TRA GA. Hum A self-immolation practised by Bards and Charans, the self-shedding of blood to enforce demands. There has long prevailed in India a practice of hiring a person of a religious class, generally of the Bard or Bhat tribe, to threaten to injure himself unless redress were given. The person so hired threatened to kill or wound himself, or some other person, unless the demand he made were complied with. It has been put down by law. But the practice of traga, or inflicting self-wounds, snicide, and the murder of relations, formed a strong feature of the manners of the people of Rajputana. The practice was common in Kattyawar to the Bhat and Charau of both sexes, and to Brahmans and Gosain, and has its rise in religious superstition ; and although tragas seldom wore a very formid able aspect, still they were sometimes more criminal, by the sacrifice of a greater number of victims. The traga ceremony borders much upon the Brahman practice of dharna, but is more detest able. The Charan, besides becoming security fur money on all occasions, and to the amount of many lakhs of rupees, also become what is called fa'il zamin, or security for good behaviour, and hazir zamin, or security for the appearance.
tinder the equal rule of the British, the practice has seldom been resorted to in their territories.
A late instance, however, occurred on the 22d July 1861, at Nuriad, in the Bombay Presidency, on the occasion of the civil power proceeding to levy an income-tax. The Bhat and Charan clahned exemption from all taxation, and their threats being disregarded, they and their women cut and stabbed themselves in their faces, anns, and chests with their katars or daggers ; several lost their lives. In 1806, a Bhat named Kunna, of Veweingaon, became security in a large amount to the Gaekwar's Government for Dasajee, the chief of Mallia ; to enforce it, the traga of their child was made. A Charan is said to have slain his own mother to deter a chieftain appropriating land belonging to the Charan. Captain M`Murdo says that in 1844 traga was largely used in the country between the Indus and Gujerat.
Shahghassi Nur Muhammad was married to the daughter of Dhai Bibir, who was living when the British forces captured Kalat in 1839 ; when the tcrsvn was entered, he put her and his other wives to the sword.—Masson's Journey, ii. p. 94 ; Colburn's United Service Magazine, 1861. See Sacrifice.