Babhan / Bhumihar...
Welcome
Many websites and blogs on the internet claim to be authoritative sources on Bhumihars or Babhans, but in most cases the information they provide is incomplete or outright misleading. In fact, much of it is factually incorrect and not supported by credible historical or academic references, which makes it difficult to take their claims seriously, therefore such sites unintentionally spread misinformation and create embarrassing confusions about Bhumihars among gullible readers who mistake them for a valid source.
What sets this website apart from them is that we have tried to include as much information here as it’s humanly possible to collect, making this almost an A-Z repository of Bhumihar history and tribal information. Every piece of information posted here is verified and backed with valid references whose names, images and links are given at the bottom of every page to build trust with our readers and ensure the authenticity of all the information posted.
Who are Bhumihars ?
Bhumihars (also known as Babhan in South Bihar and Tirhut) are an endogamous caste, divided into more than 450 exogamous Mools and over a dozen Rishi Gotras, with a population of about 5 million, of whom 3.8 million are in Bihar according to the Bihar Government’s Caste Survey of 2023, about 1 Million in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and 2-3 Hundred Thousand in Jharkhand.They were originally the native Brahmins of Magadha who converted en masse to Buddhism but reconverted to Hinduism after Buddhism declined. Having spent many centuries as Buddhists, they had almost completely shed their ritual status and priestly characteristics and emerged as a distinct caste, yet they still retained their gotras, pravars, and other related genealogical markers (refer Origin for more details).
Where do they originate from ?
They originate from the मगध (Magadh) region of the state of Bihar. Even today, almost 60% of their population is concentrated in the southern districts of Bihar, covering the cultural regions of मगध (Magadha) and अंग (Anga).
Although मगध (Magadh) remains the core area of their population, over several centuries they migrated outward and became native to neighbouring regions as well. Their traditional area of settlement stretches from the Bhojpuri-speaking districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh, entire Bihar and into a few Magahi-speaking districts of northern Jharkhand.
More commonly known simply as Babhan, the community began using the name “Bhumihar” more widely in the 20th century, when some Bhumihar caste activists from Uttar Pradesh campaigned in every district of Bihar & Jharkhand to promote this new 'Bhumihar' name and urged people to abandon the real & older Babhan designation.
Some Bhumihar Mools also originate from Central UP and Nepal, but they’re a miniscule minority. The overwhelming majority (90%) of Bhumihar’s "Mūla Sthāna", i.e, their place of origin are traced to Magadh region, Bihar.
What is the present day official classification of Bhumihars ?
Under the modern caste classification of the Government of India, they are considered a forward caste i.e. they don't require government sanctioned emancipation program and therefore and placed in the “General Category” or “Unreserved” category nationally and in every state as well. This means they are not entitled to reservation, the system of affirmative action of the Indian government, since they were historically not backward, oppressed and could never be deprived of basic rights by any other Hindu caste or tribe.
In Bihar, Bhumihars were the principal जमींदार (zamindars) and landlords, and despite constituting only about 2.8% of the state’s population, they headed many of its most prominent zamindaris, nearly all the big Zamindars of Bihar were Bhumihars. The only & the largest princely state in the region spanning from Central UP till Bihar, belonged to Bhumihars.
The 1901 Census of British India recorded Bhumihars as holding the largest number of zamindaris in Bihar, that is, they were the caste with the highest number of landlords in the province. In Uttar Pradesh, Bhumihars expanded their zamindaris by launching conquests against the estates of other Rajputs and Brahmins, thereby extending their landed influence beyond Bihar. Despite making up only about 2.8% of the population, or around 3.8 million people in a province of 130 million, Bhumihars have produced the first and second longest-serving Chief Minister of Bihar, several Directors General of Police, Chief Justices of the Patna High Court and one, even of the Supreme Court of India, as well as multiple Chief Secretaries. Their contributions form a long and never ending list, but the main takeaway is that Bhumihars have consistently punched far above their weight and secured a distinctive position in the social and political fabric of the eastern Gangetic plains, despite being numerically small and demographically insignificant in terms of sheer population and limited geographical spread.
Explore
Navigate through our sections to learn about the origins of the Bhumihar community, read about genetic research, discover the legacy of our rulers, and find out more about this project.
References
| ID | Book/Article | Author | Year | Snippet |
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| [1] | Example Book | Author Name | Year |