Pasi
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From The Tribes And Castes Of The Central Provinces Of India
By R. V. Russell
Of The Indian Civil Service
Superintendent Of Ethnography, Central Provinces
Assisted By Rai Bahadur Hira Lal, Extra Assistant Commissioner
Macmillan And Co., Limited, London, 1916.
NOTE 1: The 'Central Provinces' have since been renamed Madhya Pradesh.
NOTE 2: While reading please keep in mind that all articles in this series have been scanned from the original book. Therefore, footnotes have got inserted into the main text of the article, interrupting the flow. Readers who spot these footnotes gone astray might like to shift them to their correct place.
Pasi
Passi
A Dravidian occupational caste of northern odX^oT"^ India, whose hereditary employment is the tapping of the the caste, pahnyra, date and other palm trees for their sap. The name is derived from the Sanskrit pdshika, ' One who uses a noose,' and the Wmdi pas or pdsa, a noose. It is a curious fact that when the first immigrant Parsis from Persia landed in Gujarat they took to the occupation of tapping palm trees, and the poorer of them still follow it. The resemblance in the name, however, can presumably be nothing more than a coincidence.
The total strength of the Pasis in India is about a million and a half persons, nearly all of whom belong to the United Provinces and Bihar. In the Central Provinces they number 3500, and reside principally in the Jubbulpore and Hoshangabad Districts.
The caste is now largely occupational, and is connected
with the Bhars, Arakhs, Khatiks and other Dravidian groups
of low status. But in the past they seem to have been of
some importance in Oudh. " All through Oudh," Mr. Crooke
states, " they have traditions that they were lords of the
country, and that their kings reigned in the Districts of
Kheri, Hardoi and Unao. Ramkot, where the town of
Bangarmau in Unao now stands, is said to have been one
of their chief strongholds.
The last of the Pasi lords of
- Based principally on Mr. Crook e's article on the caste in his Tribes and
Castes of (he North- Western Provinces and Oudh. 380
Ramkot, Raja Santhar, threw off his allegiance to Kanauj and refused to pay tribute. On this Raja Jaichand gave his country to the Banaphar heroes Alha and Udal, and they attacked and destroyed Ramkot, leaving it the shapeless mass of ruins which it now is." Similar traditions prevail in other parts of Oudh. It is also recorded that the Rajpasis, the highest division of the caste, claim descent from Tilokchand, the eponymous hero of the Bais Rajputs.
It would appear then that the Pasis were a Dravidian tribe who held a part of Oudh before it was conquered by the Rajputs. As the designation of Pasi is an occupational term and is derived from the Sanskrit, it would seem that the tribe must formerly have had some other name, or they may be an occupational offshoot of the Bhars.
In favour of this suggestion it may be noted that the Bhars also have strong traditions of their former dominance in Oudh. Thus Sir C. Elliott states in his Chronicles of Unao ^ that after the close of the heroic age, when Ajodhya was held by the Surajvansi Rajputs under the great Rama, we find after an interval of historic darkness that Ajodhya has been destroyed, the SiJrajvansis utterly banished, and a large extent of country is being ruled over by aborigines called Cheros in the far east, Bhars in the centre and Rajpasis in the west.
Again, in Kheri the Pasis always claim kindred with the Bhars,^ and in Mirzapur ^ the local Pasis represent the Bhars as merely a subcaste of their own tribe, though this is denied by the Bhars themselves. It seems therefore a not improbable hypothesis that the Pasis and perhaps also the kindred tribe of Arakhs are functional groups formed from the Bhar tribe. For a discussion of the early history of this important tribe the reader must be referred to Mr, Crooke's excellent article.
The following tradition is related by the Pasis them- 2. Brah selves in Mirzapur and the Central Provinces : One day a man was going to kill a number of cows. Parasurama was at that time practising austerities in the jungles. Hearing the cries of the sacred animals he rushed to their assistance, but the cow-killer was aided by his friends. So ^ Quoted in Mr. Crooke's Tribes and Castes, art. Bhar. 2 Art. Pasi, para. 3. •* Art. Bhar, para. 4. manical lesjends.
Parasurama made five men out of kusha grass and brought them to life by letting drops of his perspiration fall upon them. Hence arose the name Pasi, from the Hindi paslna, sweat. The men thus created rescued the cows. Then they returned to Parasurama and asked him to provide them with a wife. Just at that moment a Kayasth girl was passing by, and her Parasurama seized and made over to the Pasis. From them sprang the Kaithwas subcaste.
