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Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 7, p. 149.

POPULATION 149 Classified according to religion, Hindus form 86 per cent. of the total population, Musalmnns 8 per cent., Jains 5 per cent. Among Hindus the only special class are the Lingayats, a peculiar section of the wor- shippers of Siva, numbering over 300,000, of whom a description will be found under DHXRWXAR DISTRICT. The languages in use are Marathi, mostly in the south and west, and Kanarese generally over the greater part of the District. The latter is spoken by 65 and the former by 25 per cent. of the total. Hindustani is used by 8 per cent. . Number of _ .- r a^ it7 ' Athni . . 816 82 113,077 139 - 8 5,249 Chikodi . . 836 2 210 304.549 364 + 3 5,714 Gokatk i 3t754 Gokak . 6. G 6 1 11ii3 116.127 173 - 2 3,754 Belgaumn . . 64 i 201 37.562 214 839 Sampgaon . 409 ... 123 132.448 324 -1 6,03 Parasgad . . 64 I 124 108.311 69 - 2 6,839 hanapur . 633 ... 217 8 1,902 129 - 4 3,457 District total 4,649 6 1,070 993,976 214 - 2 50,883 The chief castes and their occupations are: Brahmans, or priests, numbering 32,000. They are for the most part Deshasths (23,000), and employed as writers, merchants, traders, money-lenders, and land- owners. Ayyas or Jangams (24,000) are Lingayat priests. Traders in- clude Banjigs (26,000) and Adi-banjigs (I3,ooo). There are numerous Jain cultivators and labourers, indicating the former supremacy of the Jain religion in the Bombay Carnatic. Other cultivators are Marathas and Maratha Kunbis (I75,000), Chhatris (9,ooo), Hanbars (15,000), and Lingayat Panchams5lis (I54,000). Craftsmen include Panchals (15,000) and Gaundis or Uppars, builders and stone-cutters (I4,000). Lingayat Hongars or Malgars (Ii,ooo) are flower-sellers. Shepherds include two shepherd castes, Dhangars or Kurubas (73,000), and Gaulis who keep cows and buffaloes. The depressed classes are chiefly the Holiars or Mahars (48,000) and Mangs or Madigs (22,000). Along the banks of the Kistna, in the north of the District, are many Kaikadis, a tribe notorious for their skill as highway robbers; while the south of the District was much troubled in recent times by Bedars or Berads, a thieving caste that assisted in the plundering of Vijayanagar after the battle of Talikota. The agricultural population forms 66 per cent. of the total. Industry supports 16 per cent. and commerce I per cent. Weavers engaged in the hand-loom industry number more than I3,ooo, with I ,ooo dependents.