Bhumihars, also called Babhan, are a
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
mainly found in
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
(including the
Mithila Mithila may refer to:
Places
* Mithilā, a synonym for the ancient Videha state
** Mithilā (ancient city), the ancient capital city of Videha
* Mithila (region), a cultural region (historical and contemporary), now divided between India and Nepal
...
region), the
Purvanchal
Purvanchal () is a subregion of the Bhojpuri region of India which comprises eastern Uttar Pradesh. Purvanchal region gained independence from the Avadh and Mughal rule under Zamindar Balwant Singh, a Bhumihar zamindar from Benaras State.
I ...
region of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
,
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . It ...
, the
Bundelkhand region of
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
, and
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
.
The Bhumihars claim
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
status, and are also referred to as 'Bhumihar Brahmin'.
In Bihar, they are also known as 'Babhan'
and they have also been called 'Bhuinhar'.
The Bhumihars were a prominent land-owning group of eastern India until the 20th century, and controlled some small
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
s and
zamindari
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
estates in the region. The Bhumihar community played an important role in the
peasant movement
A peasant movement is a social movement involved with the agricultural policy, which claims peasants rights.
Peasant movements have a long history that can be traced to the numerous peasant uprisings that occurred in various regions of the wor ...
s of India, and was highly influential in politics of Bihar in the 20th century.
Etymology
The word ''bhūmihār'' is of relatively recent origin, first used in the records of
United Provinces of Agra and Oudh
The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was a province of India under the British Raj, which existed from 1902 to 1921; the official name was shortened by the Government of India Act 1935 to United Provinces (UP), by which the province had been ...
in 1865. It derives from the words ''bhūmi'' ("land") and ''hāra'' ("one who seizes or confiscates"), referring to the caste's landowner status. The term ''Bhumihar Brahmin'' was adopted by the community in the late 19th century to emphasise their claim of belonging to the priestly
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
class.
The alternate name ''Babhan'' has been described as an
apabhramsha for ''brāhmaṇ'' (Brahmin).
History
As with many castes in India, there are numerous
myths regarding the origins of the Bhumihar community. One legend claims that their ancestors were Brahmins who were set up to take the place of the
Kshatriya
Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...
s slain by
Parashurama
Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Veerarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the ''Chiranjeevis'' (Immortals), who will appear ...
but some non-Bhumihars have implied that they are the mixed-race offspring of Brahmin men and Kshatriya women.
Other legends state that they are the offspring of a union between
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
men and Brahmin women, or that they derive from
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
-
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
s who lost their high position in Hindu society. The Bhumihars themselves dislike these narratives involving "hybridity" or "fallen status", and claim to be pure Brahmins.
![Majaraja of Benares and Suite, 1870s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Majaraja_of_Benares_and_Suite%2C_1870s.jpg)
By the 16th century, the Bhumihars controlled vast stretches of land in eastern India, particularly in north Bihar. By the late eighteenth century, along with
Bihari Rajputs, they had established themselves as the most prominent landholders of the region.
Oral legends suggest that along with Muslims and Rajputs, they displaced the
Bhar
The Bhar are a caste in India.
History
Influenced by the Arya Samaj movement, as were members of other castes, Baijnath Prasad Adhyapak published ''Rajbhar Jati ka Itihas'' in 1940. This book attempted to prove that the Rajbhar were former ...
and
Chero
The Chero is a caste found in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh in India.
History and origin
The community claims to have originally been tribal people. The Chero are essentially one of many tribal communities, such as the Bhar ...
natives of the region.
The weakening of the
Mughal suzerainty over the region gave rise to several small Bhumihar states. For example, the revenue contractors for the Mughal province of
Awadh
Awadh (), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It is synonymous with the Kośāla region of ...
declared themselves the
Maharaja
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...
of
Benares
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic tr ...
. They successfully defended their independence against the
Nawab of Awadh
The Nawab of Awadh or the Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers who governed the state of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in north India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to a dynasty of Persian origin from Nishap ...
in the 1750s and 1760s, before becoming a British dependency.
