THE MAHARS : . . . . . . UNTOUCHABLES ? 141
in ancient Vedic times the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas had adopted separate words of salutation. The Brahmins said ‘Namaskar’ : the Kshatriyas said ‘Yoddhar’. It is difficult to conceive that the Mahars should have been allowed to use the term ‘Yoddhar’ as a word of salute if they were a body of low class ; or if they were aboriginals particularly because the word of salute among the Chamars and the Mangs is quite a different word having not the remotest connection with the status of the Kshatriya. The Mangs used the word ‘Furman’ which seems to be a corruption of the word ‘Farman’ meaning ‘command’. The Chamars used the word ‘Duffarao’ a word of which I am unable to give the derivative : but the fact remains that only the Mahar Community uses as its word of salutation the word ‘Johar’ which as I have stated above was a word which was in exclusive use by the Kshatriyas as a word of salutation. There is no doubt that the Marathas too at one time used the term ‘Johar’ as a word of salutation. It was in vogue during apart of Shivaji’s rule; and even Shivaji in the one and the only letter admitted to have been signed by him in his own hand and addressed to Maloji Ghorpade has used the word ‘Johar’ as the word of salutation. It is well-known that the Marathas since after Shivaji began to use ‘Ram Ram’ in place of ‘Johar’ as a word of salutation. It is curious that the Mahars did not follow suit. Why the Mahars continued to use the word ‘Johar’ even when the Marathas had given it out and why were they allowed by the State to continue ‘Johar’ when the State enforced ‘Ram Ram’ on all others, are questions which require some elucidation. But the fact remains that ‘Johar’ is indicative of the status of a Kshatriya.
There is one other matter to which attention must be drawn because it militates against the view which I am supporting namely that the Mahars are not aboriginals and that they really belonged to the Maratha community and at one time were reckoned as Kshatriyas. The fact is the custom prevalent among the Mahars of burying the dead body when as a matter of theory and practice the Marathas and the Kshatriyas have the custom of burning the dead. The existence of this custom of burying the dead must be admitted but to admit the existence of the custom is not to admit the