The Upper Godavari district became British territory on the 5th November 1860, the six talukas of which it is composed having been ceded by His Highness the Nizam, by the treaty of that year. It lies between lat. 17° 25' and 19° 5' N., and long. 79° 55' and 81° 45' E. Tho I population numbered 54,680. Nearly half the population is composed of wild tribes. The exclusively agricultural classes number 30,367, and consist chiefly of the Yelma, Kamawar. Amwa, Mailman, Telinga, Koi, and Got. Of these, tho Yelma, though Sudra, enjoy a goal deal of consideration, as many of tho chiefs— among thetn the Sar Desmukits of the four upper talukas, and the Rani of Ilhadrachallam--are of this caste. The Yelina veil their women, and do not permit them to appear in public ; and the men in tho lower part of the district, of even the poorer members of tho mac, will not put their hand to the plough. The inferior castes, all plying their respective professions, and many of them cultivating land as well, are the Kutn bhar, or potters ; Meriwar, or tailors ; Baljwar, or bangle-makers ; Teli, or oil-pressers ; Rangrez, or dyers, also work as embroiderers; Dendrawar, or tasar silk weavers ; Dhobi, or tvasherrnen, be sides washing, attend on travellers, carry torches, fetch water, carry loads and palanqunis, etc. ; Julai, or weavers; Kalal, or distillers and spirit dealers; Dhimar or Bhoi are fishermen, carry palanquins, fetch water, and do other menial work ; Hajam, or barbers, also carry torches for travellers; Medariwar, or mat-makers; Uppari war, or tank-diggers and stone-cutters ; a.dda war, boatmen and fishermen.
The Gond tribes are Got and Koi, Sunl:ariwar, Mannepuwar, and Netkaniwar. The latter WCAVC a coarse cotton cloth. They aro the abmigines
of the country. Although almost identical in cus toms and in language, they do not eat together or intermarry, the Koi claiming superiority over tho Got. The proper name for the Koi is Koitor, and this is what they call themselves. By the Telingas they are called Koidora, the word Dora meaning gentleman, probably arising from the last syllable of Koitor having been taken for Dora, owing to the similarity of sound. The Koi, where they come into contact with the Telinga population, have adopted many of their customs, and have thereby to a certain extent lost their peculiarity of appearance and character. The Got keepa more aloof from civilisation; but the customs of the two races are very similar, and both belong to the Gond family. They are subdivided into many sects, according to the number of gods they worship, and they practise ancestor worship. They aro timid, inoffensive, and tolerably truth ful. Their restless habits, however, do not admit of their settliug down as good agriculturists; and, generally speaking, they move from one spot to another once in every three or four years. But on the banks of the Sabari, and in the neighbourhood of Sironcha and Dumagutlern, there are numbers of them who have settled down, and have accumu lated some wealth in flocks, in herds, and in money. It seems that where they can cultivate rice, they will sometimes become attached to the soil, especially if a grove of pahnyras bo near, as, like all Gonds, they are fond of sprits, and the fermented juico of tho palinym (Borassus formis) is a favourite beverage with them. The Upper Godavery district has many barrows, cairns, cromlechs, and kistvaens.