he common title of the Darzis is Khalifa, an
Arabic word meaning 'The Successor of the Prophet.' Colonel Temple
says that it is not confined to them but is also used by barbers,
cooks and monitors in schools. [509] The caste is of comparatively
recent formation. In fact Sir D. Ibbetson wrote [510] that "Darzi,
or its Hindi equivalent Suji, is purely an occupational term, and
though there is a Darzi guild in every town, there is no Darzi caste
in the proper acceptation of the word. The greater number of Darzis
belong perhaps to the Dhobi and Chhimba castes, more especially to
the latter."

2. Subdivisions.

The Darzis, however, are now recognised as a distinct caste, but
their mixed origin is shown by the names of their subcastes and
exogamous sections. Thus they have a Baman subdivision named after the
Brahman caste. These will not take food from any other caste except
Brahmans and are probably an offshoot from them. They are considered
to be the highest subdivision, and next to them come the Rai or
Raj Darzis. Another subcaste is named Kaithia, after the Kayasths,
and a third Srivastab, which is the name of a well-known subcaste
of Kayasths derived from the town of Sravasti, now Sahet Mahet in
the Gonda District. [511] In Betul the Srivastab Darzis are reported
to forbid the remarriage of widows, thus showing that they desire to
live up to their distinguished ancestry. A third subcaste is known as
Chamarua and appears to be derived from the Chamars. Other subcastes
are of the territorial type as Malwi, Khandeshi, Chhattisgarhi,
Mathuria and so on, and the section or family names are usually
taken from villages. Among them, however, we find Jugia from Jogi,
Thakur or Rajput, Gujar, Khawas or barber, and Baroni, the title of
a female Dhimar. Mr. Crooke gives several other names.

3. Sewn clothes not formerly worn.

It may thus reasonably be concluded that the Darzis are a caste
of comparatively recent origin, and the explanation is probably
that the use of the needle and thread in making clothes is a new
fashion. Buchanan remarks: "The needle indeed seems to have been
totally unknown to the Hindus, and I have not been able to learn
any Hindi word for sewing except that used to express passing the
shuttle in the act of weaving...." "Cloth composed of several pieces
sewn together is an abomination to the Hindus, so that every woman of
rank when she eats, cooks or prays, must lay aside her petticoat and
re