13
Neamut Khan remained loyal when Iiis cousin, Khan
Buhadoor Khan (afterwards hanged for murder
dnring the revolt), rebelled against the British
Government in 1857.
No. 4. Rajali Khyratee Loli.—Khayet. A large
landholder in the Bareilly district.
No. 5. Moonshee Buldeo Singh.—Is of the same
caste, and is also a considerable landholder.
Nb. 6. Gujadhur Loli.—A Bunnea by caste, and
a large sugar manufacturer and banker of Bareilly.
i.—Trading Classes.
No. 67. Hotee Loli.
Ilotee Loli is a Hindoo belonging to the Bunneah,
or trading caste, and of the Baraysanee sept. He is
an inhabitant of Hattrass, a large commercial town
in the district of Allyghur, of which he is a native.
No. 68. Ram Persad—Muhajun.
Ram Persad is a Bukal and an Ugurwallah by
caste, and a Muhajun or banker by profession. The
Ugurwallah Muhajuns are famous in India for the
correctness and universality of their exchange and
bill transactions, and for their industry as merchants
of money. Many of the dass are men of enormous
wealth, and their agencies extend all over India.
They recognise and Support the authority of Deans
of Guild, according to the most ancient Hindoo
principles, and their disputes are almost invariably
referred to Punchayets, or arbitrations among them-
selves, in preference to resorting to courts of justice.
No. 69. Shroffs.
Shroffs are not always Bunneas, though the person
illustrated may have been one. They are not unfre-
quently Brahmins, who have adopted a secular
calling, and deal in money — Khutris, and other
castes, Vaisya and Sudra. Their trade is the ex
change of money, the giving change for rupees in
pyce or copper coin, and for pyce in cowries.
In the higher branches of his calling, the Shroff
discounts hoondees, or bills of exchange, bonds, and
promissory notes. He deals also in bullion, in small
or large quantities, buys and sells Ornaments, old
and new pearls, and precious stones of all kinds.
Finally, he lends money, generally on pledges of
gold and silver Ornaments, in small proportion to
their value, but at moderate interest.
No. 70. Bunnea.
Bunneas are universal all over India. They are
the hueksters or small traders of the people. A
Bunnea’s shop or stall contains meal and fine flour
of wheat, with sogie or semoline, meal of millets
and ddferent kinds of pulse, rice, split peas, and
pulse of many kinds; for all these are used in the
farmaceous diet of the people, which is almost uni
versal. He sells also parched rice and peas, gram,
or horse corn, and generally every article of food’
except vegetables and meat, with which he has no
concern. Besides these he has condiments, salt,
cnillies, black pepper, green and dry ginger, and
garlic (but not onions), not omitting hing or assa-
foetida, which is used (a mere sovpcou) 3 with a pe-
culiar liehen, by high caste people to purify and
hayour made dishes. He has also a small störe of
spices—cassia, cardamoms, eloves, and mace ; sugar,
too, of varipus kinds ; goor, or molasses; and, in
some instances, sweetmeats; but they are never
good. He sells also ghee, and many have some fresh
butter in the mornings for their Mahomedan cus-
tomers ; but it is a perishable article, while ghee only
becomes (if not well boiled) occasionally rancid in
hot weather, and can be re-boiled. In short, the
Bunnea is grocer and purveyor in general in every
village and town in India.
1 he Bunneas also lend money, and exact usurious
interest; three per Cent, a montli compound interest
is not, perhaps, extravagant, and is sometimes in-
creased to four or five, except in case of pledges of
gold or silver, when the rate may be as low as 12
per cent., or even less.
No. 71. Marwarrees.
These, for the most part, are originally natives of
Jondhpoor and Jeypoor, in Rajpootana, though they
come from all parts of those provinces which bear
the general title. They are Vaisya Bunneas, men of
good caste, and, as a dass, by far the most energetic
and persevering of native merchants, whether as
Wholesale or retail dealers. Gradually the Marwarrce
Bunnea has penetrated to most parts of India. Ile
is found in Bengal, though not perhaps very nume-
rously, for the Bengali Bunnea is as sharp in busi-
ness as himself, and, as a pithy Hindi proverb ex-
presses it, “ two swords cannot stay in one scab-
bard.” The Marwarree, therefore, has gone South.
He has spread all over Malwah and Bundelcund ;
over Nagpoor, Berar, and the Deccan generally’.
At Hyderabad the fraternity is in great strength.
They marry only within their own gotes or clans,
and most usually only one wife. They are a fine
handsome race, with strong features; sometimes,
especially their women, very fair, and even ruddy,
with grey or blue eyes, the evidence of a pure desceiit
from most likely an ancient Aryan stock.
No. 72. Khutree.
Khutrees are a Hindoo sect, who are the chief
penmen of Northern India, and act as accountants,
secretaries, village registrars, merchants, and petty
traders.
In the Ilazara the Khutrees are settled amongst
an almost entirely Mahomedan population, have a
monopoly of money-lending and general trade, and by
their natural shrewdness and usefulness have become
necessary to the rüde people among whom they
dwell. A Khutree is a necessary inhabitant of every
village, and though bitterly despised for his idola-
trous faith, is yet protected and esteemed.
No. 73. Bhabra.
The Bhabras are a division of the Jains, one of
the most ancient sects of India, and are decided
schismatics from Braminical Hindooism.
