Sunri, Saundika, Sundaka
This article is an extract from
THE TRIBES and CASTES of BENGAL. Ethnographic Glossary. Printed at the Bengal Secretariat Press. 1891. . |
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Sunri, Saundika, Sundaka
According to Hindu ideas this is one of the most degraded castes, and the following ridiculous story in the Vaivarta Purana explains the origin of the first distiller, and vendor of spirituous liquors.
Sani, the Hindu Saturn, failing to adapt the elephant's head to the mutilated trunk of Ganesa, Visva-Karma, the celestial artificer, was sent for, and by careful dissection and manipulation, he fitted the incongruous parts together, and made one Kedara Sena from the slices cut off in fashioning his chef d'oeuvre. It is further mentioned that Kedara Sena was ordered to fetch a drink of water for Bhagavati, weary and athirst. Finding a shell on the river's bank full of water he presented it to her, being unaware that a few grains of rice left in it by a parrot had fermented and formed an intoxicating liquid. Bhagavati, as soon as she had drunk, became aware of the fact, and in her anger condemned the offender to a vile and servile occupation.
The caste is subdivided into two sections, or Sreni, the Rarhi and Varendra. The former are distillers called Sunri; the latter traders, who have assumed the title of Saha,1 or merchant. By some authorities, however, the Saha, is the issue of a Sudra father and a Sunri mother. The members of these two classes neither associate together, nor intermarry. In some parts of Bengal the caste has four divisions, the Rarhi, Varendra, Banga, and Magi.
The Hindustani distiller (Kalar, Kalwar) has nothing in common with the Sunri, as he only manufactures spirits, and will not vend it, an occupation carried on by Kurmis, or Banias.
The Sunri is a very degraded individual, indulging freely in intoxicating liquors. The majority of the workmen in the Government Abkari, or excise department, are Sunris, and most of the Ganjha shops are owned by them.
The Saha, again, is perhaps the most enterprising and prosperous community in Bengal, comprising a large number of the cloth merchants, salt-traders, wood-dealers, and bankers. They are usually known as "Amda-Walah," or traders who import goods wholesale, and sell them to petty dealers by retail. Mahajan, goldar, and Arhatdar, or broker, are also common designations. Notwithstanding the improved position of late years, they are still utterly abandoned in the eyes of the Hindus. Even the Bhuinmali, who works for them, will not touch their food, and a Chandal loses caste if he lays his hand on the stool on which one of them is sitting. There is a saying among Bengalis, that if a Sudra be walking down a narrow lane with only Sunri houses on each side, and an elephant approaches, he ought to allow the elephant to trample him under foot rather than take refuge in a house of the accursed.
Saha is the common title of the caste, but on becoming rich the merchant adopts Das as a surname. A well known Saha trader of Dacca selected Rai Chaudhari as his family name, and it has been also adopted by his son.
The Dhoba and Napit, are members of the Sunri caste, the Sudra washerman and barber declining to work for them. The Brahman also, peculiar to themselves, boasts that he never accepts alms from any one not a Sunri; but it is quite certain that none of the clean castes would present him with charity.
1 Said to be a corruption of Sadhu, perfect, honest, a merchant. Wilson's "Glossary."
These Brahmans, who assume the bombastic titles of Vidyasagar, Vidyalankar, Chakravartti, and Pathak, like the Purohits of other low castes, read the funeral service at the burning Ghat.
Almost every member of the caste is a follower of Chaitanya, and the rich are celebrated for the ostentatious observance of the San-Kirttana chaunts in honour of Krishna, after the decease of any relative.
A Sunri will not cultivate the soil, although he does so in Central Bengal, nor will he ply as a boatman unless the boat belongs to his caste, and is entirely manned by Sunris. He is also prohibited from becoming a fisherman, and from selling fish in the market.
In the Mymensingh district a colony of Sahas have taken the title of Panjha, but can give no reason for doing so. They are chiefly Tallukdars, writers, and shopkeepers, eating and intermarrying with Sahas in other parts of Bengal.
In various parts of Dacca a Magi Sreni, quite distinct from the Rarhi, or Varendra, and accounted fallen and outcast, is to be met with. It is stated that in old days the Mags made marauding expeditions into this part of Bengal, and defiled the houses by outraging their women, as was also done with the Tanti, Telis, and Kumhars. The Sunri barber and washerman work for them, but the Purohit is always distinct.
The greater number of Sahas belong to an Aliman gotra, a few to a Kasyapa.
Although the Sudra Napit occasionally shaves the Sahas, he will not attend at any of their religious ceremonies, when a member of the caste has to be employed.
The chief rites observed by this caste are the worship of Ganesa on the first of Baisakh, and the first of Aghan (Nov.-Dec.); of Gandhesvari on the tenth of Asin, the Dasami, or day before the Durga Pujah; and of Ganga, whenever their boats are starting on a trading voyage. The majority being Vaishnavas, animals are rarely sacrificed to any deity, but when it is done the victim is afterwards released.
Sahas are very fond of pigeons, and in the courtyard of almost every house a dovecot is fixed, as they believe the air fanned by pigeons' wings wafts them luck. They are also devoted worshippers of Kartikeya, the Hindu god of war, constructing annually in November a life size effigy of the god, and keeping it within the female enclosure for a year. Other Hindu castes throw the image into the river immediately after the Kartik Pujah; but the Sahas allege that their special veneration of the god is often rewarded, the barren rejoicing, and the husband becoming the joyful father of children. It is easy to understand in what way this figure gives rise to scandalous stories among Bengalis, and how the Saha becomes a butt for the wit and sarcasm of his neighbours.
According to the census of 1872 there were 430,582 persons belonging to this caste in Bengal, of whom 63,511 resided in Dacca, and 225,558, or fifty-two per cent, of the whole Sunri population, in the nine eastern districts.
