In the Report on the Territories of the Raja of Nagpur, by Richard Jenkins

1826, there is a reference to the Koshtis on page no. 87 as under - Koshtees and
Momins, (Hindoo and Moosulman weavers)

Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India : R V Ruissell and

Hirallal 1916 page no 581 - Koshti, Koshta, Salewar. – The Maratha and Telugu
caste of weavers of silk and fine cotton cloth. They belong principally to the
Nagpur and Chhattisgarh Division of the Central Provinces, Koshti is the Marathi
and Salewar the Telugu name. This comments indicate that weavers of any
Hindu caste called in Hindi-Koshta, in Marathi-Koshti and in Telugu-Salewar.

Anthropological Survey of India published "People of India - Maharashtra

2004" Page No. 1130 - Koshti is the Marathi term for weavers who make sarees
from silk and fine cotton cloth.

Page No. 1145 Under the head "Koshti" there are different communities who
have adopted weaving as an occupation some of these communities are
Devangan, SutSali, Swakool Sali, Lad, Padma Shali and Halbi/Halba. The
traditional occupation of the above communities was weaving and hence they are
known as Devangan Koshti, Lad Koshti, Sut Sali Koshti and so forth.

Page No. 1130 - The community has several subdivisions; the Halbi appear to be
an off shoot of the primitive Halba tribe, who have taken to weaving.

The Castes And Tribes Of H.E.H. The Nizam's Dominions, Syed Siraj Ul
Hassan 1920 Volume I Page No. 577 Sale

Sale, Sali—a weaving caste found chiefly in the Marathawara districts of

these Dominions. It is a functional group, comprising several heterogeneous
elements drawn from the different classes of Hindu society. These of course form
distinct sub-castes and are not admitted to a jus connubii with one another. The
following sub-castes of Salis are recognized in this territory;

Sukal Or Sukla Sale 2. Ahir Sale 3. Gujar Sale 4. Lakul Or Nakul Sale
5.Sukha Sale 6.Are Sale 7.Sukin Sale 8.Padma Sale 9.Chabhar Sale 10.Tikley
Sale 11.Patolgar Sale 12.Jain Sale

The Tribes And Castes of the Central Provinces of India R V Russell 1916
Volume 2 Page No 112 - Bania (Merchant and moneylender) sub caste of Bania

1.Agarwala, Agarwal 2.Agrahari. 3.Ajudhiabasi, Audhia, 4.Asathi

5.Charnagri, Channagri, Samaiya. 6.Dhusar, Bhargava Dhusar. 7.Dosar, Dusra.
8.Gahoi. 9.Golapurab, Golahre. 10.Kasarwani. 11.Kasaundhan. 12.Khandelwal
13.Lad 14.Lingayat. 15.Maheshri. 16.Nema 17.Oswal 18.Parwar 19.Srimali.
20.Umre.

Page No 150 Bania, Lad.—this sub caste numbers about 5000 persons in
the Central Provinces, being settled in Nimar, Nagpur and all the Berar Districts.
The Lad Banias came from Gujarat, and Lad is derived from Lad-desh, the old
name for Gujarat. Like other Banias they are divided into the Bisa and Dasa
groups or twenties and tens, the Dasa being of irregular descent. Their family
priests are Khedawal Brahmans, and their caste deity is Ashapuri of Ashnai, near
Petlad. Lad

The Tribes And Castes of the Central Provinces of India R V Russell 1916
Volume 2 Page No 503 - The caste has a large number of subdivisions of a local
or occupational nature; among occupational names may be mentioned the
Singaria or those who cultivate the singara nut, the Nadha or those who live on
the banks of streams, the Tankiwalas or sharpeners of grindstones, the Jhlngas
or prawn-catchers, the Bansias and Saraias or anglers (from bansi or sarai, a
bamboo fishing-rod), the Bandhaiyas or those who make ropes and sacking of
hemp and fibre, and the Dhurias who sell parched rice. These last say that their
original ancestors were created by Mahadeo out of a handful of dust {(ihfir) for
carrying the palanquin of Parvati when she was tired. They are probably the
same people as the Dhuris who also parch grain, and in Chhattisgarh are
considered as a separate caste. Similarly the Sonjhara Dhimars wash for gold,
the calling of the separate Sonjhara caste. The Kasdhonia Dhimars wash the
sands of the sacred rivers to find the coins which pious pilgrims frequently drop
or throw into the river as an offering when they bathe in it. The Gondia subcaste
is clearly an offshoot from the Gond tribe, but a large proportion of the whole
caste in the Central Provinces is probably derived from the Gonds or Kols,
members of this latter tribe being especially proficient as palanquin-bearers. The
Suvarha subcaste is named after the siiar or pig, because members of this
subcaste breed and eat the unclean animal ; they are looked down on by the
others. Similarly the Gadhewale Dhimars keep donkeys, and are despised by the
other subcastes who will not take food from them. They use donkeys for carrying
loads of wood,, and the bridegroom rides to his wedding on this animal ; and
among them a donkey is the only animal the corpse of which can be touched
without conveying pollution. The Bhanare Dhimars appear to be named after the
town of Bhandara,