Another legend related by Mr. Crooke tells that duiing the time Parasurama was incarnate there was an austere devotee called Kuphal who was asked by Brahma to demand of him a boon, whereupon he requested that he might be perfected in the art of thieving. His request was granted, and there is a well-known verse regarding the devotions of Kuphal, the pith of which is that the mention of the name of Kuphal, who received a boon from Brahma, removes all fear of thieves ; and the mention of his three wives—Maya (illusion), Nidra (sleep), and Mohani (enchantment)—deprives thieves of success in their attempts against the property of those who repeat these names. Kuphal is apparently the progenitor of the caste, and the legend is intended to show how the position of the Pasis in the Hindu cosmos or order of society according to the caste system has been divinely ordained and sanctioned, even to the recognition of theft as their hereditary pursuit.
Whatever their origin may have been the composition of the caste is now of a very mixed nature. Several names of other castes, as Gujar, Gual or Ahir, Arakh, Khatik, Bahelia, Bhil and Bania, are returned as divisions of the Pasis in the United Provinces. Like all migratory castes they are split into a number of small groups, whose constitution is probably not very definite.
The principal subcastes in the Central Provinces are the Rajpasis or highest class, who probably were at one time landowners ; the Kaithwas or Kaithmas, supposed to be descended from a Kayasth, as already related ; the Tirsulia, who take their name from the trisfila or thrce-bladed knife used to pierce the stem of the palm tree ; the Bahelia or hunters, and Chiriyamar or fowlers ; the Ghudchadha or those who ride on ponies, these being probably saises or horse - keepers ; the Khatik or
butchers and Gujar or graziers ; and the Mangta or beg^^^ars, these being the bards and genealogists of the caste, who beg from their cHents and take food from their hands ; they are looked down on by the other Pasis. In the Central Provinces the tribe have now no exoga- 4. Marmous groups ; they avoid marriage with blood relations as
far back as their memory carries them. At their weddings customs. the couple walk round the srdwan or heavy log of wood, which is dragged over the fields before sowing to break up the larger clods of earth. In the absence of this an ordinary plough or harrow will serve as a substitute, though why the Pasis should impart a distinctively agricultural implement into their marriage ceremony is not clear.
Like the Gonds,
the Pasis celebrate their weddings at the bridegroom's house
and not at the bride's. Before the wedding the bridegroom's
mother goes and sits over a well, taking with her seven urad
cakes ^ and stalks of the plant. The bridegroom walks
seven times round the well, and at each turn the parapet is
marked with red and white clay and his mother throws
one of the cakes and stalks into the well. Finally, the
mother threatens to throw herself into the well, and the
bridegroom begs her not to do so, promising that he will
serve and support her. Divorce and the remarriage of
widows are freely permitted. Conjugal morality is somewhat
lax, and Mr. Crooke quotes a report from Pertabgarh
to the effect that if a wom.an of a tribe become pregnant
by a stranger and the child be born in the house of her
father or husband, it will be accepted as a Pasi of pure
blood and admitted to all tribal privileges.
The bodies of adults may be buried or burnt as convenient, but those of children or of persons dying from smallpox, cholera or snake-bite are always buried. Mourning is observed during ten days for a man and nine days for a woman, while children who die unmarried are not mourned at all.
The Pasis worship all the ordinary Hindu deities. All 5. Reiiclasses
of Brahmans will officiate at their marriages and •"'°"'
o ,. supersliother
ceremonies, and do anything for them which does not tions and
involve touching them or any article in their houses. In customs
Bengal, Sir H. Risley writes, the employment of Brahmans
' A pulse of a black colour {Phaseolus radialus).
for the performance of ceremonies appears to be a very recent reform for, as a rule, in sacrifices and funeral ceremonies, the worshipper's sister's son performs the functions of a priest. " Among the Pasis of Monghyr this ancient custom, which admits of being plausibly interpreted as a survival of female kinship, still prevails generally." The social status of the Pasis is low, but they are not regarded as impure. At their marriage festivals, Mr. Gayer notes, boys are dressed up as girls and made to dance in public, but they do not use drums or other musical instruments. They breed pigs and cure the bacon obtained from them.
Marriage questions are decided by the tribal council, which
is presided over by a chairman {Chaudhri) selected at each
meeting from among the most influential adult males present.
