This monograph contains a lot of precious, remarkable and accurate information available in the pages of the Bombay Gazetteers by the late Sir James Campbell. Also, considerable amount of new information has been added regarding the tribes and castes of the BOmbay Presidency. The survey has brought to light a great deal of new information regarding totemistic divisions in the Deccan and Southern Maratha country. A great deal of time and research has been devoted to attempts to arrive at an explaination of the origin of caste. A good deal of space is devoted under each of the caste heads to a description of birth, marriage, death and other important social ceremonies.