Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 3 of 7 by Edgar Thurston

(6 User reviews)   3448
By Ava Marino Posted on Dec 26, 2025
In Category - Geographic History
Thurston, Edgar, 1855-1935 Thurston, Edgar, 1855-1935
English
So, I just finished reading this absolutely wild piece of non-fiction called 'Castes and Tribes of Southern India.' Forget dry history—this is like a massive, century-old census report that someone accidentally turned into a detective story. The author, Edgar Thurston, was a museum curator in the early 1900s who tried to document every single community in South India. The main thing that kept me turning pages? The sheer, overwhelming mystery of trying to pin down something as fluid as human identity. Thurston is basically chasing ghosts, trying to categorize people into neat boxes while the real, messy, vibrant lives of millions slip through his fingers. It’s a fascinating, sometimes uncomfortable, look at how we try to understand each other.
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and taken next morning to some lonely place, where it is emptied. For the following note on the Kabberas of the Bellary district, I am indebted to Mr. Kothandram Naidu. The caste is sometimes called Ambiga. Breaches of caste rules and customs are enquired into by a panchayat presided over by a headman called Kattemaniavaru. If the fine inflicted on the offender is a heavy one, half goes to the headman, and half to the caste people, who spend it in drink. In serious cases, the offender has to be purified by shaving and drinking holy water (thirtam) given to him by the headman. Both infant and adult marriage are practiced. Sexual license previous to marriage is tolerated, but, before that takes place, the contracting couple have to pay a fine to the headman. At the marriage ceremony, the tali is tied on the bride's neck by a Brahman. Married women carry painted new pots with lights, bathe the bride and bridegroom, etc. Widows are remarried with a ceremonial called Udiki, which is performed at night in a temple by widows, one of whom ties the tali. No married men or women may be present, and music is not allowed. Divorce is said to be not permitted. In religion the Kabberas are Vaishnavites, and worship various village deities. The dead are buried. Cloths and food are offered to ancestors during the Dasara festival, excepting those who have died a violent death. Some unmarried girls are dedicated to the goddess Hulugamma as Basavis (dedicated prostitutes). Concerning an agricultural ceremony in the Bellary district, in which the Kabberas take part, I gather that "on the first full-moon day in the month of Bhadrapada (September), the agricultural population celebrate a feast called Jokumara, to appease the rain-god. The Barikas (women), who are a sub-division of the Kabbera caste belonging to the Gaurimakkalu section, go round the town or village in which they live, with a basket on their heads containing margosa (Melia Azadirachta) leaves, flowers of various kinds, and holy ashes. They beg alms, especially of the cultivating classes (Kapus), and, in return for the alms bestowed (usually grain and food), they give some of the margosa leaves, flowers, and ashes. The Kapus, or cultivators, take the margosa leaves, flowers, and ashes to their fields, prepare cholum (Andropogon Sorghum) kanji, mix these with it, and sprinkle this kanji, or gruel, all round their fields. After this, the Kapu proceeds to the potter's kiln in the village or town, fetches ashes from it, and makes a figure of a human being. This figure is placed prominently in some convenient spot in the field, and is called Jokumara, or rain-god. It is supposed to have the power of bringing down the rain in proper time. The figure is sometimes small, and sometimes big." [4] Kabbili.--Kabbili or Kabliga, recorded as a sub-division of Bestha, is probably a variant of Kabbera. Kadacchil (knife-grinder or cutler).--A sub-division of Kollan. Kadaiyan.--The name, Kadaiyan, meaning last or lowest, occurs as a sub-division of the Pallans. The Kadaiyans are described [5] as being lime (shell) gatherers and burners of Ramesvaram and the neighbourhood, from whose ranks the pearl-divers are in part recruited at the present day. On the coasts of Madura and Tinnevelly they are mainly Christians, and are said, like the Paravas, to have been converted through the work of St. Francis Xavier. [6] Kadaperi.--A sub-division of Kannadiyan. Kadavala (pots).--An exogamous sept of Padma Sale. Kadi (blade of grass).--A gotra of Kurni. Kadir.--The Kadirs or Kadans inhabit the Anaimalai or elephant hills, and the great mountain range which extends thence...

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Let's be clear from the start: this isn't a novel. There's no plot in the traditional sense. Think of it as a seven-volume time capsule. Edgar Thurston, working for the British-run Madras Museum in the early 1900s, was given a monumental task: to systematically record and describe the countless castes and tribes of Southern India.

The Story

The 'story' is Thurston's journey. Volume 3, like the others, is a catalog. He works his way through communities alphabetically (in this volume, from 'K' to 'M'), detailing their traditions, occupations, physical features (a very dated and problematic section), myths, and social rules. He mixes official data with anecdotes and observations. The narrative tension comes from watching this immense, almost impossible project unfold. You see him grappling with contradictions, local legends, and the sheer diversity that refuses to fit into his colonial-era filing system.

Why You Should Read It

You read this for the raw material, not the author's conclusions. It's a primary source, a snapshot of a world in transition. The value is in the details people told him—the marriage customs, the folk tales, the everyday lives. It’s also a stark lesson in perspective. Thurston's lens is firmly that of his time and role, which makes you constantly question: Whose voice are we really hearing? It’s a book that makes you an active participant, reading between the lines to glimpse the people behind the labels.

Final Verdict

This is not a casual read. It's perfect for history buffs, sociologists, or anyone with deep roots in South India looking for historical footprints. It's also great for readers interested in the history of anthropology and colonialism. Approach it not as absolute truth, but as a fascinating, flawed, and incredibly detailed historical document. Keep a critical mind, and you'll find a treasure trove of human stories waiting to be rediscovered.



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Nancy Flores
1 year ago

Great reference material for my coursework.

4.5
4.5 out of 5 (6 User reviews )

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