Castes and Tribes of Southern India/Kurni

by Edgar Thurston

Kurni. — The name Kurni is, according to the Census Report, 1901, "a corruption of kuri (sheep) and vanni (wool), the caste having been originally weavers of wool. They now weave cotton and silk, and also cultivate. They have two main sub-divisions. Hirē (big) and Chikka (small). The Hirēs are all Lingāyats, and are said to have sixty-six totemistic septs or gōtras. They employ Jangams as priests, and also men of their own caste, who are called Chittikāras. They will mess with the non-Lingāyat section, and with Lingāyats of other castes. They do not eat meat, or smoke or drink alcohol, but the Chikkas do all three. Marriage before puberty is the rule in the caste. Divorces are permitted. Widows may marry again, but have to spend two nights alone at two different temples. Their wedding ceremonies are carried out by widows only, and the woman is not afterwards allowed to take part in religious or family observances." A synonym of both Kurnis and Dēvāngas is Jāda or Jāndra, meaning great men. A further synonym of the Kurnis is said to be Kunigiri. The term Nēse, meaning weaver, is applied to several of the weaving castes, including the Kurnis.

The following extract is taken from an appeal for subscriptions in aid of the publication of the Bhavish yottara Purāna by the Kurnis in a village in the Bellary district. " Greetings from all the Kuruhine Setti Virasaivas residing in Hirihala village of Bellary tāluk. The wish of the writers is that all, old and young, should rejoice in the sixty-six gōtras, sixty-six rūdras, and sixty-six rishis. He who reads the order of these sixty-six gōtras of the Kuruhina Settis will enter Sivaloka. His twenty-one generations will attain to the position of ganas (attendants) of Sivaloka. Such was the order of Iswara. This is the end of the chapter in the Nīlakantha Mallikarjūna Bhavishyat purāna acquired by Shanmukha from the Iswara shruti of the Haravātula." The gōtras are described as being of the Brāhman, Kshatriya, and Vaisya sub-divisions of the caste, and of Shanmukha's Sūdra caste: —

Anasu, ferrule.	Bandi, cart,
Anchu, edge or border.Example	Banni, Prosopis spicigera.
Arashina, turmeric.	Basari, fig tree.
Āre, Bauhinia racemosa.	Benne, butter.
Ārya, venerable.	Bīle, white.
Banaju, trade or painted	Dharma, conduct
wooden toys.	Durga, fort.

Gaduge, throne,	Kere, tank.
Gauda, headman.	Kēsari, lion.
Gikkili, rattle.	Kinkila, Indian cuckoo,
Gorige, Cyamopsis psor-	Eudynamis honorata.
alioides.	Koti, dagger.
Gullu, Solanum ferox.	Kudure, horse.
Gundu, cannon-ball.	Kunte, pond.
Halige, plank.	Kurivi, sparrow.
Hālu, milk.	Malligē, jasmine.
Heggu, nape of the neck.	Maralu, sand.
Hemmē, vanity.	Menasu, pepper or chillies.
Hittu, flour.	Midichi, locust.
Hon, gold.	Mini, leather rope.
Hullu, grass.	Muchchu, broken rice.
Īmē, eyelid.	Muddu, kiss or love.
In, sweet.	Mullu, thorn.
Inichi, squirrel.	Nāga, snake.
Irāni, earthen vessel used	Nellu, unhusked rice.
at marriages.	Parama, highest.
Jāli, Acacia arabica.	Raksha, protecting.
Jīrige, cummin seed.	Rāma, lovely.
Jīva, life.	Rikki, feather?
Junju, cock's comb.	Salige, wire.
Kādi, blade of grass.	Sampigē, Michelia Cham-
Kātige, collyrium.	paca.
Kadlē (Bengal gram, Cicer	Samsara, family.
arietinum).	Sara, string.
Kādu, wild.	Sindhu, sea or flag?
Kakkē, Cassia Fistula.	Swarabha, sound.
Kamādi, tortoise.	Tikkē, gem.
Kanni, rope.	Uttama, best.
Kattē, embankment.	Vanki, armlet.
Ken, red.	Vattē, camel.
Kenja, red ant.

Some of the above names also occur as exogamous septs, or sub-divisions of other Canarese or Telugu classes, e.g. —

Arashina, turmeric. Agasa, Kuruba, Oddē.

Bandi, cart. Kāpu, Kavarai, Kuruba, Kuravan, Māla, Oddē. Yānādi.

Hālu, milk. Holeya, Kuruba, Vakkaliga.

Hon, gold. Kuruba, Oddē.

Jīrige, cummin. Kuruba.

Kudure, horse. Vakkaliga.

Malligē, Malli, or Mallēla, jasmine. Holeya,

Kamma, Kuruba, Kuravan, Mādiga, Māla, Oddē,

Tsākala.

Menasu, pepper or chillies. Kuruba.

Sampigi or sampangi,Michelia Chainpaca. Oddē.