Overview
In this page, we will highlight the general standing of the Bhumihar caste, showcase their
progress over time, and present what credible sources and documented records reveal about
them.
There are colonial records and we also consider the perspectives of other Hindu castes,
regional communities, and contemporary authors who have written extensively on social
affairs, caste relations, and political dynamics. Scholars, journalists, and writers have
offered varied interpretations of Bhumihar identity, touching upon aspects such as their
cultural practices, political influence, landholding patterns, and social interactions. By
compiling and analyzing these viewpoints, this section aims to present a balanced and
comprehensive picture of how the Bhumihar community’s character and social standing have
been described, debated, and understood across different periods and contexts.
Bhumihars outperform every reserved and unreserved caste, except Kayasthas in the
parameters of Education and Average Household Income.
Source: 2023 Bihar Government Caste Survey
2023 Bihar Govt Caste Survey
The Bihar caste–census data
[1]
2023 Caste Based Survey Report in Bihar
Bihar Govt
Go to References
(Tables 1, 2 and 3) reveals a clear picture: Bhumihars stand among
the top-performing castes in income, education, and organised-sector employment. In fact, on
several indicators, Bhumihars perform better than many other upper-caste groups, including
Brahmins and Rajputs.
NOTE : The data published by "The Print" given below is actually based on the 2022-23
Caste survey done by the Government Of Bihar
1. Relative High Income Level
When we analyse the “50,000+ family income per month” category. Bhumihars
consistently rank at the top within the General caste grouping, only behind Kayasthas.
Income (50k+ monthly):
- Kayastha: 24.48%
- Bhumihar: 13.97%
- Brahmin: 10.57%
- Rajput: 11.24%
This places Bhumihars firmly in the high-income bracket, well above most other castes in
Bihar
[2]
Income & Assets by Caste
The Print
Go to References
| MAJOR CASTE |
% POPULATION |
FAMILY INCOME PER MONTH |
LAPTOP/ COMPUTER OWNERSHIP |
VEHICLE OWNERSHIP |
| 0-6K |
6K-10K |
10K-20K |
20K-50K |
50K+ |
| GENERAL |
15.52 |
25.09 |
23.98 |
19.27 |
16.95 |
9.86 |
3.52 |
7.64 |
| Bhumihar |
2.87 |
27.58 |
18.60 |
16.38 |
19.05 |
13.97 |
4.73 |
9.89 |
| Brahmin |
3.66 |
25.32 |
21.75 |
19.21 |
18.33 |
10.57 |
4.12 |
8.44 |
| Rajput |
3.45 |
24.89 |
21.38 |
18.96 |
19.06 |
11.24 |
3.65 |
8.97 |
| Kayasth |
0.60 |
13.83 |
16.08 |
17.33 |
24.41 |
24.48 |
10.84 |
15.08 |
2. Educational Excellence : Higher Than Most Other Forward Castes on Key Indicators
Education data shows that Bhumihars continue to maintain exceptionally high literacy and
higher-education levels.
Total PG + Professional Degrees:
- Bhumihar: 5.39%
- Brahmin: 4.85%
- Rajput: 3.73%
This means that Bhumihars have a greater proportion of postgraduates, engineers, doctors,
CAs, and PhD holders than other Forward Castes, making them one of Bihar’s most
academically successful
communities after Kayasthas
[3]
PG & Quality Degree by Caste
The Print
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| MAJOR CASTE |
% POPULATION |
GENERAL BACHELORS DEGREE |
BE/ BTech |
MBBS/ BAMS |
PG |
PhD/ CA |
TOTAL PG + PROF DEGREES |
| GENERAL |
15.52 |
13.41 |
0.96 |
0.16 |
2.5 |
0.25 |
3.87 |
| Bhumihar |
2.87 |
17.70 |
1.42 |
0.22 |
3.41 |
0.34 |
5.39 |
| Brahmin |
3.66 |
16.95 |
1.06 |
0.17 |
3.30 |
0.32 |
4.85 |
| Rajput |
3.45 |
17.10 |
0.92 |
0.22 |
2.37 |
0.22 |
3.73 |
| Kayasth |
0.60 |
29.38 |
2.74 |
0.37 |
7.08 |
0.70 |
10.89 |
3. Strong Footprint in Govt & Private Sector Jobs
In organised sector employment including government and private salaried jobs,Bhumihars again
appear near the top.
