ala and Lundi chiefs were the only robbers in Malwa whom under
no circumstances travellers could trust. There are oaths of a sacred
but obscure kind among those that are Rajputs or who boast their blood,
which are almost a disgrace to take, but which, they assert, the basest
was never known to break before Mandrup Singh, a Bhilala, and some of
his associates, plunderers on the Nerbudda, showed the example. The
vanity of this race has lately been flattered by their having risen
into such power and consideration that neighbouring Rajput chiefs found
it their interest to forget their prejudices and to condescend so far
as to eat and drink with them. Hatti Singh, Grassia chief of Nowlana,
a Khichi Rajput, and several others in the vicinity cultivated the
friendship of Nadir, the late formidable Bhilala robber-chief of
the Vindhya range; and among other sacrifices made by the Rajputs,
was eating and drinking with him. On seeing this take place in my
camp, I asked Hatti Singh whether he was not degraded by doing so;
he said no, but that Nadir was elevated." [353]

Bhishti

_Bhishti._--A small Muhammadan caste of water-bearers. Only 26
Bhishtis were shown in the Central Provinces in 1901 and 278 in
1891. The tendency of the lower Muhammadan castes, as they obtain
some education, is to return themselves simply as Muhammadans, the
caste name being considered derogatory. The Bhishtis are, however,
a regular caste numbering over a lakh of persons in India, the bulk
of whom belong to the United Provinces. Many of them are converts
from Hinduism, and they combine Hindu and Muhammadan practices. They
have _gotras_ or exogamous sections, the names of which indicate
the Hindu origin of their members, as Huseni Brahman, Samri Chauhan,
Bahmangour and others. They prohibit marriage within the section and
within two degrees of relationship on the mother's side. Marriages are
performed by the Muhammadan ritual or Nikah, but a Brahman is sometimes
asked to fix the auspicious day, and they erect a marriage-shed. The
bridegroom goes to the bride's house riding on a horse, and when he
arrives drops Rs. 1-4 into a pot of water held by a woman. The bride
whips the bridegroom's horse with a switch made of flowers. During
the marriage the bride sits inside the house and the bridegroom in
the shed outside. An agent or Vakil with two witnesses goes to the
bride and asks her whether she consents to marry the bridegroom,
and when she give