The council deals especially with cases of immorality and
pollution caused by journeys across the black water {kdla
pdni), which the criminal pursuits of the tribe occasionally
necessitate.
6. Occupa- The traditional occupation of the Pasis, as already stated, is the extraction of the sap of palm trees. But some of them are hunters and fowlers like the Pardhis, and like them also they make and mend grindstones, while others are agriculturists ; and the caste has also strong criminal propensities, and includes a number of professional thieves. Some are employed in the Nagpur mills and others have taken small building contracts.
Pasis are generally illiterate and in poor circumstances, and are much addicted to drink. In climbing^ palm trees to tap them for their juice the worker uses a heel-rope, by which his feet are tied closely together. At the same time he has a stout rope passing round the tree and his body. He leans back against this rope and presses the soles of his feet, thus tied together, against the tree. He then climbs up the tree by a series of hitches or jerks of his back and feet alternately. The juice of the palmyra palm {idr) and the date palm (Jihajfir) is extracted by the Pasi. The tar trees, Sir H. Risley states," are tapped from March to May, and the date palm in the cold season. The juice of the former, known as tdri or ' TJicse sentences are taken from Dr. Grierson's Peasajit Life in Behdr, p. 79. '^ Tribes and Castes of Bengal, art. Pasi. tion
toddy, is used in the manufacture of bread, and an intoxicating liquor is obtained from it by adding sugar and grains of rice. Hindustani drunkards often mix dhatura with the toddy to increase its intoxicating properties. The quantity of juice extracted from one tree varies from five to ten pounds. Date palm tari is less commonly drunk, being popularly believed to cause rheumatism, but is extensively used in preparing sugar.
Eighty years ago, when General Sleeman wrote, the 7. Criminal
Pasis were noted thieves. In his Journey through Oudh ^ he tendencies,
states that in Oudh there were then supposed to be one
hundred thousand families of Pasis, who were skilful thieves
and robbers by profession, and were formerly Thugs and
poisoners as well. They generally formed the worst part of
the gangs maintained by refractory landowners, " who keep
Pasis to fight^for them, as they pay themselves out of the
plunder and cost little to their employers.
They are all
armed with bows and are very formidable at night. They
and their refractory employes keep the country in a perpetual
state of disorder." Mr. Gayer notes - that the
criminally disposed members of the caste take contracts
for the watch and sale of mangoes in groves distant
from habitations, so that their movements will not be seen
by prying eyes. They also seek employment as roofthatchers,
in which capacity they are enabled to ascertain
which houses contain articles worth stealing.
They show considerable cunning in disposing of their stolen property. The men will go openly in the daytime to the receiver and acquaint him with the fact that they have property to dispose of; the receiver goes to the bazar, and the women come to him with grass for sale. They sell the grass to the receiver, and then accompany him home with it and the stolen property, which is artfully concealed in it.
Patwa, Patwi, Patra, Ilakeband.—The occupational caste of weavers of fancy silk braid and thread. In 191 i the Patwas numbered nearly 6000 persons in the Central 1 The following passage is taken and Hardoi Settlement Reports. from Mr. Crooke's article on Pasi, and - Lectures on Criminal Tribes ofthe includes quotations from the Sitaptir Central Provinces. VOL. IV 2 C
Provinces, being returned principally from the Narsinghpur, Raipur, Saugor, Jubbulpore and Hoshangabad Districts. About 800 were resident in Berar. The name is derived from the Sanskrit pata, woven cloth, or Hindi pdt^ silk. The principal subcastes of the Patwas are the Naraina ; the Kanaujia, also known as Chhipi, because they sew marriage robes ; the Deobansi or ' descendants of a god,' who sell lac and glass bangles ; the Lakhera, who prepare lac bangles ; the Kachera, who make glass bangles ; and others.
Three of the above groups are thus functional in character. They have also Rajput and Kayastha subcastes, who may consist of refugees from those castes received into the Patwa community. In the Central Provinces the Patwas and Lakheras are in many localities considered to be the same caste, as they both deal in lac and sell articles made of it ; and the account of the occupations of the Lakhera caste also applies largely to the Patwas. The exogamous groups of the caste are named after villages, or titles or nicknames borne by the reputed founder of the group. They indicate that the Patwas of the Central Provinces are generally descended from immigrants from northern India.
