LTV FOr-R rOI'lJIFS.
..
CALCUTTA: OEICE '_IF TIlE SrpEnETE~DE~T OF GuYEn~)IDT rm~TI~G. l~IIL;.,
lSOG.
KORTII-'VESTER~ PROYIXCES AXD OL"DH.
I
'Iraqi, Iraki, Ranki, Ranki, Raki.l-A sub-caste of Muham­ madan Kalwars. They profess to take their name from th~
country of 'Iraq, which is now uividecl into 'Iraq Ajami, or Persian
Idq, which is nearly coincident with ancient ~1edia, and 'Inlq
Arabi, 01' Arabian Iraq, on the 10wer course of the TiQ'l'is and
Euphrates. 2 Acconliug- to others the name it' only a corruptinn of
'Ara(li, from,' Al'aq " spirituous liquor." In Bih,lr they are known as Kalfd, whieh is merely a variant of Kalw~r and the name by
which the tri],e are kll<,wn in the Ea~tel'll Palljab. 3 The word Kalal
is derive(l from the Sall~krit lcalqap,ila, kaZI"ij;,il,l, kallJ'lldlakll or
lal,i,'/pd{ilkil,1 meaning' ., a cli"tiller." Sume of the R,inkis profess
to be the (le~cen,jantt' of Per~ian iIllllligrant~, but there seems little
uoubt that they are little more than Kalwfn''; who have embraced l:,;l;lm. Tlte professed ~1uhammadan members are mill to call
them~clvet' lbllki, while others who call themt'elves Hanki occa­
sionally fur the f'ake of traue "ink their ::\1 uham ma,lallism, and
revert to the llame of Kalwar, which suits their Hindu cu:;tomers
better. 'l'he onh' difference between them is that Hankis fat'ten
their coats in Hindu fa"hion to the left awl Hiinkis in ~luha.m­
•
tinned water jar (badhlta) j the Hanki wears no beard antl uses >
1 BaRcd on local enQll1f1CS at lIlirzapnr, and a VCl'y complete note by Sayyid KhairwlJiu Hu~ain l\:h"'lu, Excise Bnpel'iutcudollt. Azamgarh.
~ Ir,',q (M"'I'l'otamia) means" a level country uCoiuc the banks of a river."­ Burton, AI'"I,i"" Ni,,'hL3. Not,,- 531"( Si;litl.
:3 ni~l(ly, Tl'illc.'i fuul Co~tI..S, 11\, l~t(j ; Ihl)ots011, Ponjnl) F.tJmo!7roph:I, 3'35. 4 1\Ir. XL· ... fidJ',s ~ug'g'e:-::til)ll to CUlluect th~· \YlH'd with the lil['Jinc(ir catechu­
maker, and 1\lr. Hi~lt]yJ .... derivation frl)m kIlJu'/l'la," une wl:o w,H'ks <1, Illachine," b~u.l (Lvc. cit. I., :IS,',) arc oljllally ulltellaulc.
V uL. 111.
'IRAQI, lRAKl, RANKI, 2 RANKr, RARl.
a hrass loitz. TllP R'lnki~ iu Mirzapur fix: their hcad-quarter;; at a
place calbl lklkhara, in the Part<ibgal'h Di"trict, whence they
emigTatcd some furty yl'ar~ ago.
2. Once upon a tillH', they f3ay, a ~rnhammadan army pa~sC1.1
Be1khara, aml the sl,l,liers seized a Kahdr Traditions of origin.
au,l made him a ~Iuhammaaau by foree.
IIis des('cu,lauts arc the pre~ent IUnkis. ThL're scems little lloubt
that tht'ir conyel'~i<)n oeL'ul'l'c,l in comparati\'cly recent times. Those
who han' achanced in the belief in I,;htIll reg,:ml Ilazrat Jihini of
B,)ghllii,l as their patron saint.
