7.3 Babhan or Bhumihar Community

7.3 Babhan or Bhumihar Community

The Babhan community, also known as Bhumihar, is found in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal states of India and in some parts of Nepal and Bangladesh, refer Fig 7.3. Historically all the places, where its population is thickly settled, were part of the famous and most powerful Magadha Mahajanpada, also known as the land of the Vratyas by the orthodox Brahmins of Kuru-Panchala by the end of the late Vedic period.

Figure 7.3: The population distrbution of Bhumihar Brahmin Community [52]

The dominance of Bhumihars living in the eastern Uttar Pradesh and the adjoining regions of western Bihar rose to the rank of rulers in the medieval period. The prominent estates belonging to the Bhumihars were Benaras, Hathwa, Tekari, Darbhanga and Bettiah. The regions where Bhumihars were found as rulers, there is mention of ruling class Brahmins in the Buddhist literature; such as the Brahmins of Vethadipa who got the relics of Buddha and built stupa over it. The Buddhist literature report that the Brahmins are involved in agriculture and become followers of Buddha in his life span. The community populations generally have a fair complexion and show physical traits of Indo-Aryan group of humans. In the census, under agricultural castes of northern India, the community is recorded as a land holding community similar to Rajput, Sainthwar and Taga communities. As per William Crook, the important clans of Bhumihar community are Chaudhari, Gautama, Kolha, Bhardwaj, Bhirguvanshi, Dikshit, Kaushik, Bhagata, Bhagochhiya, Baksaria, Barasi, Birhariya, Gargbansi, Donwar, Kinwar, Kistwar, Sakarwar, Sonwar, Benwar, Barwar, Purvar, Shandilya etc. The community claimed Brahmin origin but the same was rejected by the orthodox or priestly Brahmins. In eastern Uttar Pradesh and the adjoining regions of western Bihar, where they have control over large land, they are also considered of Kshatriya Varna, however they do not have any social ties with Rajputs either.

7.3.1 Some notes related to Babhan or Bhumihar Community

1. The Census of North-west Provinces, 1865 records the population of Bhumihar under Brahmin category in Gorakhpur province (as Bhooenhar, caste sr. no. 22, population 30,739) and Benaras province (as Bhooinhar, population 21,460). It records the community under Kshatriya category in Azamgarh province (as Bhooenhar, caste sr. no. 71, population 46,642) and Mirzapur province (as Bhooenheear, caste sr. no. 20, population 4,241) [53].

2. In 1872, M.A Sherring [54] writes that ‘they belonged chiefly, though not exclusively, to the Sarwaria branch of Kanaujia tribe (i.e. Kanyakubja Brahmins). The Bhuinhars are addicted to agriculture, a pursuit considered to be beneath the dignity of pure, orthodox Brahmans.’

3. L.K.B. Malla [55], according to the traditions of Majhauli Raj, traces the origin of the Bhagochhiya clan of Bhumihars from Brahmin ascetic Mayur Bhat and the Chandravasnhi Kshatriya princess Hayakumari of Gadhi clan. As per the legend, the son born was Vakrashahi or Vagahamber Shahi who was the first ancestor of Bhagochhiya clan.

4. Pandit Jogendra Nath Bhattachrya [56] writes that ‘according to the legend prevalent among Brahmins, the Bhumihars were non-Brahmins who were conferred the status of Brahmins by a Raja who wanted more Brahmins in his kingdom in order to celebrate religious festivals’.

5. The author of Journal of Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. 71 [57] writes that ‘from these two facts, I have been led to conclude that the Babhans were Brahmin-Buddhist who lost their caste and position in Hindu Society, but on the destruction of Buddhism are again trying, though unconsciously, to regain the old position, they enjoyed 2000 years ago.’

6. The author of Journal of Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. 73 [58] writes that – ‘Although the origin of Bhuinhars is much disputed, there is every reason to believe that they have been swaying over Bihar from a pre-historic age. The word Babhan is neither Sanskrit nor Prakrit. But the word distinctly appears to have been used in the inscriptions of Ashoka and in the Buddhist Suttas.’

