Washermen, Dyers and Tailors: 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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Washermen, Dyers, and Tailors
The next group I shall dis cuss is that of the washermen, dyers, calico printers, and tailors. In it I have included the Dhobi, the Chhimba, the Rangrez, the Lilari, and the Charhoa, and the figures for these castes will be found in Abstract No. 104, below.* But the group is a curiously confused one ; and I regret to say that the confusion has extended to our tables. The terms, at any rate in the west of the Panjab, denote occupations rather than true castes ; and the line of distinction between the various occupations is not only vague, but varies greatly from one part of the Province to another, the Lilari doing in some parts what the Chhimba does in others, and the Charhoa combining the occupations of the whole group in the Multan and Derajat divisions ; while the Darzi is often a Chhimba and the Chhimba a Darzi. Thus it is impossi ble to say that these terms denote separate castes, though the caste to which the group belongs, of which the Dhobi in the east and the Charhoa in the west may be taken as types, is a very distinct one. At the same time, where the occupations are separate they are in the hands of separate trades guilds with separate rules and organisation, and it is probable that inter marriage is at any rate unusual. Like most occupational castes, those of this group are less numerous on the frontier than elsewhere.
The Dhobi and Chhimba
(Caste Nos. 32 and 33)
The Dhobi is perhaps the most clearly defined and the one most nearly approaching a time caste of all the castes of the group. He is found under that name throughout the Panjab, but in the Derajat and Multan divisions he is undis tinguishable from the Charhoa, and I regret to say that here the divisional officers have included those who returned themselves as Dhobis under the head of Charhoa. Some of the Charhoas seem also to have returned them • selves as Jats (see Abstract No. 72, page 224t). The Dhobi is the washerman of the country. But with the work of washing he generally combines, especially in the centre and west of the Province, the craft of calico-printing j and in the Lahore and Rawalpindi divisions the Chhimba has been classed as Dhobi, wlule in the Jalandhar division most of the Dhobis have been classed as Chhimbas. In fact the two sets of figures must be taken together. The Dhobi is also a true village menial in the sense that he receives a fixed share of the produce in return for washing the clothes of the villages where he performs that, office. But he occupies this position only among the higher castes of the land-owners, as among the Jats and castes of similar standing the women generally wash the clothes of the family. The Dhobi is there fore to be found in largest number in the towns. His social position is very low, for his occupation is considered im]mre ; and he alone of the tribes which are not outcast will imitate the Kumliar in keeping and usinoa donkey. He stands below the nai, but perhaps above the Kumar. He often takes to working as a Darzi or tailor. He is most often a Musalman. His title is Bareta or Khalifah, the latter being the title of the heads of his guild.
The Chhimba, Chhaimpa, Chhipi or Chhimpi is properly a calico-printer^ and stamps coloured patterns on the cotton fabrics of the country ; and he is said occasionally to stamp similar batterns on paper. But, as before remarked* he can hardly be distinguished from the Dhobi. Besides printing in colour he dyes in madder, but as a rule in no other colour. He is purely an artisan, never being a village menial except as a washerman. He is sometimes called Chhapogar, and I have classed 45 men so returned as Chhimbas. I have also thus classed 23 men returned as Chhaperas. Wilson, at page 111 of his Glossary, gives tbese two words as synonymous with Chhimpi ; but I am informed that in some places, though not in all, Chhapegar is used to dis tinguish those who ornament calico with patterns in tinsel and foil only. The Chhimba often combines wash ing with dyeing and stamping, and he very commonly works as a Darzi or tailor, insomuch that Chhimba is not unfrequently translated by tailor.
But few large divisions are return ed for these castes. I give in the mar gin the figures for a few of the largest, showing the Dhobi, Chhimba, and Charhoa side by side. The divisions are roughly arranged in the order in which they are found from east to west.
Lilari and Rangrez
(Caste Nos. 67 and 110)
These two been hopelessly mixed up in the divisional offices, and the two sets of figures must be taken together. They are both dyers, and both artisans and not menials, being chiefly found in the towns. But the dis tinction is said to be that the Lilari dyes, as his name implies, in indigo only ; while the Kangrez dyes in all country colours except indigo and madder, which last appertains to the Chhimba. It is noticeable that, with the exception of a few returned as Hindus by the Native States, both of these castes are exclu sively Musalmans. The Hindu indeed would not dye in blue, which is to him an abomination ; and madder-red is his special colour, which peruaps accounts for the Chhimbas, most of whom are Hindus, dyeing in that colour only. In Peshawar the Dhobi and Rangrez are said to be identical. The Lilari is often called Nilari or Nirali ; while I have included under this heading 2.51 men re turned as PungarfromMultan, where I am informed that the term is locally used for Lilari.
The Charhoa
(Caste |No. 54)
The Charhoa is the Dhobi Chhimba of the Multan and Derajat divisions ; and, as far as I can find out,
not imseldom carries on the handicirafts of the Lilari and Eangrez also. In his capacity of washerman he is, like the Dhobi and under the same circum stances, a recognised village menial, receiving- customary dnes in exchange for which he waslics the clothes of the villagers. In Bahuwalpur he has been returned as Dholu.
The Darzi
(Caste No. 61)
Darzi, or its Hindi equivalent Suji, is purely an occupational term, and though There is a Darzi guild in every town there is no Darzi caste in the proper acceptation of the word. The greater number of Darzis belong perhaps to the Dhobi and Chhimba castes, more especially to the latter ; but men of all castes follow the trade, which is that of a tailor or sempster. The Darzis are generally returned as Hindu in the east and Musalmun in the west.