Other
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
s and
fiefdoms
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of f ...
ruled by Bhumihars included
Bettia,
Tekari,
Hathwa, Tamukhi,
Sheohar
Sheohar (pronounced, Shivahar) is the principal city of Sheohar district in Bihar, India. It is Located Northwest City 31.06 kilometres Kasba Mehsi in Mehsi It is a part of the Tirhut Division.
Geography
Sheohar is located at coor 26.52N, 8 ...
,
Mahishadal
Mahishadal is a town in Mahishadal CD block in Haldia subdivision of Purba Medinipur district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Geography
Mahishadal Rajbari
Like other Raj families of East Midnapore, Mahisadal Raj also belonged to a Mahi ...
,
Pakur
Pakur (previously known as ''Pakaur'') is a town with a nagar palika in the Pakur subdivision of the Pakur district, Jharkhand state, India.
History
Pakur was earlier a Sub-Division of Santhal Parganas district of Bihar. It was upgraded to the ...
and
Maheshpur.
The distinctive Bhumihar caste
identity
Identity may refer to:
* Identity document
* Identity (philosophy)
* Identity (social science)
* Identity (mathematics)
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film
* ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...
was largely created through military service.
During early days of
British expansion in India, Bhumihars under
Raja of Banaras, Cheyt singh participated in revolts against the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
.
After his defeat, the Company started recruiting Bhumihar
sepoys in large numbers until the
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
.
Varna status
Bhumihars claim to be descendants of Brahmins who held land grants.
However,
Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya
Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya was a pandit and one of a group of Hindu nationalists who held a benevolent view of the traditional role of caste in Indian society at a time, in the late nineteenth century, when social reformers were challenging the c ...
promoted a more popular narrative according to which they were a "low caste" group who were promoted to the status of Brahmin on the order of a ruler who wanted presence of a large number of Brahmins to celebrate his religious festivals. The other popular narratives about their origin is that they belonged to a low caste tribe called "Bhuyans" who gained land and proverted themselves as Brahmins when faced unequal treatment at the hands of sacerdotal authorities. Other communities also do not give them the ritual status of priestly Brahmins, as most of them were cultivators during the British Raj.
Some of the early censuses of British India categorised Bhumihars of Bihar as
Shudra
Shudra or ''Shoodra'' (Sanskrit: ') is one of the four '' varnas'' of the Hindu caste system and social order in ancient India. Various sources translate it into English as a caste, or alternatively as a social class. Theoretically, class ser ...
s, the lowest of the four
varnas. This was considered insulting, especially since several
zamindar
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
s (land-owning aristocrats) were Bhumihars.
Unlike the Brahmans or Rajputs, the Bhumihars did not participate in the
rebellion against British rule in India in 1857, and to their dismay, they were consequently placed in the third-lowest varna in the ad-hoc census of 1865 and the regular census of 1881.
Like many other castes, the Bhumihars followed the process of
sanskritisation
Sanskritisation (or Sanskritization) is a term in sociology which refers to the process by which castes or tribes placed lower in the caste hierarchy seek 'upward' mobility by emulating the rituals and practices of the dominant castes or upper ...
to achieve their end. The Bhumihar zamindars and princely state rulers established caste-based associations (''sabha''s) to form a community network and to advance their claims to Brahmin status. The ''Pradhan Bhumihar Brahman Sabha'' ("Chief Assembly of Bhumihar Brahmins") was established in
Patna
Patna (
), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...
in 1889. Its objective was "to improve moral, social and educational reforms of the community and to represent the wants of the community to the government". The Bhumihar Brahmin Mahasabha ("great assembly") was established in 1896. The local ''Bhumihar Brahmin Sabha''s included the ones at
Muzaffarpur
Muzaffarpur () is a city located in Muzaffarpur district in the Tirhut region of the Indian state of Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of the Tirhut division, the Muzaffarpur district and the Muzaffarpur Railway District. It is the fourth m ...
(1899), Patna (1899),
Gaya (1900) and Saran (1908).
These associations made numerous petitions to be classified as Brahmins in the
1901 census report.
