PARIAH or Pariar.
Holeyar, . . . CAN. Paraiyan, . . . TAM.
Dher, HIND. Paraiyar, . „ Mhar, Mina. Paraiyadi kiravan, Paravan, . . MALEAL. Malls vadoo, . .TEL.
Pariah is a Tamil term, applied to an aboriginal people scattered throughout Southern India, often adhering to a Shamanism. They are permitted to marry into each other's clans. They are re garded by the four castes of Hindus as of very low grade, but they are not out-castes, or men who have been expelled from other castes. They are not the Madiga Wanlu of TeUngar, a, or Chakkili of the Tamil, or Mang of the Mahrattas, nor Chamar of Northern India, who are shoemakers or workers in raw hides, and still eat creatures which die from disease, and other animals that most races regard as unclean, and who in villages perform the lowest menial offices, such as messengers and scavengers, and are paid by portions of the crops and some small privileges, but are not permitted to reside within the village. Tho Pariah, however, are usually the serfs of the Sudra agriculturists. Those in the largo towns, in the employ of the Europeans in Southern India, are quick, intelligent, and active. The race is emigrating with great rapidity to the West Indies, Mauritius, Cape Colony, and the Burmese provinces, etc., where all sectarian or social distinctions are unknown. There are said to be thirteen subdivisions amongst them. The Pariah are not the lowest of the aboriginal races. Even in the Tamil country there are ten castes who are lower in the social scale than the Pariah, and from these are excluded the Pallar, who dis pute precedence with the Pariah. The Pariah constitute a well-defined, distinct, ancient race, independent of all others, and has its own subdivisions, its own peculiar' usages, its own traditions, and its own jealousy of the encroach ments of the castes which are above it and below it. And the Pariar, whom St. Pierre's romance has fabled as .a mild, benevolent, subdued being, whenever he has an opportunity, is as severe on other sects as from the custom of the world we would surely expect. Several of the aboriginal
races of the S. of the Peninsula have race or tribal titles ; that of the Pariah is Samban, which means deity. The term Pariah is supposed by Professor Wilson to have its origin in the Tamil, Parai, a drum, as they are often the village musicians. Along the border country of the Nizam's territories, and in Berar, the Hindus style the Mhar and Dher or Pariah, Christians, the word being pronounced Kirsn. The Dher or Dhed of the Dekhan is employed as a watchman and messenger in the village establishments. In the Dekhan the Dlier is identified with the Mhar. In some places he performs the duty of scavenger. In the Sanger territory, the Dher are said to eat dead animals, clean the skins, and sell them to the Chamars or tanners.
The Holiya of the Canarese country is a low man, an out-caste, commonly an agricultural labourer ; the term is from Nola, a field ; and in several districts he is a predial slave, being sale able by the owner of the estate on which he is located, either with or without the land. He is described as a predial slave in Camara and Coorg ; in the former he is said to be a subdivision of the Dlier, in the latter one of three principal classes of slaves called Holiyar, Yemaru, and Palau. In both countries the Holiyar are distinguished by various demonstrations prefixed, which are variously written, and the meaning of which is not explained, as—Maury Holiya, Ilyr Holiya, Murtha lloliya, Bulgi Holiya, Kembutta lloliya, Badaya Holiya, Rookhee Holiya; of these, the only peculiarities noted are, that the Kembutta I loliya Is native in Coorg, the rest are natives of Carnata. The Holiya are generally a more faith ful class of slaves than others. Amongst the Mare Holiya, the custom of succession through the female line prevails. The I loliyar of the Canarese speaking districts in the centre of the Peninsula are tho village servants, watchmen, and the like, and are a willing, honest race.