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Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 23, p. 32.

32 'SIIe'OHI STATE more cordial ; the revenue has doubled, but progress has been much retarded by the recent famines and scarcities. The chief of Sirohi is entitled to a salute of 15 guns. The places of archaeological interest in the State are Abu ; the ruins of the ancient town' of Chandravati (south-west of Abu Road on the bank of the Western Bands river) ; Vasantgarh (near Pindwara), an old fort where an ',inscription of the time of Raja Ch. rmalat has been found, dated A, D. 625 ; Nandia, with a well-preserved Jain temple of the tenth century; and Wasa near Rohera, where there is a famous temple to Surya (the sun-god) of the eleventh or twelfth century. The State contains 03 towns and villages, and the population at each Census has been: (1881) r42,9o3, (1891) 190,836, and (19or) 154,544. Neither of the earlier enumerations Population. included the Girasias of the Bhdkar, a wild tract in the south-east. In r88r they were omitted altogether, while in 1891 their number was roughly estimated at 2,860 ; the Census of 1901 was consequently the first complete one ever taken in the State. The decrease in the population of 19 per cent. during the last decade was largely due to the famine of 1899-19oo. The State is divided into 14 tahsals and contains 1; towns : namely, SIROHI (the capital), ABU, ABU ROAD, ERINPURA, and SHEOGANJ. Of the total population, more than 7 2 per cent. are Hindus, r r per cent. Animists, and about r r per cent. Jains. The language mainly spoken is a kind of Marwari. The most numerous haste is that of the Mahajans, who number 18,900, or over 12 per cent. of the population; they are traders and money-lenders, and are ~~mostly of the Oswal and Porwal divisions. Next come the Rajputs (13,400); some hold land and others are in State service, but the majority are cultivators. The Dhers, a very low caste, number 11,400; they remove all the dead animals of the village, tan leather, and cultivate to a certain extent. The Rebaris (11,400) are herdsmen and sometimes agriculturists. The only other caste exceeding ro;ooo is that of the BHic.s, who number 10,4oo. They are one of the aboriginal ra~,es of this part of India, and are to be found mostly in the hilly portions of the State. Naturally idle and thriftless, they cultivate only rains'I crops, as this entails but little labour; and they eke out their living bye ruining the forests, by acting as guides, and by occasional plundering when opportunity offers. Allied to the Bhils, but ranking just above them in the social scale, are the Girasias (7,754), who are said tol be descendants of Rajputs by Bhil women. As cultivators they are indifferent, but they possess ;, large number of cattle and goats. The am occupation of the people is agriculture, about 6o per cent. cultivating the land either on their own account or as day-labourers.