Characteristic

Community Overview

In this section, we will delve into a broad spectrum of observations, interpretations, and commentaries related to the general character and social position of the Bhumihar community. These insights span across different historical periods and originate from diverse sources, including British colonial officers, census writers, and ethnographers who documented caste identities and social hierarchies in their administrative records. Their writings often reflected not only their personal viewpoints but also the colonial understanding of Indian society, making them valuable yet sometimes biased references for understanding how Bhumihars were perceived during that era.

Alongside these colonial records, 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.

2023 Caste Based Survey in Bihar

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.

1. Relatively High Income Levels

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

Bhumihars also show strong ownership of vehicles and computers, further confirming their asset advantage:

Vehicle ownership: 9.89%
Laptop/computer: 4.73%

These figures exceed Brahmins and Rajputs.

MAJOR CASTE	% POPULATION	FAMILY INCOME PER MONTH					LAPTOP/ COMPUTER OWNERSHIP	VEHICLE OWNERSHIP
MAJOR CASTE	% POPULATION	0-6K	6K-10K	10K-20K	20K-50K	50K+	LAPTOP/ COMPUTER OWNERSHIP	VEHICLE OWNERSHIP
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 Brahmins 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 Brahmins, making them one of Bihar’s most academically successful communities after Kayasthas ^[3] PG & Quality Degree by Caste The Print Go to References

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 Go to References

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

What This Means for the Community

The data demonstrates that:

Bhumihars rank among the richest castes in Bihar: Only Kayasthas surpass them at the very top.
They have an excellent educational profile: Higher percentage of PG/professional degrees than Brahmins or Rajputs.
They are strong in both government and private sectors: With one of the highest organised-sector employment rates in the state.

Together, these indicators portray Bhumihars as a high-achieving, educated, economically stable, and professionally successful community, contributing significantly to Bihar’s skilled workforce, administration, and knowledge economy.

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.

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:

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:

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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, 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, 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”, 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 (62.0%), cultured (56.0%), clever (35.0%), ambitious (25.0%), good-looking (23.5%), 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. 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 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. 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

References

ID	Book/Article	Author	Year
[1]	2023 Caste Based Survey Report in Bihar	Bihar Govt	2023
[2]	Table 1	The Print	2023
[3]	Table 2	The Print	2023
[4]	Table 3	The Print	2023

Characteristics