Muria, Mariyari

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Muria, Mariyari

This section has been extracted from THE TRIBES and CASTES of BENGAL. By H.H. RISLEY, INDIAN CIVIL SERVICE, OFFICIER D'ACADÉMIE FRANÇAISE. Ethnographic Glossary. CALCUTTA: Printed at the Bengal Secretariat Press. 1891. .

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Origin

A boating, fishing, and cultivating caste of Behar. The origin of the Muriari is un cer- tain. Bucbanan, who calls them Mariyari Malas, was of opinion that they belonged to an aboriginal race from the upper valley of the Gange. Other authorities, however, connect them with the Kewat. 'Their only tradition is the some¬what vague one that their progenitor was a certain Kal Das, who came from' the south country.'

Marriage

The Muriyari marry their' daughters as infants or as adults according to their means, the former practice being of course the more fashionable of the two. Polygamy is sanctioned in theory, but is found too expensive in actual life for many to indulge in it. A widow may marry again by sageti. She is expected to marry her husband's younger brother if he leaves one, but otherwise her choice is free. Divorce is not allowed.

Religion

Their religion, marriage ceremony, funeral observance, and so forth, are or the orthodox type. Maithil Brahmans act as their' priests, and are said to incur no social degradation by doing so. Bandi, Parameshwari, and the Panch Pir are their favourite minor gods, to whom they offer flowers, betel leaves, sweetmeats, eto., in a part of their own houses which is plastered with cow-dung for the occasion and called gosaingha?

Social status

The social position of the Muriyari is much the same as that of Gangotas, Kurmis, and Koiris, and Brahmans will take water and certain kinds of sweetmeats from their hands. Their diet is that of most orthodox Hindus, except that, like most of the boating and fishing oastes, they indulge freely in spirits. In Bhagalpur Muriyaris who have taken to culti¬vation call themselves Maghaya', and profess to look down upon the boating and fishing members of the caste, whom they represent as having oome from the North-Western Provinoes. It is not clear that this divergence of occupation has as yet led to the formation of two distinot sub-castes. The cultivating seotion of the caste, indeed, appears not to be a very strong one, and few of its members have risen above the status of a non-occupanoy raiyat, while many are landless day-labourers paid in cash or kind. In this connexion it deserves notice that in Arrah, where the Mariyari are very numerous, they are employed as ferrymen, boatmen, and fishermen, but refuse to carry palanquins or to settle down as cultivators. Many large boats manned by them arrive at the Varuni fair in November, laden with pulse and other vegetable products. The following statemeut shows the number and distribution of the Muriari caste in 1881.

Notes

Buchanan was of opinion that this tribe of boatmen belonged to an aboriginal race from the upper valley of the Ganges. Other authorities, however, connect them with the Kewat.

The number and wealth of the Muriari in Bhagalpur have raised them to the rank of pure Sudras; but in Purneah and Eastern Bengal impurity is attributed to them. The invariable reply given to enquiries relating to their history and origin is that their progenitor was a certain Kal Das, who came from the south country.

The Muriari are very numerous in Arrah, being engaged as ferrymen, boatmen, and fishermen, but refusing to carry Palkis, or become peasants. Many large boats manned by them arrive at the Varuni fair in November, laden with pulse and other vegetable products.

The majority of the Muriari belong to the Panch Piriya creed; and it is reported that widow marriages are still practised among them.