09-03-005

5

BHL OR BHIL.

　The Bhls are known under a bewildering variety of names. On account of their dark colour they are often called K paraj, the black people. The only comprehensive name is, however, Bhl, the Snskrit Bhilla. Ethnographically they are sometimes stated to be Dravidians, and sometimes to belong to the Mu stock. Accounts of the various tribes are found in the Census Reports and the District Gazetteers. In this place we have only to do with their language. Whatever their original speech may have been, there can be no doubt that, at the present day, they speak an Aryan dialect, closely related to Gujart and Rjasthn.

　Bhl has been reported from the following localities:-

　To this total must be added the speakers of several minor dialects which have been honoured with saparate names. The details will be found under the single dialects. The general facts are as follows:-

Name of dialect.	Where spoken.	No. of speakers.
Ahr...	Cutch...	30,500
Anrya (I. E.'Non-Aryan') or Pah.	Rewakantha...	43,500
Bor...	Punjab, Rajputana, and United Provinces.	43,000
Barl...	Chhota Udaipur...	1,000
Cha...	Panch Mahals and Thana...	1,200
	Carried over.	119,200

　 It is not inpossible that Bhilla itself is really a Prakrit corruption of Abhra, which has been adopted again, in this form, by Sanskrit.