Government Jobs (% of caste population):
- Bhumihar: 4.99%
- Brahmin: 3.60%
- Rajput: 3.81%
Private Sector Jobs:
- Bhumihar: 4.21%
- Brahmin: 4.54%
- Rajput: 4.01%
Total in organised sector (Govt + Pvt):
- Bhumihar: 9.20%
- Brahmin: 8.14%
- Rajput: 7.82%
This makes Bhumihars one of the most dominant castes in high-quality salaried employment,
clearly outperforming most others
[4]
Jobs in Pvt & Govt Sector
The Print
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| CASTE/ CATEGORY |
% IN POPULATION |
% IN GOVT JOB |
% IN ORGANISED PVT SECTOR |
TOTAL IN ORGANISED SECTORS |
| GENERAL |
15.52 |
3.19 |
3.49 |
6.68 |
| Bhumihar |
2.87 |
4.99 |
4.21 |
9.20 |
| Brahmin |
3.66 |
3.60 |
4.54 |
8.14 |
| Rajput |
3.45 |
3.81 |
4.01 |
7.82 |
| Kayasth |
0.60 |
6.68 |
8.43 |
15.11 |
British Reports
John Beames of the Bengal Civil Service, Member of the German Oriental
Society, of the Asiatic Societies of Paris and Bengal, and of the Philological Society of
London wrote about the physical characteristics of Bhumihars with respect to their
neighbours. He described Bhumihars as a fine manly race with delicate Aryan features who are
not easily tamed.
[5]
Memoirs on the History, Folk Lore, and Distribution of
the Races of the North Western Provinces of India
Sir Henry Miers Elliot
Go to References
A fine manly race, with the delicate Aryan type of feature in full perfection, bold and
overbearing in character, and decidedly inclined to be turbulent
Brits highlighted the extremely cohesive nature of Bhumihar society. When a
Bhumihar was in trouble, other Bhumihars, even from faraway places, would come forward and
vehemently oppose his sentencing if he was to be penalized. Wilton Oldham related an
incident highlighting this nature of Bhumihars as follows
[6]
Ghazipur: A Gazetteer
H. R. Nevill
Go to References
:
There is consequently a much closor bond of sympathy and union between thoevarious Bhumihar
tribes of the district than between the Rajpoots.
I once had occasion to sentence to a
short
term of imprisonment a young man of a respectable Bhumihar family. A number of Bhumihars, of
a different tribe, and from a distant part of the district, begged that his sentence might
be commuted to a fine, as his imprisonment was a di-grace to their entiro community
British noted that Bhumihars were the only cultivators who didn't seek the protection
of Kshatriyas or paid them any rent. Bhumihars were their own protectors. In
the words of John Collinson Nesfield:
[7]
Brief View of the Caste System of the North Western
Provinces and Oudh
Government of the NW Provinces
Go to References
Almost all cultivators except the Tyagis and Bhumihars found it necessary to place
themselves under the protection of some Kshatriya landlord, who, being of the warrior caste,
protected them from aggression from without, on condition of receiving rent in return:
whereas the Tyagis and Bhumihars have been their own landlords and protectors
LSS O’ Malley writes about Bhumihars in the Patna Gazetteer in 1907 that
Babhans (Bhumihars) are addicted to rioting, violent and very tough to control.
[8]
Patna District Gazetteers
L. S. S. O’Malley
Go to References
In his
words:
Among the agricultural population the Babhans are the most addicted to rioting. When the
crops are on the ground, or the reservoirs full of water, the Babhan's opportunity comes,
and violent breaches of the peace occur. Besides this taste for rioting, they are remarkable
for their litigiousness and are ever ready to contest to the last halfpenny a neighbour's
claim or seize upon a poorer man's right. Their crookedness of mind has passed into a
proverb, 'Babhan bahut sidha ho, to hasua ke aisa,' i.e., straightest Babhan is as crooked
as a sickle
LSS O’ Malley in 1909 contrasted the Mongolian featured local aborigines of
Monghyr division with the high-browed Aryan-featured Babhans, highlighting the Aryan
features of the Babhans (Bhumihars) of Munger.