Persistent pressure from the Mahasabha, who glorified the history of the community, led to official recognition of the Bhumihars as Brahmins in the later Raj censuses. According to Ashwani Kumar, the Bhumihar claim to Brahmin status means that today "unlike other upper castes,
hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
guard the local caste hierarchy more zealously for they perpetually feel the pressure of being dislocated and discredited in the topsy-turvy world of caste."
Besides campaigning for the Brahmin status, the caste associations also played an important role in general welfare of the community. In 1899, the Bhumihar Brahmin Mahasabha, with financial aid from a zamindar, established a college at Muzaffarpur. This was accredited to award degrees in the following year and it was a significant development because education in the area was improving rapidly but students desirous of furthering it had to travel to
Bhagalpur
Bhagalpur is a city in the Indian state of Bihar, situated on the southern banks of the river Ganges. It is the 2nd largest city of Bihar by population and also the headquarters of Bhagalpur district and Bhagalpur division. Known as the Silk ...
,
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
or Patna. By 1920, 10 per cent of Bhumihars in Bihar were literate, making them one of the few literate castes; in this achievement, however, they were well behind the
Kayastha
Kayastha (also referred to as Kayasth) denotes a cluster of disparate Indian communities broadly categorised by the regions of the Indian subcontinent in which they were traditionally locatedthe Chitraguptavanshi Kayasthas of North India, the C ...
s (33 per cent) and some other groups. In the first half of the 20th century, the Bhumihars suffered increasing economic hardships due to the steady fragmentation of land rights among heirs and the decline in agricultural prices during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. During this period, the Bhumihar associations served as community networks that facilitated access to English education and urban employment.
As with the Rajputs, Kayasthas and other high castes of Bihar – and as opposed to the methods used by most lower castes – neither the Mahasabha nor any other formal body exercised power to make and enforce caste rules.
The Bhumihar Brahmin Mahasabha held annual sessions in different parts of present-day Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Among its prominent leaders was
Sahajanand Saraswati
Sahajanand Saraswati( real name Navrang Rai ) (22 February 1889 – 26 June 1950) was an ascetic, a nationalist and a peasant leader of India.
Although born in United Province (
present-day Uttar Pradesh), his social and political activities ...
, a leader of the Bhumihar Brahmin Sabha of Patna. During the Balia session of 1914, Sahajanand defended the Brahmin status of the Bhumihars, using quotes from Hindu scriptures to argue that priestly functions do not alone define Brahmins. In 1916, he published a book titled ''Bhumihar Brahmin Parichay'' ("Introduction to Bhumihar Brahmins"), which outlined these arguments. He classified Brahmins into two categories – begging (''yachak'') and non-begging (''ayachak'') – and stated that the Bhumihars were among the non-begging Brahmins. The Bhumihars of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
attempted to popularise the term "Bhumihar Brahmin", while discarding the term "Babhan". However, the term "Babhan" remained popular in Bihar.
The recognised Brahmins did not favour the Bhumihar attempts to claim an equal status, and even stopped going to Bhumihar homes to perform ceremonies.
Political influence
Being traditional landlords and one of the early literate castes, the Bhumihars have been influential in the politics of Bihar since the British days. Noted Bhumihar princely state rulers included
Harendra Kishore Singh (Raja of
Bettiah
Bettiah is a city and administrative headquarters of West Champaran district ( Tirhut Division) - (Tirhut), near Indo-Nepal border, north-west of Patna, in Bihar state of India.
History
In 1244 A.D., Gangeshwar Dev, a Bhumihar Brahmin of ...
) and
Vibhuti Narayan Singh
Maharaja Vibhuti Narayan Singh (5 November 1927 – 25 December 2000) was the king of Benares, a city considered holy, located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He was the last Bhumihar king of the Kingdom of Kashi.
Childhood
Vibhuti Naraya ...
(Raja of the
Benares
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic tr ...
).
The Bhumihars played a pioneering role in organising
peasant
A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasants ...
,
leftist
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
and
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
movements since the 1910s.
In 1914 and 1916, the Bhumihars of Pipra and Turkaulia revolted against
indigo cultivation.
