Marwadi-Porwal: Deccan

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Marwadi-Porwal

This article is an extract from THE CASTES AND TRIBES OF H. E. H. THE NIZAM'S DOMINIONS BY SYED SIRAJ UL HASSAN Of Merton College, Oxford, Trinity College, Dublin, and Middle Temple, London. One of the Judges of H. E. H. the Nizam's High Court of Judicature : Lately Director of Public Instruction. BOMBAY THE TlMES PRESS 1920 Indpaedia is an archive. It neither agrees nor disagrees with the contents of this article. Secondly, this has been scanned from a book. You can help by sending the corrected version/ additional information to the Facebook page, Indpaedia.com. All information used will be duly acknowledged.

The Porwals are not so numerous in H. E. H. the Nizam's Domi- nions as are the foregoing classes They are said to have been originally Rajputs of Pal in Gujarath, but converted to Jainisra some 700 years ago. They are principally traders and advance loans to the cultivators at exorbitant rates. In this respect they are a curse to their debtors. Their marriage ceremony resembles that of Oswals. High prices are sometimes taken by Porwals for their daughters, and if they can but get a high price they give away their daughters even to old men. Their women are not secluded as among the Agar- wals, Oswals and Mahesari castes.

Besides these mercantile classes, other castes coming from Ivlarwad are found in the Hyderabad territory and are generally included among the Marwadi groups. They are (1) Marwadi Sonar, (2) Marwadi Darji, (3) Marwadi Lakhera, (4) Maha Brahmin. Marwadi Sonars — a gold-smith class who are said to have originally come from Bhenial in Marwad. They are divided into two sub- castes : (1) Med Sonjir, (2) Brahman Sonar. These do not intermarry nor eat or drink together.