S. TIFJ1-5e in Mil'zapn!' certainly haye a tribal council (panch'l1jat)
Tribal {1r~[ll1ilnti( nand lllarnJ.gt~ rulL's.
whieh is saillnot to be the ease in AZ:.lmgarh, I
hut as t!H'Y kn'e ~catterC'd about in small
number:; it is not influential. The presi,IL'nt, "hn is a hCl'e,1itary
ofl1cer, i:; calleLI Chamlhari. Formerly, it is said, the council med to
llleet to set tie tralle qnr~tillns, hut uow siute their disper~il)u it has
hl'l'onw a ,:iml,le l'olll)(:i I W hi..Jl meLts to ~dt Ie l'hal'g'es of adult,'ry,
breaL,1i "f ca~te l'\l:l'~, aUlI t he like. Illil'it interCI/Ul'sc with a woman
of ~\llt,thl'l' ca~tl' i~ l'uniolie.l by e"plll"ion, and the oiYenJel' is re-admit­
tell <In ft.:",lillg the elan lin mcat h,ile,l \yith l'il'c (I'lilrio) aUll liquIH'.
A tL'W ycar~ ago the trihal coulll'il of thl' town H;tnkis pre:-cribed
ah~tillellue from ~pirits, but the ~ca,ttl'rCll memhers of the trihe
do n,)t curry ont this orL1er. If a man ,eLlnce a woman of the
l'a~te he is ob'ig'e,l to marry her hy the ~ikah £"rm, If a woman
intrigue with all ont::.i,ler :,;he il' permanently expL'lbl. Theil' rulel'
or e'\:og'<Lmy ap]lC';u- to be a ::;nrt uf l'omprilmise hetween lIimhI and
J\Iuhallllll:.lllall rule,;. At the Jatit ccnl'US the ,Muhammadan lr;[lli:::
were rel'l ,nled iu fOllrteen sl'ctions :-_-\.nfi, Au£6, Bandi, Bata, Kald;lr,
l>an..!Jal1lhar, Gnrai~hi, Ha£ki, Rlngi or H~nki, S;lna, Shaikh,
Salh'li, amI Zang'i. But thl'~e du not apI'L'a!' to inlllJ(-nee marriag'e.
A man may n"t lIlany the dang'hter of hi~ fathl'l"~ f'ister or of hi,;
own ~i"t el', but he mn marry the dRug-hi Cl' of his maternal uncle.
rt'hey gi\'C' daughter,; a~ hrides iutl} fallliliL's with \yhich the}' arc
a\leally elo~ely illtermarrirll, but tIu l}(lt take wi\'es from thL'lll,
Polygamy is rCC"'!.!'lli~et1. \Yt1men haw ellllsi,lel'able freedtlm hefure
marria!.!'c, lJl1t al'ter marriaC!,'e art:! "eL'IUtlL-,1 until they ha\'e three or
four ehil,lrell, when the rebtridion l'ea~es. If a man f'l'lluce an
ullmarriel.l girl, \Y)th arc l,ut out uf ca"te ulltil their respeeti \'e
'IR.\QI, JRAKI, RA};KI, 3 RANKI, lL:\KI.
fathers g'iYe a tribal fea~t ; a11l1 tlwy are tlll'll marrierl hy the :\ihi1h
fnl'lll all,l admit te,l to ca~tt'. Girls are UH13.ilv maniell at tilt' aO'e . ~
p£ ten and the 1)1 YS at fifteen. The marriage .(S arranged by the
brother-in-law of the boy's father. The coment of the parents is
essential, and the partje~ ha\'e no freedom of choice. No bride
pl'iee i" paid. After the con"llmmation of the marriage, the hrille's
fatlier is e:spertell to gi \'e something' to the bri,leg'l\'om's father by
way (If dowry: thi:; becomes the property of the bride. Xo ph:Hi­
('a 1 llefi'('! ari~ing' after marriage is sulIk·ient to annul it, but this
is not the case if any defel:t in either party which exi"too bdurc
marriaQ'l' has been fraUllnlently concealed by the relations on either
"ide. 'Yhell a 'woman is prowll to lx' habitually uncha~te, she is
di,'orccll by the coullL·il, alld a regular letter of di\'orccmcnt is
drawn up. The malTiage of willows and di\,on'ell women with
leave of the council i,; IJermitted, and their children rank equally
with those of a regular marriage. l
4. )Iarriage of widows i" perfnrme,l by the Q,lzi reading the
WiJol\' n1urLqro "ml Xa',ik o\'cr both parties. Tilt> man gi\'es the levirate.