When
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
launched a
satyagraha
Satyagraha ( sa, सत्याग्रह; ''satya'': "truth", ''āgraha'': "insistence" or "holding firmly to"), or "holding firmly to truth",' or "truth force", is a particular form of nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. Someone w ...
against indigo cultivation in
Motihari
Motihari is the headquarters of East Champaran district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is located District entry point and New City 40.09 kilometres Northeast Mehsi. north of the state capital Patna.
Geography
Motihari is located on 26 ...
in 1917, a number of Bhumihar intellectuals joined the protest. These included
Shri Krishna Singh (or Sinha), Ram Dayalu Singh, Ramnandan Mishra, Shilbhadra Yaji,
Karyanand Sharma
Karyanand Sharma (1901–1965) was a nationalist and peasant leader who led movements against zamindars and the British.
Biography
Karyanand Sharma was born in a middle class Bhumihar Brahmin family of Sahoor village in Munger (British India) no ...
and Sahajanand Saraswati.
While a section of Bhumihars were landowners, the vast majority belonged to
tenantry
A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to hold land or property in which a Lease, lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title (property), title from a lessor or landlord. Although a tenant does hold rig ...
. Starting in 1914, two factions emerged in the Bhumihar Mahasabha: the landowner-dominated faction led by
Ganesh Dutt
Sir Ganesh Dutt(a) Singh (13 January 1868 – 26 September 1943) was an Indian lawyer, educationist and administrator during the British Raj. He did much to improve education and health services in the state of Bihar and Orissa before the ind ...
, and the tenant-dominated faction led by Sahajanand Saraswati. Sahajanand came from a zamindar family, which had been reduced to tenant status. He attracted a large number of followers who, as tenants, were exploited by the rich landlords. His support for the
non-cooperation movement
The Non-cooperation movement was a political campaign launched on 4 September 1920, by Mahatma Gandhi to have Indians revoke their cooperation from the British government, with the aim of persuading them to grant self-governance. also alarmed the landlords, who were loyal to the British colonial administration. The growing differences between the two factions resulted in a split in the Mahasabha, in 1925-26. Sahajanand established an ashram at
Bihta
Bihta is a town and Block in Patna district, Bihar state, India. Bihta is part of Maner Assembly constituency and Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency. It is located around west of Patna. Bihta is also an upcoming satellite town of Patna. It l ...
, which started attracting tenants and peasants from other castes as well. When the rich Bhumihar landlords stopped supporting Sahajanand's activities, he declared that caste associations were a means to continue their supremacy.
He established a caste-agnostic peasants movement, which later evolved into
All India Kisan Sabha
All India Kisan Sabha ( AIKS; lit. ''All India Farmers Union'', also known as the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha), is the peasant or farmers' wing of the Communist Party of India, an important peasant movement formed by Sahajanand Saraswati in 1 ...
. In Bihar, Kisan Sabha, as well as the
Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India (CPI) is the oldest Marxist–Leninist communist party in India and one of the nine national parties in the country. The CPI was founded in modern-day Kanpur (formerly known as Cawnpore) on 26 December 1925.
H ...
(which was heavily inspired by Kisan Sabha), were identified as Bhumihar-dominated organisations for years.
After Sahajanand gave up
caste politics,
Ganesh Dutt
Sir Ganesh Dutt(a) Singh (13 January 1868 – 26 September 1943) was an Indian lawyer, educationist and administrator during the British Raj. He did much to improve education and health services in the state of Bihar and Orissa before the ind ...
emerged as the leader of Bhumihar Mahasabha. He later entered the
Bihar Legislative Council
Bihar Vidhan Parishad, also known as Bihar Legislative Council, is the upper house of the bicameral Bihar Legislature of the state of Bihar in India.
History
A new Province of Bihar and Odisha was created by the Government of India on 12 Dec ...
, and distributed patronage to other members of his caste. This patronage was extended further, when Shri Krishna Singh became the Premier and
Chief Minister of Bihar.
His tenure saw the rise of a number of influential Bhumihar leaders including Mahesh Prasad Sinha, Krishnakant Singh, L. P. Shahi, Basawan Sinha, and
Kailashpati Mishra
Kailashpati Mishra (5 October 1923 – 3 November 2012) was an Indian politician. He was a leader of Jana Sangh, and later Bharatiya Janta Party. He was Finance Minister of Bihar in 1977. He was Governor of Gujarat from May 2003 to July 2004. ...