7. Lewis Sydney Steward O’Malley [59] writes that – ‘The Babhans or Bhuinhars are usually land-holders and cultivators and some of them, like the ‘Maharaja of Tekari’ own large estates. They claim to be Brahmins and call themselves Ajachak Brahmins i.e. the Brahmins who do not take alms in contrast to ordinary Brahmins whom they call Jachaks or alms takers. Like Brahmins, they will not hold the plough but employ laborers for the purpose. Various traditions to their origin are current. One is to effect that they are descended of Brahmins who took to agriculture pursuits and one of the titles they claim is ‘Zamindar Brahmin’. Another tradition relates that in the war between Parasurama and the Kshatriyas, the later pretended to be Brahmins and so saved their lives, as it is a sin to kill Brahmin. They gave up their land without fighting and henceforward were called as Bhumihars. Another local legend declare that at a great sacrifice offered by Jarasandha, king of Magadha, a sufficient number of Brahmins could not be obtained and the Diwan therefore palmed off some men of the lower castes as genuine Brahmins. The Brahmins, thus manufactured, failing to gain admission into supposed caste, had to setup a caste of their own, the name of which (Babhan) is popularly supposed to mean a sham Brahman. This tradition is however not recognized by the Brahmins themselves. He further writes that ‘In the estimation of general Hindu public, they now constitute a separate caste and their degradation probably dates back to the time when Buddhism was overthrown. It has been pointed out that Babhan is merely a Pali form of Brahman and that the word is often found in Ashoka’s edicts. It has been therefore conjectured that those now known as Babhans remained Buddhist, after the Brahmins around them reverted to Hinduism and so the Pali name continued to apply them while the word Bhumihar or Bhumiharaka is explained as referring to those having seized the land attached to old Buddhist monasteries. This hypothesis is borne out of the Brahmanical titles of Misra, Pandey and Tiwari which are used along with the Rajput titles of Singh, Rai and Thakur; and by the fact that in this province they are practically confined to the area covered by the ancient Empire of Magadha, which long remained the center of Buddhism’.

8. The census of 1911 officially recognizes Bhumihars as Brahmins. The 1921 census of United Provinces and Bihar and Orissa put the population of Babhan / Bhuinhar Brahmin at 1,167,373 [60].

9. Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan [61] writes that the Brahmins following Buddha’s teachings reverted to the Brahmanism faith after the decline of Buddhism. They were accepted in the society with Bhumihar title. They thus formed a separate Brahmin community who lived with high respect in society.

10. Swami Sahajanand Saraswati [62], a Bhumihar himself, wrote extensively on the Brahmin society and on the origin of Bhumihars. He states that the Bhumihars are among the superior Brahmins. He relates them with the Brahmins who took the job of agriculture and military services after killing of the Kshatriyas by Parashurama.

11. Dr. Rajbali Pandey refutes the origin theory of Bhumihar put by L.K.B. Malla and Swami Sahajanand Saraswati. He writes that ‘the mass killing of Kshatriyas by Parashurama is an exaggerated story. It is well known that during the lifetime of Parashurama, Kosala, Kanya-kunja, Kashi, Videha and so on were ruled by the Kshatriyas and from that time till Mauryan Empire, there were no Brahmin dynasty in the northern India. The southern India, which is known as the region of Parashurama and where the great battle between him and Kshatriya kings took place, there is no mention of Bhumihar Brahmin.

12. Anand A. Yang [63] writes that ‘the Hathwa Raj of Bhagochhiya Bhumhar Brahmins lineage figures in Rajput Majhauli Raj. Their myth of origin ties their beginnings closely to those Rajput Rajas of Majhauli, with the latter being ascribed a longer ancestry. The two families are traditionally supposed to be linked by kinship ties, a relationship that explains their salience in both Saran and Gorakhpur. Majhauli myths claim their origin from Mayur Bhat dating somewhere around 300 BC though this claim was contested by Atkinson 1881, pp 401-412, Nevill 1909, 111 and G.N Dutt 1905, 2-3 who traces the founding of Majhauli Raj around 1100 AD. The myth associate Mayur with three wives and a Kurmi concubine. The three were 1) Brahmin wife from which Misra Brahmins originated 2) Rajput wife from which founder of Majhauli estate originated 3) Bhumihar Brahmin wife whose son received the portion of Hathwa and Tamkuhi estates and known as Bhagochia Bhumihar and from Kurmi concubine had one heir who established the Kakradih estate though any such marriage was not mentioned in Majhauli 1881:2 and Atkinson 1881:517.

