| MARIYABNAGAS. 81 মাহনি (mahani) is a field of aaah,” which is a black “ dat or pulse. The latter part of the proverb means that an old bul. lock, when it is past work, is turned out to graze. 18, aregas. মষিয়ক ধান কেলেই, গৰিয়াক কান কেলেই। Mariyak dhan kelei, Gariyak kan kelei. what will the Mariya do with didn and what wi1 the Gariya do | with his ears? The meaning is that the Mariyas live by working in brass and have therefore very little to do with cultivation, The mala Gariyas (Muhammadans)। do not pi rce their ears for earrings, and therefore there is no need to them for ears, | মৰিয়া (Mariya).The Mariyas are braziers. They are, as a rule, much looked down upon. They are professedly Muham- madans, but are quite ignorant of the tenets of Islam really. Possibly, they are converts from Hinduism, which may account for the contempt with which they are held by Hindus. গৰিয়া (Garia).This term, as stated before, is meant to be one of oppro- brium, but in reality it is nothing of the sort. গৰিয়া means a man from “ Gaur” (an ancient city in Bengal). The Assamese Mu• hammadans say they are a relict of the Muhammadan invasion. In the times of the Rajas, they were much oppressed, but their status has much improved of late years. 188. Nagas. নাগিনীয়ে লৰা পাই, নগাই জাল খাই। | Nagine lara pai, nagi jal khai. | The Naga's wife gives birth to a child,
- the Naga drinks the medicine,
জাল (jal) is the Hindustani jhab, a preparation of hot spices taken by women after delivery. নগা (Naga) or নাগা (Naga) is a generic term, which includes a number of large and powerful hill tribes. | The Naga drinking the medicine. Here a reference is made to the custom of couvade which prevails amongst some of the Naga tribes. Univ Calif - Digitized by Microsoft ®)
