Bhathiyâra,(Sanskrit, Bhrishtakára, "a preparer of roasted and fried meat").-The keepers of inns and cooking-houses and sellers of tobacco. Their business is the entertainment of travellers, and their functions thus trench on the occupations of the baker (nánbái); the preparer and seller of fried meat (kabáb farosh), and the tobacconist (tambákuwála). They trace their origin to Salîm Shâh, son of Shîr Shâh, who reigned between 1545 and 1552 A. D., and one tradition makes them out to be the descendants of members of the household establishments of Shîr Shâh and Salîm Shâh, who, after the overthrow of their masters by Humâyun, were doomed to servitude as attendants on travellers. The real name of Salîm Shah was Jalâl or Islâm Shâh, and both he and his father still live in the traditions of the people. One proverb about them is Kya legaya Shir Shah? Kya legáya Salin Shah ?-" In spite of their greatness what has Shîr Shâh or Salîm Shâh taken with him to the grave?". Another is Shir Shah ki darhi bari ya Salim yá Shah ki ?" Which had the longest beard, Shîr Shâh or Salîm Shah?" i. e., "What is the use of arguing over trifles ?" The establishment of inns (sarái) goes, however, back as far as the reign of Chandra Gupta. The traveller Terry writes :-" In this kingdom there are no Innes to entertain travellers; only in great Townes and Cities are faire houses built for their receipt, where any passenger may have roome freely, but must bring with him his Bedding, his Cooke and other necessaries."

2. In memory of their traditional origin they have two sub-divisions known as the Shîrshâhi and Salîmshâhi, Tribal organisation. who are distiguished by the women of the former wearing petticoats and the latter drawers. Another tradition, which is apparently based merely on the similarity of name, makes them out to be in some way connected with the Bhatti tribe. In the east of the Province there are two sub-divisions-Bhathiyâra and Hariyâra-which differ only in this, that the women of the former wear metal bangles (mát hi), and the latter those made of glass or lac. The Census Returns classify them under fifty-two clans, none of which are of much local importance, and display a curious mixture of Hindu and Muhammadan names, such as Bahlîm,

1 Based on enquiries at Mirzapur, and notes by Mr. E. Rose, C. S., Collector of Farrukhabad, and Munshi Chhotê Lâll, Archæological Survey, Lucknow. 2 Purchas, II, 1457, quoted in Hobson Jobson, s. v. Serai.

Bhîl, Chauhân, Chiryamâr, Jalkhatri, Madariya, Mukeri, Sadîqi, Nânbâi, Shirâzi, and Sulaimâni.

3. They profess to follow the ordinary Muhammadan laws of marriage, of which the nikah is the binding portion. Marriage rules. The two divisions, Salîmshâhi and Shîrshâhi, are said to be endogamous, because the women of the latter bear an indifferent reputation; in fact it is alleged that they are prostituted both before and after marriage. Dr. Buchanan' says:-"Many of their women, but by no means the greater part, refuse no favour to a liberal customer;" and Forster writes:-" The stationary tenants of the serauee, many of them women, and some of them very pretty, approach the traveller on his entrance, and in alluring language describe to him the varied excellencies of their several lodgings." The levirate prevails, but is not compulsory on the widow. They follow the usual Muhammadan rules of divorce and inheritance. 4. They are Muhammadans of the Sunni sect. To the east of the Province they reverence Ghâzi Miyân and the Pânchon Pîr, to whom sweetmeats and garlands of flowers are offered on the first Sunday in the month of Jeth. They bury their dead and offer to the spirits of deceased ancestors vermicelli (siwaiyán), and bread on the 'Id and the halwa sweetmeat on the Shab-i-barât. In former times, it is said, they used to consult Brâhmans in fixing an auspicious day for marriages-a practice which appears now to be abandoned. They do the usual third day (tîja) and fortieth day (chehlam) ceremony for the repose of the spirits of the dead.

Religion.

5. Besides their special business of entertaining travellers they also catch fish, and are hence in the west of the Occupation. Province, known as Mahigîr or "fishcatcher." Their women are known as Mehtarâni, a sort of mock honorific title. Of the Grand Trunk Road Dr. Buchanan writes:-" On the great road more attention is shown to the real convenience of travellers than in any part of India which I have yet visited; and regular inns (sarâi, bhathiyârkhâna) are kept at convenient distances. Each inn consists of a number of distinct chambers, which are let by the night to any traveller or company, eight or ten persons

VOL. II.

1 Eastern India, 11., 289.

2 Travels, I., 86, Hobson Jobson, 615.
3 Eastern India, loc. cit.

c 2