13. William Crooke [64] writes that ‘Bhuinhar is an important tribe of landowners and agriculturists found in Behar and adjoining country. They hold a high rank among Hindus. The uniformity of physical type among them disposes of the suggestion that they are a mixed race. The most reasonable hypothesis is that they are a branch of the Indo-Aryan stocks, which colonized that part of the country in which they are found at present, and being for the same reason compelled to abandon priestly duties, if they were ever practiced them, took a life of farming and fighting and organized their caste on the model of ancient Kshatriya or warrior class. In fact they seem to stand to the Brahmans much in the same relation as the Jat in the Punjab does to the Rajput. The Tagas (Tyagis) of the Upper Ganges valley in the neighborhood of Agara have similar traditions and enjoy a status like that of Bhuinhars. However, it is to be noted that Bhumihars do not allow widow remarriage opposite to some section of Tagas.’

14. Mr. William Oldham [65] writes that ‘Bhoinhars, both by themselves and by ethnologists, are believed to be the descendants of Brahmins, who on becoming cultivators and landholders gave up their priestly functions….. They, like genuine Brahmins, were exempted from capital punishment; but family priests or spiritual guides are never chosen from among them by men of their own race, nor by other Hindoos.’

15. T. M. B. Buddhamitra [66] traces the origin of Bhumihar community from those Brahmins who adopted Buddhism at mass scale during the period of Buddha and King Ashoka.

16. S.N. Sadasivan [67] writes that ‘Bihar, however, has a class of Brahmins called Bhumihars who despite their persistent and firm assertions that they are a special class of Brahmins who give but not take the alms……The myth associated with Bhumihars is that when the legendary Prasurama exterminated the Kshatriyas, he issues a command to them being men of his own clan, to take to the plough…….A widely prevalent belief is that they had descended from the Bhuyans, a tribe which acquired land and claimed to be Brahmins.’

17. Dipankar Gupta [68] writes that ‘the Bhumihar claims that though they have been performing the Kshatriya role in society, they belong to Brahmin Varna. They believe that they are traditionally a powerful landowning Brahmin caste that had long back stopped performing the roles of a purohit (priest). They claim descent from those Brahmins who performed the consecration rituals for Ajatshatru, who had achieved kingship of Magadha by dishonoring and killing his father Bimbisara. In return King Ajatshatru donated large landholding to Brahmins. Other Brahmins opposed this act and socially differentiated themselves from the former. This is why, the Bhumihar argue, they do not have marriage relationship with the Brahmins. However, they claim that they belong to Brahmin Varna and are as pure as other Brahmins and purer than other castes.

Going through these notes, it is certain that the community has an ambiguous position in the caste hierarchy of northern India. The ambiguous position coupled with dominant status in the society led to some historians tracing their lineage from the Buddhist Brahmins who lived with their Pali name Babhan, followed three Brahmanical duties (similar to other dvija castes like Rajputs / Kshatriyas and Vaishyas against six for orthodox Brahmins), had a strong inclination towards agriculture and settled in the region of ancient Magadha. Historically the ancient texts mention about the presence of Vratya Brahmins in these regions who followed Buddhism, Jainism and other aboriginal cults, were not good in uttering Sanskrit verses, lacked the knowledge of expanded Brahmanic rituals and involved in agricultural activities. Against the origin theory proposed by anthropologists, the community traces its origin in the myth of Parashurama killing Kshatriyas and then its ancestors occupying the position of the latter losing their Brahmin status.

Although the three communities find their title mentioned in ancient literature as part of either Kshatriya or Brahmin Varna, at present they do not have any social relations with them. As each community has many myths and legends associated with their origin, trusting one over another becomes difficult for a person in society. In many myths, the origin is related to certain populations who were associated with certain events in the remote past. Also few historians cited the population of these communities to claim or reject certain traditions / hypothesis about their origin. In the coming write-up, the population numbers over a period of time have been explored to evaluate the validity of such arguments.

7.4 Population of the three communities on time scale Click here to read.

Index Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10

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7. The Ancient Communities in Present Day India.

THE VRATYAS OF GANA-SANGHA AND MAGADHA