DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27740#0149
MANGGARODIS
Kind of crime.—(]) Robbery. (2) House-breaking. (3) Bazar
and fair thefts. (4) Sheep lifting. (5) Cheating. (6) Crop thefts.
Composition of gang.—Generally travel in gangs consist-
ing of three to four men with women and children. At times a
large number of gangs consisting of a hundred men meet together.
They use buffaloes as pack-animals. They camp in small
on the outskirts of village or towns. Their never face west.
They are fond of keeping dogs.
Ostensible occupation.—Begging and shaving of buffa-
loes.
Residence.—Central Provinces, Berar, Bombay Presidency,
and H. E. H. the Nizam's Dominions.
Language.—A mixture of Marathi and Gujrati.
Castes assumed.—Kunbis or Phulmalis.
General appearance.—The men are tall and well set up,
with dark complexion. Their clothes consist of M/h,
coat, and shoes. The women wear MrA with a fold between the
legs, and c/zo/A, glass bangles, brass earrings, bead necklaces and
bellmetal anklets. The hair is never combed, generally short, and
always dishevelled. Both sexes are extremely dirty in their persons
and clothing, and as rule are covered with vermin. The
women are tattooed mostly on their forearms, chins, left nostril, left
cheek, on the outer corner of each eye, and between the eyebrows.
They do not tattoo below the waist.
Manggarodis are Hindus and appear to have originated from General
Gujrat. They are purely a wandering tribe and have no fixed
residence. They move about with their women and children,
and travel on foot only, as caste rules preclude the use of any con-
veyance.
Both men and women are drunkards. The men are very sus-
picious by nature, irritable, and bad tempered. They dislike manual
labour or any settled work, and beyond shaving buffaloes they chief-
ly subsist on crime. Even the women and children steal habitually.
They are very loyal to their community, and when arrested never
disclose their associates. It is said that they are superstitious of
castor oil leaves and abhor the idea of touching them ; and if they
know that they are to be made to come in contact with these leaves
they at once make a clean breast of things. When arrested they
give false names and assumed castes. The women become very
violent both at the time of their arrest and when an attempt is made
to search an encampment. Instances have been known of them
having cast off all their clothes and appearing in a state of nudity,
declaring that they would accuse the police of having outraged their
modesty.
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Kind of crime.—(]) Robbery. (2) House-breaking. (3) Bazar
and fair thefts. (4) Sheep lifting. (5) Cheating. (6) Crop thefts.
Composition of gang.—Generally travel in gangs consist-
ing of three to four men with women and children. At times a
large number of gangs consisting of a hundred men meet together.
They use buffaloes as pack-animals. They camp in small
on the outskirts of village or towns. Their never face west.
They are fond of keeping dogs.
Ostensible occupation.—Begging and shaving of buffa-
loes.
Residence.—Central Provinces, Berar, Bombay Presidency,
and H. E. H. the Nizam's Dominions.
Language.—A mixture of Marathi and Gujrati.
Castes assumed.—Kunbis or Phulmalis.
General appearance.—The men are tall and well set up,
with dark complexion. Their clothes consist of M/h,
coat, and shoes. The women wear MrA with a fold between the
legs, and c/zo/A, glass bangles, brass earrings, bead necklaces and
bellmetal anklets. The hair is never combed, generally short, and
always dishevelled. Both sexes are extremely dirty in their persons
and clothing, and as rule are covered with vermin. The
women are tattooed mostly on their forearms, chins, left nostril, left
cheek, on the outer corner of each eye, and between the eyebrows.
They do not tattoo below the waist.
Manggarodis are Hindus and appear to have originated from General
Gujrat. They are purely a wandering tribe and have no fixed
residence. They move about with their women and children,
and travel on foot only, as caste rules preclude the use of any con-
veyance.
Both men and women are drunkards. The men are very sus-
picious by nature, irritable, and bad tempered. They dislike manual
labour or any settled work, and beyond shaving buffaloes they chief-
ly subsist on crime. Even the women and children steal habitually.
They are very loyal to their community, and when arrested never
disclose their associates. It is said that they are superstitious of
castor oil leaves and abhor the idea of touching them ; and if they
know that they are to be made to come in contact with these leaves
they at once make a clean breast of things. When arrested they
give false names and assumed castes. The women become very
violent both at the time of their arrest and when an attempt is made
to search an encampment. Instances have been known of them
having cast off all their clothes and appearing in a state of nudity,
declaring that they would accuse the police of having outraged their
modesty.
12