Wi.j,1W some jewelO' and a :;heet, which Ehe
puts on. lIer father is then expeded to fea,-t the clansmen, but if
he call1lnt afford thi~, he gi\'es them a tlrink of sharhat, and the
ceremony is C'omplete. Contrary to :;Unhallll11adall c\l,.,toms,~ the
Ie\-i.ratc i" permitted with the ordin'll'Y rc,tric:tion that it is only
the younger 111'otiJel' of her late hmband wh0 can take the widow
to ,,·ifc. If the right of the k'\'irate be not claimed, she can many
outsillc the family of her late husband. In thi~ case the children
by bel' late Inbband remain in charge of his brother, and they will
inherit their father's e~tate. The sume rule applies in the case of
the leyira.te, with thi,- difference that the levir, in addition to being:
a trll,.tee for his nephpw", is, during their min'l!'ity. entitled to the
usnfl'1lct of tllCir estate. Thcre is no fietion of attributing the
chiklIcn of the levir to the mother's first husband.
5. A sonless man may n,dnpt a sun with the consent of his
heirs. He may a\lopt his daug-hter's son. Adoption.
""hile an adopted. son IS aliYe, a second
1 Tllf'ro apl'onr< to he no fixp,l rille tl"ot.'1. (li',)tcoil woman cannot marry witllill tll,· pCl'i(l,l (,f i,717qh.-Hug'hl':-;' Dil fI\'linl"~1 (J L:i,"III. :]17.
:: 1'11(· ('lily -:\11.l1wlnm:l,1;tll 1':1('1'~ :U}l(lng whel!ll it :l]'P":.L1'S to (lXl.:;:,t arc tho Afg"h:',n.:;:.,-E1I,Lin:--tnI1C. Pi, f!lr,' ,J U(I.' A·(I, ..... ;,);,/ (f l'.,7,1'l, I .. If!5, (lll("'tl.-'a by:Lt'tour­ ''''ct, 1 .... -..l"li·" ,,' JI'.rriugc; 263'; "nJ the Bilucbi~, \\'cstermarck, His/ury cfHu"lan JI,,,,r;,,}c. 511, notu.
VUL, III.
4 RANK!, RAKI.
not be ad(lpteu. A bachelor, a. blind, impotent or lame man can adopt, but not an a-cetic. A woman can adopt only by permission of her llUi-band, and if a. man adopt a ~on his widow cannot adopt ag'ain. /jut she can all opt if such adoptell son dies, provided the
p'ropel'ty he the acquired property of hcl' husband. A man can give hi::; only 01' elcle,.:t son (ll' brothel' to his brother for adoption. A girl may b~ adopted. The person, hc1weyer, usuallyadopk'<l is a nephew or son-in-law, Lut. preference is given to a nephew. In default of a nephew on the male side or daughter's son or son-in­ law, they adopt a ,;jster'" son. If the son a(lopted g-ive shares to his brllthers in the property of hi,; aclopti\'e father, he can also inherit from his natural father. But not unlcss the condition is fulfilled, 01' uules,; his natural father leave no other son. All this is, of
course, contrary to :;\Iuhammallan law. "An adopted son 01' claughter of kn,mn de~eeut has no rig-ht to inherit from his or her adoptive
parents aIllI their relatives-the filiation of tlus desel~ption being nei ther recommewled nor recognized by ~l uhammadan law. Such son 01' daughter i,;, howe\'cr, entitled to what may be gi\-en under a valill dec(l in g-ift or will. In this particular the :;\Iuhammadan agrees with the English and the Hillliu with the Roman law." I
If aftt'r adl1ption a natural son be born, he and the adopted son share
equally. The custom of beena marriage prevails to some extent, and in this case the son-in-law liv-ing with his father-in-law acquires
no rights of inhcritance. 6. A man's heirs are his sons, but the property is divided ac­
conling to the numher of mothers. A father
cannot during his lifetime nominate particular son to take a larg'er share than that of the others. ,Yhen an e:'tate has been held jllintly by a father anli rus sons, and
is di"tributed among the SOilS on the fat her's decease, the SOilS will
take all the joint e,.:tate, moveable 01' immoveallle, ancestral or acquired. nut any part of such estate which a particular son has acquired
by sncce~~i()n frolll his matel'llal gran,lfather 01' father-in. law ooes
not (:<lme uuder diyision. 'YheH there are no sons, but grandsons 01'
great-gralHlsons, the shares are allottt>d accoroing to the numbet· of
sons of the c1ecea~eJ. 1£ a man die ]ca\'illO' a witlow or widows M ,
Succession.