.
Singh also worked for the welfare of the lower castes. He was the first chief minister in India to abolish the zamindari system.
He also led
Dalit
Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the Caste system in India, castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold Varna (Hinduism), varna syste ...
s' entry into
Baidyanath Temple
Vaidyanatha Jyotirlinga temple, also known as ''Baba Baidyanath dham'' and ''Baidyanath dham'' is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the most sacred abodes of Shiva. It is located in Deoghar in the Santhal Parganas division of the state of Jharkha ...
.
After Shri Krishna Singh's death in 1961, the Bhumihar political hegemony gradually declined. A small number of Bhumihar leaders continued to play a significant role in the state unit of the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
. These included Ramashray Prasad Singh, Rajo Singh, Ramjatan Sinha, Shyam Sunder Singh Dhiraj and Maha Chandra Singh.
The Congress parliamentarians
Ganga Sharan Singh (Sinha)
Ganga Sharan Singh (Sinha) (1905-1988 Born In Bihta, Patna, Bengal Presidency) was a member of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Parliament of India, for three terms (1956–62 and 1962-68 from Bihar, and then a nominated member in 1968-197 ...
and
Shyam Nandan Prasad Mishra
Shyam Lal Mishra (20 October 1920 – 25 October 2004) was an indo nepalian politician, writer and Co. Founder of Nepal sadvawna party along with his brother Mr.Rajgiri Mishra who was also a reputed mentor politician of sunsari.He was born at ...
also belonged to the Bhumihar community.
The Bhumihar influence in Bihar politics declined considerably after electoral defeat of Congress in the
1990 Bihar Legislative Assembly election. The backward
OBC castes like
Yadav
Yadav refers to a grouping of traditionally non-elite, Quote: "The Yadavs were traditionally a low-to-middle-ranking cluster of pastoral-peasant castes that have become a significant political force in Uttar Pradesh (and other northern state ...
, led by
Lalu Prasad Yadav
Lalu Prasad Yadav (born 11 June 1948) is an Indian politician and president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). He is a former List of Chief Ministers of Bihar, Chief Minister of Bihar (1990-1997), a former Ministry of Railways (India), Railway ...
, replaced them in the political circles. In the
1999 Indian general election
General elections were held in India between 5 September and 3 October 1999, a few months after the Kargil War. Results were announced on 6 October 1999.
The elections saw the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party win ...
, only three Bhumihars were elected:
C. P. Thakur (
BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
), Kailashpati Mishra (BJP) and Rajo Singh (Congress). A few Bhumihar leaders also emerged in the political parties dominated by the
OBCs. These included
Akhilesh Prasad Singh (
RJD
The Rashtriya Janata Dal ( RJD; translation: ''National People's Party'') is an Indian political party, based in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Kerala. The party was founded in 1997 by Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The party's support base has tradit ...
) and Arun Kumar (Samata Dal; now
Rashtriya Lok Samata Party
Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (abbreviated as RLSP; translation: ''National People's Equity Party'') was a political party in India led by Upendra Kushwaha. It was launched on 3 March 2013 and was based in the state of Bihar. The party came into ex ...
).
As their power in the electoral politics declined, a number of Bhumihars were attracted to
Ranvir Sena
The Ranvir Sena is a militia functioning as a landlord group, mainly based in the state of Bihar, India. The group was formed by Bhumihar landlords in 1994, with the aim to counter the influence of various left-wing militants, Naxalite groups ...
, a private militia established in 1994.
The group has carried out armed operations against the
Naxals in the region, and has been involved in atrocities against the lower castes, such as the
Laxmanpur Bathe
The Laxmanpur Bathe massacre was a massacre conducted in the Laxmanpur Bathe village in Arwal district of Bihar, where 58 scheduled caste people were allegedly killed by members of the Ranvir Sena in retaliation for the Bara massacre in which ...
massacre. The Ranvir Sena which employed Bhumihar youths emerged as the most dreaded caste army in Bihar. It was named after the 19th century chieftain, Ranvir Chaudhary, who became a cult figure among Bhumihars after taking on powerful
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
Zamindars.