The Patwa usually purchases silk and colours it himself. He makes silk strings for pyjamas and coats, armlets and other articles. Among these are the silk threads called rdkhis, used on the Rakshabandhan festival,^ when the Brahmans go round in the morning tying them on to the wrists of all Hindus as a protection against evil spirits. For this the Brahman receives a present of one or two pice.
The rdkhi is made of pieces of raw silk fibre twisted together, with a knot at one end and a loop at the other. It goes round the wrist, and the knot is passed through the loop. Sisters also tie it round their brothers' wrists and are given a present. The Patwas make the phundri threads for tying up the hair of women, whether of silk or cotton, and various threads used as amulets, such as the j'anjira, worn by men round the neck, and the ganda or wizard's thread, which is tied round the arm after incantations have been said over it ; and the 1 The word Rakshabandhan is said 'binding the devil,' is perhaps into mean literally, ' the bond of protec- correct, tion.' Another suggested derivation,
necklets of silk or cotton thread bound with thin silver wire which the Hindus wear at Anant Chaudas, a sort of All Saints' Day, when all the gods are worshipped. In this various knots are made by the Brahmans, and in each a number of deities are tied up to exert their beneficent influence for the wearer of the thread. These are the bands which Hindus commonly wear on their necks.
The Patwas thread necklaces of gold and jewels on silk thread, and also make the strings of cowries, slung on pack-thread, which are tied round the necks of bullocks when they race on the Pola day, and on ponies, probably as a charm. After a child is born in the family of one of their clients, the Patwas make tassels of cotton and hemp thread coloured red, green and yellow, and hang them to the centre-beam of the house and the top of the child's cradle, and for this they get a present, which from a rich man may be as much as ten rupees. The sacred thread proper is usually made by Brahmans in the Central Provinces. Some of the Patwas wander about hawking their wares from village to village.
Besides the silk threads they sell the tiklis or large spangles
which women wear on their foreheads, lac bangles and balls
of henna, and the large necklaces of lac beads covered with
tinsel of various colours which are worn in Chhattisgarh. A
Patwa must not rear the tasar silkworm nor boil the cocoons
on pain of expulsion from caste.
Pasi
(From People of India/ National Series Volume VIII. Readers who wish to share additional information/ photographs may please send them as messages to the Facebook community, Indpaedia.com. All information used will be gratefully acknowledged in your name.)
Synonyms: Choudhary [Bihar and/or Jharkhand] Chomar, Khajuria [Orissa] Byadha, Gaydudhya, Kaykhoash, Trisula [West Bengal] Groups/subgroups: Byadha, Gaiduha, Kamani, Tirsulia [Bihar and/or Jharkhand] Byadha, Gaydudhya, Kaykhoash, Tirsulia [West Bengal] Subcastes: Byadha, Gaiduha, Tamani, Tirsylia, Turk (Mohamedan) in Behar [H.H. Risley] Aheriya, Allahabad, Arakh, Bachar, Baheliya, Bahraich, Banya of Gonda, Banya of Lucknow, Barabaunki, Baurasi, Bhadauriya of Tarai, Bhar, Bhare of, Bhil of Budaun, Bhil of Muradabad Bihar and/or Jharkhandi, Boriya of Unao and Fatehpur, Boriya of Raebareli, Byadha (in Bihar and/or Jharkhand), Chaurasi of Basti, Chiryamar, Chunarha, Dhanuk, Fatehpur, Gaiduha, Gual, Gujar, Jaiswara (in Benares), Kaithwas (in Mirzapur), Kamani, Khatik of, Khatik of Sitapur, Mahtiya, Manwas, Mirzapur, Mothi, Pahri, Parasarami of Unao, Pas Mangta, Pasiwan, Raj Pasi (in Partabgarh) Rewas of Banda, Sultanpur, Tirmali of Ghazipur, Tirsuliya throughout North Western Province and Eastern Oudh [W. Crooke] Titles: Prasad [Madhya Pradesh and/or Chhattisgarh] Surnames: Choudhary, Pasi [Bihar and/or Jharkhand] Kaidiwa, Pasi, Prasad [Madhya Pradesh and/or Chhattisgarh] Behera [Orissa] Chowdhury, Pasi, Paswan, Prasad [West Bengal] Exogamous units/clans: Baurasi, Gohia, Kaithnas, Khatik, Parinanjan [Madhya Pradesh and/or Chhattisgarh] Bagh (tiger), Kencho (tortoise), Sapo [Orissa] Gotra: Parasuram [West Bengal]