a (bn~htl'r amI d:m~'htt'rs and Ll'oth('r~ with their de::-celldants, Lut no male lineal ue,cellllant;: within their gellerations, the inheritance
1 Tagore LillO Lectures, 1873, p. 12·!.
'IBAQI, IRAKI, RANKI, R':\'NKI, R.\KI.
will devolye on the brothers; but the widow is entitled to mainten­ ance. The widow, howewr, will inherit if her late husband Iiyed apart froID his br. ,thers, and she can alienate hy sale. But if she become unchaste, her hushand's brethren will exclude her and take the property. A daughter 118\'e1' inherits from the father unless during- his lifetime he as,ign her a share by de(>ll; an,l .. he has no right to maintenance out of her father's eHate. 13ut lJY ca~t{' rules the brothers are he1.1 bound, out of love ancl affection, to support their sisters who are childless widows. If a man used 10 liye separate from his brothers with his mother, and dies without a male lineal descendant, a widow, a daughter 01' ,laughter's son, the iu­ heritance will deYoh"e upon the mother. She has a life interest, and at her death the nearest agnate will inherit. It. seems also agreed that when the inheritance passes to the associated brethren the owner may l)y will select a palticuiar hrother as his heir. When a wife dies holding property in bel' own righ t, the hnsban(l succeeds. The son of a widow who re-marries inherits from his falher. The step.father snpports him till he is twelye years 01(1, after ~hich he returns to his father's family. A man who retires from the \\orld and joins a religinns order lo~es his right to inherit or to retain his property, which passes to his heirs.
7. There is 110 ceremony during pregnancy. 'Yhen pal'tnri-
Birth ceremonies. tion is diflicult, the woman IS g-l\'en some water to drink on which a ~1anla\.j has
\Jlown and oyer whieh he has recited some pas~ages of the Qll1'fin. The woman is deliycred on the ground. After birth a Chamain miclwire is called in, who cuts the cord and buries it in the ground where the child is born. OYer it a tire is kept lighting till the twe:fth day. On the "ixth day the mil1wife bathes the mother aUll child. On the twelfth day the ~'h,)le home is whitewashed and
plastered, and the earthen vessels replaeed. On that day the mother and child are bathed by the harber's wife. lIer feet are not dyed with lac, as is usnal with Himlus. 'Yhile :'Ohe i,; lJeing ~ hathed her women friend:; sing. On that (lay .. if the father can afford it, he £eed~ the clansmen on brea(l, rice, and parched gram. Some families who are extra strict consiocr the mother impure for
forty days. 8. A boy is circumcised (.lIusalllldlli lear/lila) at the age of fin~
Circumcision. or seven. The ceremony is done in the month of Ramzan or Bare Pir. Sweet bread
6 RANKf, RAKr.
all(1 meat buibI with rice (pIIUO) arc fir~t offered to God with praYl'rs,
awl then the barber l11akiu;.!,' the boy stau,l fal'illg the ea;,t perlorlll';
the operati< JIl. Ref"re aUll after the boy prays ill a museplL'.
Dllriug the oPt'l'atiOll the boy is giYell a ll<:lse of ma'jum compo,;ed
of b/t'1ll(J and Hl~ar. The w{JUllll is washeJ with a lleellction of
makoya (? sal',;aparilb), oil of jasmine (ch«(llldi) or COC0<111Ut, and a
decoctioll of the k;),\-e~ of the ni'll tree is applied daily. 'rhe bar­
bel' receives fOllr almas as his remuneration aud a pice or two from
each of i he frieIHb present. Arter this the dansmen are fea~ted.