[9]
Bengal District Gazetteers: Monghyr
L. S. S. O’Malley
Go to References
He remarked:
The features of the inhabitants of the hills, with their low brows and flat faces, have a
strong resemblance to the Mongolian type, and they contrast strikingly with the high-browed
Aryan-featured Babhans of the northern parts of the district
Babhans of Monghyr are described by LSS O’ Malley the British officer as
"Bold and having an overhearing character", and they tended to quickly mobilise for a cause,
forming a brotherhood in no time, to combat any adversity. The British described this
characteristic trait to be found in Bhumihars of Ghazipur as well.
[10]
Bengal District Gazetteers: Monghyr
L. S. S. O’Malley
Go to References
He said:
The truth appears to be that their bold and overbearing character, and their tendency to
combine in 'strong and pugnacious brotherhood,' render them undesirable tenants in the eyes
of an exacting landlord. They are described as being absolutely unscrupulous, extremely
litigious, and insatiable in their aptitude for appeal
LSS O’ Malley the British officer noted in 1909, of all the castes in Monger
Division, only Babhans were opposed to Vaccination, indicating a very rebellious and
conservative character of Bhumihars of the region.
[11]
Bengal District Gazetteers: Monghyr
L. S. S. O’Malley
Go to References
He said:
Vaccination is compulsory only in municipal areas, but it does not appear to be regarded
with any great disfavor by the people generally, with the exception of the Babhans, who in
this district are usually opposed to it
The British officer Wilton Oldham and MA Sherring both observed that Donwar Bhumihars
were more Aryan looking and had lighter skin complexion than Rajputs Donwars.
Donwar is a common territorial section (Mool) between Rajputs and Bhumihars.
[12]
Memoir of the Ghazeepoor District, Part I
Wilton Oldham
Go to References
They said:
Oldham’s observation: Dr. W. Oldham discerns a marked difference
between the Donwar Rajpoots and the Donwar Bhumihars of the Ghazipur district. The
former are of a dark complexion, and have not Aryan features, while the latter, it would
seem, are both of Aryan complexion and feature.
MA Sherring’s Observation: In this district the Rajpoots aro quito
distinct from the Bhumihar Donwars. The Donwar Rajpoots whom I have seen are of a dark
complexion and have not Aryan features
William Wilson Hunter remarked about the Babhans (Bhumihars) of Magadha that
they made good gang robbers, were very mischievous and fond of rioting.
[13]
A Statistical Account of Bengal, Vol. X
W.W. Hunter
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He said:
The Babhan (Bhumihar) class supply the leading spirits in a gang robbery, riot or any other
mischief
William Crooke, the British colonial officer and an ethnologist, highlighted
about the low nasal index of Babhans (Bhumihars) and Brahmins, that Nasal Index (lower index
means narrower nose and higher means wider) correlates strongly with the social standing of
castes, considering how Bhumihars, an upper caste have the lowest Nasal Index in eastern
India and Chamars and Musahars had the highest Nasal Index in that area.