Influence in other fields
Being one of the early literate groups of British India, the Bhumihar community produced several prominent literary figures. These include
Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
Ramdhari Singh (23 September 1908 – 24 April 1974), known by his pen name Dinkar, was an Indian Hindi and Maithili language poet, essayist, freedom fighter, patriot and academic. He emerged as a poet of rebellion as a consequence of his ...
,
Rahul Sankrityayan
Rahul Sankrityayan (born Kedarnath Pandey; 9 April 1893 – 14 April 1963) was an Indian writer and a polyglot who wrote in Hindi. He played a pivotal role in giving travelogue a 'literary form'. He was one of the most widely travelled scholars ...
,
Rambriksh Benipuri
Ramavriksha Benipuri (, 23 December 1899 – 9 September 1968) was a freedom fighter, Socialist Leader editor and Hindi writer. He was born in a small village named Benipur in Muzaffarpur district in a Bhumihar Brahmin family in the Indian st ...
and
Gopal Singh Nepali.
Customs and traditions
The Bhumihars follow a subset of the Brahmin rituals, and claim to be "tri-karma" Brahmins.
Some Bhumihars in
Muzaffarpur
Muzaffarpur () is a city located in Muzaffarpur district in the Tirhut region of the Indian state of Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of the Tirhut division, the Muzaffarpur district and the Muzaffarpur Railway District. It is the fourth m ...
trace their lineage to
Husseini
Husseini (also spelled Hussaini, Husaini, Hecini, Hosseini , Houssaini or Husayni, ar, حسیني) is an Arabic surname.
Etymology
It is a nisba derivation of the given name Hussein or Husain from the name of Imam Husain ibn Ali. People with the ...
Brahmins, and participate in the
Muharram processions. The Bhumihars outside Purvanchal-Bihar region may follow the respective local customs and traditions. For example, in Chandipur village of
Murshidabad district (
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
), a section of Bhumihars became the landlords after death of the British
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
plantation owners. They are now "thoroughly
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
": they worship
Kali
Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...
as their primary deity, and are regarded as Brahmins by others in the village.
Common surnames
In Bihar, the Bhumihars started using the surname
Sharma
Sharma is a Brahmin Hindu surname in India and Nepal. The Sanskrit stem ( nom. ) can mean 'joyfulness', 'comfort', 'happiness'. Sarma is an alternative English spelling of the name. Some Assamese Brahmins use Sarmah.
According to Bhavishya P ...
and the title
Pandit
A Pandit ( sa, पण्डित, paṇḍit; hi, पंडित; also spelled Pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt.) is a man with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge whether it is shashtra (Holy Books) or shastra (Wea ...
in the 20th century.
Other common traditional Brahmin surnames used by the Bhumihars include Mishra, Chaudhary, Dikshit, Tivan, Pathak, Pande and Upadhyaya.
It is also common for Bhumihars to affix
Singh
Singh (IPA: ) is a title, middle name or surname that means " lion" in various South Asian and Southeast Asian communities. Traditionally used by the Hindu Kshatriya community, it eventually became a common surname adopted by different comm ...
(usually identified with Kshatriyas, especially Rajputs) to their name.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*{{cite book , first=Sarvepalli , last=Radhakrishnan , author-link=Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan , title=The Hindu View of Life , publisher=Harper Collins , year=2009 , isbn=978-81-7223-845-2, page=81
*
Radha Kumud Mukherjee
Radha Kumud Mukherjee (also spelled Radhakumud or Radha Kumud Mookerji and also known as Radha Kumud Mukhopadhyaya; 25 January 1884 – 9 September 1963) was an Indian historian and a noted Indian nationalist during the period of British colon ...
, Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist, Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi (2011).
*
M. N. Srinivas
Mysore Narasimhachar Srinivas (1916–1999) was an Indian sociologist and social anthropologist. He is mostly known for his work on caste and caste systems, social stratification, Sanskritisation and Westernisation in southern India and th ...
, Social Change in Modern India, Orient Longman, Delhi, 1995.
Social groups of Bihar
Indian castes
Brahmin communities of Bihar