The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-10-13
The Meenas of Central India A Sin

Lieut.. Col. Z. l. Showers has COM
municated to the proceedings Of the Asia
tic Society Of Bengal, paper upon the
Meenas. wild tribe of Central India
Lieut.. Col. Showers says that when the
Meenas first fell under his observation in
the year 1854, they werein condition of
entire lawle ssness. Emboldened by long
mportunity they carried their audacity SO
far as to attack and pillage several walled
towns in the British District of Aimur,
carrying OF not only the entire plunder
to their hill Businesses, but numbers Of
the inhabitants also, holding them to
ransom, At that period it fell to the
duty of Lieut.. Col. Showers to take
them in hand, He proceeded to Sehoz
poor, the centre OF the disturbed dis
trict, and inaugrated several measures of
the tram Utilization and recl9mations OF
the race. From time immemoIial j e haz
poor, in the state Of AdeyDoor, had been
a lctofiously disturbed district 4 Pc
Rod Of brief tranquility was accorded 10
Uehazpoor during the early part Of the
present century by the appalling severity
ofsmeasures OF the noted Minister Lalitn
S NJ, after Jehazpoor fell into the pos
session of katah, in 1906. On the resti-
tuition OF the district, however, to Mey-
war, in 1919, 1t soon reiapsed into It's
former disturbed condition. JehZapo0r
was in truth, position we'll chosen for
the iawless occupation of professional
marauders, being strong, hliiy and
jungly country. where the boundaries Of
four Jurisdictions meet, viz: 1ieywar,
BoonGee, Jeypoor aud Ajmur. There
arc twelve tribes Of Meenas ir Central
iuda, bat the one under notice IS called
the Purihars, who were the Dominant
race III Marwur, till dispQssessed Of their
ancient capital MundoTe by the Rhatees
towards the close OF the fourteenth cen
fury. In a generation or two afterwards
they are found in the Chronicles lurking
on the quadruple boundary already al
luded to, u race of outcasts, without a
common head; and such they have con
tinued ever since, their hand against
every man, and every mans hand against
them, plundering III gangs and joining
any of the great marauding movements
that have from time to time been organ
lied under noted leaders Thus, in 1917,
some Of the boldest Of the outlawed
Thakur Javkir Singh s followers were
these Meenas. The same indomitable
spirit which carried the Purilors forth
out of the land Of their lost dominion
seems to have maintained them ina state
OF wild independence throughout the
long interval since for though nomi-
| nally owing allegiance to the statestupon
the verge of whose territories it had
suited their purpose to locate themsely-
| es in .tcttGltS or gangs, they have never
really succumbed to any power, but,
hanging together as one man, have al
ways united to repel the frequent futile
attempts that hvae been made from time
to time by the rulers of states to coerce
any of their Meena subjects, so called.
The aggregate Of the male adults in the
tribe is about "a 600; OF this number
about 10000, distributed in 200 villages,
are located along these border tracts. In
dividuallv, the men are brave to despera-
ton, athletic and hardy, many of them
| tall with fine countenaaces,. denoSng
their superior origin. The Meena will
neither eat, smoke, nor intermarry with
the aboriginal Bull, MAR, or low caste
| Meena of the Aravulla ; that is to say,
/ he will not give daughter in marriage,
| though he viii take to his bed as many
| daughters of the inferior tribes as he can
support Their pride of birth in indeed
excessive, fostered by traditions ascend
| ing beyond the bounds Of history to the
regions OF myth. The genealogist of the
| tribe is the henored guest in every vii
lage he visits@n his annual round. Each
| family engages his company for one en-
tire day, which is occupied in recording
| In the pOndeTOus manuscript volume
| the recent additions to the family. tree,
whether in the male OF female bsanch
| for even the ancestry ofsthe women Is
duly recorded. About half the tribe are
armed with matchlocks Of a superior
manufacture, ,about half with a bow, and
all with the kattar. or double hiited dag
| ger, which IS a weapon they peculiarly
affect. 1t is q weapon never detached
! from the person a single moment, wax
| ing or esleepiuk. Free from the ordinary
| preiudices Of caste, the Poilhars are
great eaters of meat, which their cattle
| lifting raids furnish in profus ion. They
are also great-drinkers of sI,irits.swhicl
serves to increase their natural ferocity.
Al the married, and many besides take
in Keeping the widows of the deceased
clansmen 10 the number OF two or three
| eaef, or ethefwise forcibly donlicile wo
laen abducted in their raids. Perhaps
| the most noteworthy fact relating t
the tribe was their ignorance up to thu
day Of Lieut.. Col Showers arriya
among them of the true character o.
the British Government rs thes para
mount power. The raids OF the Meenas
into British territory broaght matters tt
a crisis, andit became lneeessary5to pu
them down But in CONTRAST with tht
unfortunate contests with savage races
which are going on at the present day
| in. othcr partslof the world, it may no
be- unworthy Of note that the tranquiliza
ton of ,Iehazpoor was effected with 5ut
shot being fred.