Bhuiya

The Bhuiyan or Bhuiya are an indigenous community found in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. They are not only geographically disparate but also have many cultural variations and subgroups.[2]

Bhuiyan/Bhuiya
Late 18th century Bhuiya male and female drawing
(2011, census)
Regions with significant populations
 India
Odisha306,129[1]
Languages
Odia, Hindi
Religion
Folk religions, Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Bhuyan

Etymology

The Bhuiyans name comes from the Sanskrit bhumi, meaning land. Most of the Bhuiya are agriculturalists and many believe that they are descended from Bhūmi, the Hindu goddess who represents Mother Earth. They are patrilineal exogamous groups with strong family ties.[2]

Present circumstances

There are significant economic variations in the Bhuiya community, with some in areas such as Ghatwar and Tikait being landowners but many others being reliant on working the land either independently or as paid labourers. Basket-making, livestock rearing, fishing, hunting and the sale of forest produce such as firewood, honey and resin also contribute to their livelihood, although the practise of food collection has probably mostly died out.[2] Ghatwar were king during medieval period. They rebelled against Nagvanshi king Pratap Karn. Nagvanshi suppressed Ghatwar rebellion with the help of king of Kharyagarh Baghdeo Singh.[3] In 1857 rebellion, Tikait Umrao Singh was king of Bandhgawa in Ormanjhi. He participated in rebellion against East India Company in Ranchi.[4][5]

They have exogamous lineages such as Basuki (cobra), Kachhim (tortoise), Kali (a snake), Sal (a fish), Sigari (fox), Sinjkiri etc in Bihar and Jharkhand. They have titles such as Deshmandal, Ghatowal, Paramanik, Pradhan, Bhogta, Chharidar, Mahto, Rai Thakur, Tikayat, Bhuiya, Manjhi, Nayak, Roy, Singh in Bihar and Jharkhand.

Official classification

In 1931, during British Period, they were listed as primitive tribe. In 1936 they were listed as Backward tribe.[6] In Patna division, Palamu, Hazaribagh, Manbhum and Bengal, they were included in Scheduled Caste.[7] After independence, the Government of Uttar Pradesh had classified the Bhuiya as a Scheduled Caste but by 2007, they were one of several groups that it redesignated as Scheduled Tribes.[8] As of 2017, this tribal designation applies only for Sonbhadra district.[9] Bhuiya are included in Scheduled Caste in Bihar and Jharkhand.[10] They constitute 21% of total Scheduled Caste population of Jharkhand.[10]

The 2011 Census of India for Uttar Pradesh showed the Bhuiya Scheduled Caste population as 4095.[11]

See also

References
  1. "A-11 State Primary Census Abstract for Individual Scheduled Tribes (Odisha)". censusindia.gov.in. 16 November 2022.
  2. West, Barbara A. (2009). Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania. Infobase. pp. 107–108. ISBN 978-0-8160-7109-8.
  3. JHARKHAND SAMAGRA (Prabhat Prakashan). Prabhat Prakashan. 2020. p. 17. ISBN 978-9390101160. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  4. "Model makeover for martyr hamlets". telegraphindia.com.
  5. "JPCC remembers freedom fighters Tikait Umrao Singh, Sheikh Bhikari". news.webindia123.com.
  6. Nirmal Sengupta (14 May 1988). "Reappraising Tribal Movements: II: Legitimisation and Spread". Economic and Political Weekly. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  7. "Government of India 1935 (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1936" (PDF). 30 April 1936. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  8. Darpan, Pratiyogita (July 2007). "State At A Glance — Uttar Pradesh". Pratiyogita Darpan. 2 (13): 81.
  9. "State wise Scheduled Tribes — Uttar Pradesh" (PDF). Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  10. "Status of Financial Exclusion among the Bhuiya of Jharkhand". anvpublication. 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  11. "A-10 Individual Scheduled Caste Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Uttar Pradesh". Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 4 February 2017.


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