groups the bulk have probably been brought into existence through
the migration and settlement of sections of the caste in different
parts of the country, where they have become endogamous and obtained a
fresh name. Other subcastes may be composed of bodies of persons who,
having taken to trade and prospered, obtained admission to the Bania
caste through the efforts of their Brahman priests. But a number of
mixed groups of the same character are also found among the Brahmans
and Rajputs, and their existence does not invalidate arguments derived
from a consideration of the representative subcastes. It may be said
that not only the Banias, but many of the low castes have legends
showing them to be of Rajput descent of the same character as those
quoted above; and since in their case these stories have been adjudged
spurious and worthless, no greater importance should be attached to
those of the Banias. But it must be remembered that in the case of the
Banias the stories are reinforced by the fact that the Bania subcastes
certainly come from Rajputana; no doubt exists that they are of high
caste, and that they must either be derived from Brahmans or Rajputs,
or themselves represent some separate foreign group; but if they are
really the descendants of the Vaishyas, the main body of the Aryan
immigrants and the third of the four classical castes, it might be
expected that their legends would show some trace of this instead of
being unitedly in favour of their Rajput origin.

Colonel Tod gives a catalogue of the eighty-four mercantile tribes,
whom he states to be chiefly of Rajput descent. [119] In this list
the Agarwal, Oswal, Srimal, Khandelwal, Palliwal and Lad subcastes
occur; while the Dhakar and Dhusar subcastes may be represented by the
names Dhakarwal and Dusora in the lists. The other names given by Tod
appear to be mainly small territorial groups of Rajputana. Elsewhere,
after speaking of the claims of certain towns in Rajputana to be
centres of trade, Colonel Tod remarks: "These pretensions we may
the more readily admit, when we recollect that nine-tenths of the
bankers and commercial men of India are natives of Marudesh, [120]
and these chiefly of the Jain faith. The Oswals, so termed from the
town of Osi, near the Luni, estimate one hundred thousand families
whose occupation is commerce. All these claim a Rajput descent, a fact
entirely unknown to the European inquirer into the peculiarities of
Hindu manners." [