P. The marriage arrangements are m~l.IIe 1)y the hrother-iu-law,
I1hrriage. or in default of him. by >,ome neal' rela.
tion of the boy's father. Then comes the
betrothal (man(!'ll1 i). The marriage foll.)ws a year after. 'rltey
haye the tJI'ltml1l1gar cercmony as among' low IIillllns,l Some
families set up a lluptial shed (illd /tI'O) , amI some clo not. III the
same way some anoint the hl'illeg'l'{10111 with turmeric amI oil:
others use only mnstal\l oil. Before the proces:-:ion ~tarts the dans­
men arc entl'rtaillcu at a feast (Chatn·an). Some oflcl' on the wed­
ding' day sweet bread and other choice food to Gocl and ~IuhamIl1all,
others do) not. The briJeg'l'oom in a. white 01' yell.)w lirC';S is
takcn to his brille's hOl\se on hnr,;eLa<.:k. ,Yhen the proeesbioll
reaches the bride's cloor, her relations a(h-ance a few pace:; to re­
cei\-e and then e":C'Ol't them to the place prepared for tht:ir recep­
tion. The Q:izi then rca.is the iVil.:cih first oyer the hl'ideg-r,)om
amI tbell O\'e1' the brille, after which the fl'icmls arc treatell to
sharhat amI gi\-en a. feast. Xext rnOl'llillg the brille's father pro­
duces the duwl'y bernre the friellll" of the hl'itlegTot)m, allli after
feasting' them the hride is dismissed with her huslJallll. Some follow till' Himlu practice of plung'illg the marriag-e festoons (llIIudilf/Oar)
into) running water on the fourth clay after the we(ldillg. This
form of marriage is called shddi or citarhanwa, in Jistindion with
willow man;age, MOdi.
10. The dead are burica in the usual :Muhammadan way III a
Burial. burial ground known as Ilara wal, " the place
of bones" (1t(1:r, harldi). The bOlly in the
gra'\e is covered with l>(lards, over which leayes of the parris (~lIt"a
fr01ldo.~a) arc laid. After the funeral sku'hat is (listributeJ to
dammen. On the fourth day riee a.nd jiuUO are di::;trilJuted to
I For this see I3/wi'lO. para. 14.
7 RANKI, RAKI.
friends and beg-gars. In the same way, on the tenth day f"ocl
i" distrihuted in tlw name of the (lea'l, an 1 the clan,,:mcll are fed,
on the tweutieth lay, awl a!:','ain on the fortieth, while money, cloth aUlI the artie,!''': n-('ll hy the lleeea"e,l are g-i\'en to a ~Ia\llavi
in thc hope that tIlt' spirit will euj,)y them in the Jawl of the lle:lll.1
On the Shal)-i-bar;it e\'elT year l)ren.'l, meat, and the Ila?wa sweet.
meat are l,fj'eretl in the name of the denll.
11. nallki~ arL' ~Inhall1ma(lans of the Snnni Ecct. Those re"jd.
eut in yillag'es obsel'ye yearly the mal'l'iag-e Religion.
of Gh:izi ~Iiyim, anll offer in hi" name "acri.
flees of goats, rams, and sweetmeats, Thl'~' also ~'or~hip the IIillllu g'odtless Bha",:I11i. They make pi 19-1'imag'e,,: to t heg-raws or mar.
tyrs (,Wyyifi a corruption of shah/d), nud orret' to them Lloml bncri.
fices and sweetmeats. Their fbtiyals ale the Ill, Ba'Il'IlI, marria,ge
of Gh;izi ~Iiy:ln, and JlnhalTam. During' the Jlnharram many
of thplll get clrnnk. To protect ehiltlrell from e"il ~pirits they pnt
an amulet (ta'awl'=), hIeSe'er! hy a ::\Iaulavi. roull!l their llecks. The ghosts of the dead arc suppo>;ed io yisit their fri~nt15 in llreams
naked alltl to bring lli~ea:;e. They oh:;erve the usual Hindu meet­
ing all,l other omens.
