THE "CIVIL AND MILITARY GAZETTE" PRESS, 1896. IN THE PREFACE. HE following Code of Tribal Custom combines the results of several separate enquiries. The village headmen and other leading men of all the most important tribes in the district were summoned together at different times between November 1893 and January 1894, the questions on tribal custom contained in the third volume of Mr. Tupper's "Panjab Customary Law were put to them as simply as possible, and their answers were carefully recorded, with any instances given by them. The answer was in each case read out to the assembled representatives of the tribe in my presence, and admitted by them to be correct. In almost all cases it was written with his own hand by the Revenue Officer, Khán Bahádur Mián Ghulám Farid Kháng a trustworthy and experienced officer; while I took ample notes in English, which were, both then and afterwards, compared with the vernacular. The vernacular codes have been drawn up in five parts, each part representing the code of those tribes whose answers were recorded at one time. They contain numerous instances of the custom stated under all the most important auswers, and should be consulted when any question regarding custom arises, being accepted as a statement of "the opinions of persons having special means. of knowledge" as to the usages of the tribe. I have, in the following General Code, combined all the answers of all the tribes together, and thus compiled what may be taken as an authoritative statement, not only of the customs of the various tribes in the Shahpur district, but of the general principles underlying the customs of all the tribes. The following statement shows the dates on which the customs of each tribe were attested, the numbers of representatives present, and the proportion the tribe bears to the total popu The miscellaneous Musalmán tribes include the Saiyads, Kureshís, Patháns, Biloch, Mékans, Janjúhás, Tiwánás, Khichís, Kaleárs, Jhammats and Jhawarís. All the Musalmán tribes, whose customs were attested, are landowners and agriculturists by occupation, while the Khatrís and Arorás are shopkeepers and money-lenders. The code thus drawn up represents the tribal custom of the whole of the landowning and trading classes in the Shahpur district. An account of the different tribes will be found in the Gazetteer of the district. I give here by way of introduction a summary of the most prevalent tribal customs and of the general principles underlying them all. SHAHPUR: 14th March 1896. J. WILSON, Collector. |