SHEPHERD. Most of the noniade races of Asia are shepherds. The Israelites largely herded sheep. i Moses herded the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, la priest of Mitlian. David tended his father's sheep. The chief shepherds of the S. of India are the Kurumbar race, their natne being from Kum, a sheep. Oree gollti wanloo, Koraba galla %vault)°, Hunde koraba wanloo, are divisions. In the Tamil country, shepherds are divided into many classes, as Manyakarar, Kuruku, Pavalangattee, Sambar, the Sival Idyar, etc. They are called PiIlay and Kouar. The Dhangar shepherd race are a very numerous body. There are 55,947 Dbangar in the Berms, a quiet race, who wander in search of pasture for their herds and flocks, but often return to their settled homes on the plains or mountains. The tenoples in which they worship their deities are piles of large unhewn stones, resembling the places of worship of the old Druids. These people render great service to cultivators, who invite them with an offer of a reward to pen their flocks in their fields, so that they may leave behind them valuable manure.
The founder of the Holkar family of Malwa sprang from this race. The shepherds of India have a custom, which is purely Asiatic, of preceding their flocks to pasture. He shall feed me in a green pasture, and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort,' said the Psalmist ; and the daily custom of the shepherd tribe of Hindustan proves that this poetical and beautiful simile was drawn from the practice of common life. The Ahir of North ern India now rear cattle, though seemingly in former times shepherds. Near Benares there are sixteen clans. The Ahar of Moradabad and Rohil khand seem identical with the Ahir. The Gadariya of Hindustan rear sheep and goats. The Rewari of the Rajputana oases rear camels.