12. ',"omen wear a number of ~il\'Cr ring'S in the ears and an orna·
ment known as patfa, uose-rings (nalhi,lla), Social life,
nl'eklaces, ",'ri~t ornamenb,(c!'u'ri, d harl"lllla),
arm ornaments (jallslt,ot, b,i:;lt). anklet~ (A-Ilra, pairi). 'rhey swear by the form Rdilldo1i(ii amI l)y the Yin,lhyab,isini Devi of
Bindhachal; those more ullllel' the iniluellce of l:,l:im on wate]' an\l
the Qur:l,n. They employ Ojhas in cases uf demoniaeal p";:;.e-sioll.
The eff('ets of the E"il-eyp are remlwml hy the incantations of a
::\Iuhammatlan Faq!r. They will not cat pork amI will nnt t',\1ch a
Dom or ~\Iehtar, or the wifl, of a y,)unQ'c'l' hrotlwl', Thl' 1111)l'e cir­
cumspect are tedotallers. Those who live in cities eat Leef, Lut villagers do not. They will eat the ill'"h of the horse ancl camel,
fowls ant! fish, but not allig'ators, snakes, lizanls, or rats. The men ~
eat apart allu before the women. Before eating they say a grace,
1 The practice of lea\in~ arti('1('~ fur the nsc of the dC;111 13 ('I.lmml·n. Sl'e Parkman. J"~lllfs in XIJ!'ll1 AII"'ri('(f, lidNIJuc!i,'il. panL. ~1. }fl' qnoles the Tillll'''':: of ncb h:r :?sth. '>::1);-), ,l\)'::'tTiLill;! th(l flllH'l'ul rite..:. of Lrl1",l P'1.1m4\r.::tl'1l. : "Awl as the ~or,l:3 'Dllst to Dll~t: A~ll\'''' to .-\ .. hc~.· were I'l', I~Ollll'·\,."!. the (:lti'_'f ll1C1urn(·r t
a" a la,t precious oJl:'ering to the dead. threw into the gru.V8 ~evc~al diamond all']
gulcl rings."
'IR.\QT, IR.\KI, RA~Kr, 8 RANKI, RAKI,
bi,~millah. They use opium, ganja, and tobacco fTroly. ,Yhen a
guest arriYes the women I'eize his feet and weep. This is known as bhel/fna. Then they wa~h his feet and g'ive him drink and tohaecQ.
TIll'}" sainte in the :\Iuhammadan f'Jrm, assalr1lill' 'dlrzikrWl, with the reply Trd 'alaikum assaldm. No Hindu cats the lea\'ings of their
food eXl'l'pt Doms and :JIl'htars. They wilt not ea.t foou touched by aDorn, Chamar, Dhobi or Mehtar.
13. They are generally petty shopkeepers, often selling- pipes
Occupation. and tobacco alltllelll.ling money. There is a
colony of them in the town of LaT in Gorakh-
pur, who arc influential snLl thriving merchants, who deal largely in
hides antI ordinary country produce.
])islrilutiOil of the' 1r(11]i8 according to the CenSIU of 1891.
iXumbcrs.i! I
l\! eerut 28 AZlIlllgarh 1,005
Agra 6 TarEd 13
Farrukhilbad 28 Unao 42
Bareilly 1 ,i Kheri 125 :
Allahabad 33 Faizal,ad. 161
Benares 13 'I Bahraich. 332
Jaunpur , . , 641 , Suitilnpur 1,141
Ila1lill '1
J
Jadon.-(Sanshit Yctdal'n). A sept of RAjpnts who elaim their descent and name from Yadu, son of Yayilti, the fifth monarch of the Lunar dynasty. Colonel Tod calls them" the most i 1I1l"trio1l8 of all the tribes of Ind "; but in the Panjab their name has heen over~ha.dowed by the Bhatti, the title of their rlominant hranch in morlern times. "The only Hindu descendants of the Y adm'ami at the present day are the Jadons of the small state of Karanli to the west ot the Chamhal and at Sahalgarh or Jallcm-ati in the Gwalior territory east of that river; hut the ::\Iusalmans ot acknowledged Jillion descent form a very large portion of the…