[14]
The People of India
Sir Herbert Hope Risley
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To quote him:
The average nasal index runs in an unbroken series from 73 in the Bhumihar or Babhan of
Hindustan and 73.2 in the Brahman of Bihar to 86 in the Hindustani Chamar and 88.7 in the
Musahar of Bihar. The order thus established corresponds substantially with the scale of
social precedence independently ascertained. At the top of the list are the Bhumihars, who
rank high among the territorial aristocracy of Hindustan and Bihar
British officer Francis Buchanan reported in 1811 that the terror of
Domkatar Bhumihars of Magadh was so severe that they were considered the leaders of anarchy
and general public was so fearful that they were cautious of even talking about them,
[15]
Bihar and Patna in 1811–1812, Vol. II
Francis Buchanan
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he
said:
The complaints that I heard were chiefly against those of the tribe of Domkatars among the
Military Brahmans (Babhan/Bhumihar), who, from having been long the leaders in the anarchy
which prevailed before the English government, have acquired a name that still conveys a
good deal of terror. Although the people of this district are very cautious in speaking of
their affairs
LSS O’ Malley described a peculiar situation involving Bhumihars, that even
scientists may be oblivious of the disastrous and destructive results when Babhans serve as
both landlords and tenants in the same village. They describe the situation as an instance
of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object, and every attestation officer who's
served in North Munger is familiar with this situation,
[16]
Final Report on the Survey and Settlement Operations in
the District of Monghyr
H. Comland
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he says:
Thus in a village in which the landlord and tenants are all Babhan, we get an absolute
instance of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object. Though the result of this
phenomenon may be unknown to scientists, nearly every attestation officer who has worked in
North Munger is familiar with it
Local Sayings
There’s a common saying about Bhumihars in Magadha that says that “Babhans,
Dogs and Elephants all are ready combatants”,
[17]
Report of a Tour in Bihar and Bengal in 1879–80
A.M. Cunningham
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it goes like this:
Babhan, kutta, hathi, tino jaat ka ghati
Survey of 200 Patna University students stereotyped different castes, with
Bhumihars placed alongside nine other groups for comparison. For Bhumihars, the most
frequently assigned traits were: casteist (62%), cultured (33%), clever (31%),
ambitious (27.5%), good-looking (25.5%), selfish (23.5%), opportunist (23.5%), and dangerous
(21.0%).
Taken together, these responses suggest that students saw Bhumihars as a relatively
high-status, good looking and capable but also socially exclusive and somewhat self-serving
group
Kailash Bihari Lal in 1943 highlighted the dominance of Bhumihars in Bihar’s social
landscape by bringing attention to the fact that how in a state so big, a
numerically insignificant Bhumihars were one of two central power blocs that controlled the
entire province’s politics. Bihar is depicted as divided into a “Bhumihar Zone” and a
“Rajput Zone,” with all “minor” castes compelled to align with one of these two, which
implies that Bhumihars (along with Rajputs) set the terms of political participation for
others in Bihar.
[18]
The Hindu Nation: A Solution of the Communal
Tangle
Kailash Bihari Lal
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Kailash Bihari Lal says:
Indifferent to such a poisonous aspect of the national life. Now the result is that the
whole province of Bihar is divided into Bhumihar Zone and Rajput Zone and the other minor
castes have to cast their lot with either of the two. And woe betides the man who stands out
against this combination. In short, thanks to the major issue of Hindustan versus Pakistan
that has eclipsed the other minor issues else we would have found ourselves gaged in the
right royal battle for Bhumiharistan and Rajputistan, in our own province of Bihar
Nirod Mukerji highlights the animosity between the Rajputs and the Bhumihars of
Bihar
[19]
Standing at the Cross roads
Nirod Mukerji
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as:
The antagonistic tendency that exists between, say, the Bhumihars and the Chattris in Bihar
Mark Tully remarks about Bhumihars in 1995 that they considered their pride
above anything.
[20]
The Heart of India
Mark Tully
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He says:
To obey any government order was an insult to a Bhumihar, who always regarded his pride as
even more precious than his pocket
Babhans (Bhumihars) are at the at the top of the racial-anthropometric hierarchy of
Eastern India. The table is based on Risley’s surveys, the 1901 Census of India, and
studies of the Anthropological Survey of India.
[21]
Geography of the South Asian Subcontinent
Aijazuddin Ahmad
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Anthropometric data refers to the physical measurements of caste groups, such as head shape,
nose index, height, and body proportions, used by colonial anthropologists to classify
"racial types"
A caste’s social status was also judged by how many of its women went out to work, the
lesser the number, the higher the status and vice versa.
Among Babhans, for every 100 men who worked outside the home, only 8 women did so. The
corresponding figures were 10 for Rajputs, 12 for Brahmins, 52 for Kurmis, and for Koeris
and Ahirs, it was 54.
[22]
Subaltern Studies II : Writings on South Asian History
and Culture
Ranajit Guha (ed.)
Go to References
Indicator of a community's razil status was the fact that a far larger proportion
of its women went out to work than among the sharif. Thus in Bihar in 1911, whereas there
were but 8 female workers to every 100 male workers among the Babhans, 10 to every 100 among
Rajputs and 12 among the Brahmans, the numbers were 52 among the Kurmis, 54 among both Abirs
and Koeris, and as much as 69 and 71 among the Julahas and Dusadhs respectively