Volume 1 Page 362 Gadhewal, Gadkere, Gadhive, Gadhilla. (One who

keeps donkeys. From gadha, an ass.) Page No. 364 Garhawala, Garhewala,
Garhewar - A resident of Garha, an old town near Jubbulpore which gave its
name to the Garha- Mandla dynasty, and is a centre of weaving.

The Tribes And Castes of the Central Provinces of India R V Russell 1916
Volume 3 Page No 369 - In Wardha the Kasars are no longer artificers, but only
dealers, employing Panchals to make the vessels which they retail in their shops.
And the same is the case with the Maratha and Deshkar subcastes in Nagpur.
The Kasars are a respectable caste, ranking next to the Sunars among the
urban craftsmen.

The Tribes And Castes of the Central Provinces of India R V Russell 1916
Volume 1 Page No 11 - Salewars are a subcaste of Koshtis (weavers), who work
only in silk and hence consider themselves as superior to the other Koshtis and a
separate caste.

The Castes And Tribes Of H.E.H. The Nizam's Dominions, Syed Siraj Ul
Hassan 1920 Volume I Page No. 536
Padma Sale, Sale, Salewar, Channewar, Julaha, antunayakadu—a very large
and widely diffused caste of Telugu weavers, wholly distinct from the Devangas
or Carnatic weavers, and Patkar Sales, or Khatris, who hail from Gujarath and
Malva, and weave silk cloths. In their original affinities they may be regarded as
Dravidians, the view being suggested by their physical characteristics and by the
fact that a great number of their exogamous sections bear totemistic names. The
name Sale is of Sanskrit origin, being a corruption of the Sanskrit word 'Salika'—
a weaver, while the title 'Padma' seems to be prefixed as a mark of distinction.

The Tribes And Castes of the Central Provinces of India R V Russell 1916
Volume 2 Page No 320 - Koshtas of Chhattisgarh have a subcaste called horiya,
and possibly the Bhulias have some connection with these. The caste sometimes
call themselves Devang, and Devang or Devangan is the name of another
subcaste of Koshtis.

The Castes And Tribes Of H.E.H. The Nizam's Dominions, Syed Siraj Ul Hassan
1920 Volume I Page No. 160 Devanga

Devanga, Devangalu, Devra, Jyandra, Koshti, Devanga Sale, Myatari—a

widely diffused caste of weavers found in every part of the Hyderabad
Dominions. 'Devanga' is a Sanskrit word which means 'body of the gods ' and is
applied to this caste since it claims to be descended from one Devanga Rishi,
who'' was created by the god Mahadeva for the purpose of weaving clothes for
gods and men. The thread was obtained from the lotus which sprang from
Vishnu's navel. Probably of Carnatic origin, the Devangas are now found
scattered all over Maharashtra and Telingana. Internal Structure—The Devangas
are divided into three subcastes : (I) Devanga, (2) Hatgar and (3) Kodekul; the
Hatgars claim social precedence over the other two divisions. 'They are Lingayits
by creed and are described in the article on Lingayats The first of these sub-
castes is broken up into three territorial groups, (1) Telugu Devangas, (2)
Carnatic Devangas and (3) Maratha Koshtis, who speak Marathi and have
adopted the section names and manners of the Maratha Kunbis. Two other
branches seem to have sprung from the Devangas, oiz : (1) Kurvina Shetti or Bili
Magu and (2) Kumi Sales or Jyandra, the latter of whom do not castrate their
bulls.

