Musalmans in the west of the Province.
- Ndnia is said to signify a maker of saltpetre in Oudb and its neighbourhood.
The Churigar
(Caste No. 139)
The Churigar, or as he is called in the west Bangera or Wangrigar. is The maker of bracelets^ generally of glass or lac. lie is also sometimes called Kachera or glass worker. In the east of The Province the Maniar sells these bracelets, but in the west he is a general pedlar ; and I understand that there the Bangera sells as well as makes bracelets. It is also said that the term Churigar is extended to men who make bracelets of bell-metal, or of almost any material except silver or gold. The word appears to be merely the name of an occupation, and it is probable that many of these bracelet -makers have returned their time caste. It may be too that in the east of the Province the distinction between Churigar and Maniar has not always been observed.