The Caste and Tribes of H.E.H. The Nizam's Dominions, 1920 Volume I,
Page 162 and The Tribes and Castes of Bombay. By R.E. Enthoven, Vol-I, 1920
Page 301

Devangs, also known as Hatkars, Jads, Koshtis or Salis, numbering

244445 (1901) including 124351 males and 120094 females are found in all parts
of the Presidenchy and Native States except Gujarat. Of this number, 103,393
were recorded as Lingayats and 48 as Musalmans at the Census of 1901. The
caste is also known Nekar, Negar and Neyakar in the Kanarese districts and
Vinkar in the Deccan. Neyakar is a Kanarese and Vinkar is a Marathi term,
meaning a weaver, Regarding the origin of the term Hatkar, it is stated that at
one time all the Hatkars were Lingayats. Several hundred years ago, a certain
Devangad Ayya persuaded some of them to wear the sacred thread instead of
the linga and to rub their brows with sandal instead of with cowdung ashes.

In the Poona district are found two of the above divisions, Maratha and
Padma, who neither eat together nor intermarry. The Satara Salis have five
divisions, Maratha, Padam and Nakul, Kurnaval and Patnaval. The divisions
commonly found among the Nasik Koshtis are Ahir, Bangad, Jain, Kurad,
Maratha, Miskin and Sut Sali. The Sholapur Salis are split up into six divisions,
Bangad, Maratha, Padma, Sukh, Tikale and Togati. Of these the Marathas are
considered to be the highest in the social scale. They do not eat with the others.
The rest eat together but do not intermarry. In Ahmednagar are to be met the
Chambhar, Naku., Padam and Sakul Salis. Of these the Sakuls are supposed to
be the pure descendants of the founder of the caste. Lakuls are bastards. The
Sakuls do not eat with the other three divisions, who eat from them but not with
one another.

The Tribes And Castes of the Central Provinces of India R V Russell 1916
volume 1 Page No. 381 - Kuchibandhia, Kuuchbandhia (A maker of weaver's
brushes) Synonym and subcaste of Beldar in Chhattisgarh.

Volume 2 Page No. 217 - The Beldars of Chhatisgarh are divided into the
Odia or Oriya, Larhia, Kuchbandhia, Matkuda and Karigar groups. Uriya and
Larhia are local names, applied to residents of the Uriya country and Chattisgarh
respectively Odia is the name of a low Madras caste of masons, bu whether it is
a corruption of Uriya is not clear. Karigar means a workman, and Kuchbandia is
the name of a separate caste, who make loom-combs for weavers. dqphcka/ks
csynkj tkrhph mitkr vkgs-

The Tribes And Castes of the Central Provinces of India R V Russell 1916
volume 4 Page No. 385 - Patwa, Patwi, Patra, Ilakeband.—The occupational
caste of weavers of fancy silk braid and thread. In 1911 the Patwas numbered
nearly 6000 persons in the Central Provinces, being returned principally from the
Narsinghpur, Raipur, Saugor, Jubbulpore and Hoshangabad Districts. About 800
were resident in Berar. The name is derived from the Sanskrit pata, woven cloth,
or Hindi pat silk. The principal sub castes of the Patwas are the Naraina; the
Kanaujia, also known as Chhipi, because they sew marriage robes ; the
Deobansi or ' descendants of a god,' who sell lac and glass bangles ; the
Lakhera, who prepare lac bangles ; the Kachera, who make glass bangles ; and
others. Three of the above groups are thus functional in character. They have
also Rajput and Kayastha subcastes, who may consist of refugees from those
castes received into the Patwa community. In the Central Provinces the Patwas
and Lakheras are in many localities considered to be the same caste, as they
both deal in lac and sell articles made of it ; and the account of the occupations
of the Lakhera caste also applies largely to the Patwas. The exogamous groups
of the caste are named after villages, or titles or nicknames borne by the reputed
founder of the group. They indicate that the Patwas of the Central Provinces are
generally descended from immigrants from northern India. The Patwa usually
purchases silk and colours it himself. He makes silk strings for pyjamas and
coats, armlets and other articles. Among these are the silk threads called rakhis,
used on the Rakshabandhan festival, when the Brahmans go round in the
morning tying them on to the wrists of all Hindus as a protection against evil
spirits. For this the Brahman receives a present of one or two pice. The rakhi is
made of pieces of raw silk fibre twisted together, with a knot at one end and a
loop at the other. It goes round the wrist,