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Bhumihars or Babhans were originally the native Brahmins of Magadha, Anga & South Tirhut who

had almost entirely

converted to Buddhism and later reconverted to Hinduism after Buddhism declined. Having

spent many centuries as Buddhists, '''''they had largely shed their ritual status and

priestly

functions''''' and, since they were returning to Hinduism from another

religion, they were

naturally regarded as having branched off and '''''thus emerged as a distinct

caste.''''' Yet they

still retained their gotras, ved and other genealogical identifications.

While numerous theories have been historically proposed regarding the ethnogenesis and

origins of the Bhumihars, many criminally scandalous, penned by some orthodox Brahmins in

20th

century, to malign the Babhans/Bhumihars, and others speculative, misguided, and half baked

originating from some British writers, the true story is far off from both.

== What's the Origin of Bhumihars ? ==

'''The most credible and historically supported, firmly established origin story,

endorsed by

respected historians and corroborated by authentic published sources, holds

that''' the

Bhumihars are the erstwhile native Brahmins of Magadha who had converted to Buddhism. Upon

their later reconversion to Hinduism, they lost their former ritual status.

Babhans are thus former Brahmins who adopted Buddhism and subsequently reintegrated into

Hinduism with a relegated status, still similar to Brahmins, although without the sacredness

attached to it but higher than Rajpoots.<ref name="census1911">[https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Census_of_India_1911/6C1RAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA373&printsec=frontcover&dq=superior%20to ''Census of India, 1911'', Volume I: India, Part I – Report]. Census of India</ref><ref name="census1901vol6">[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.55930/page/n393/mode/2up ''Census of India, 1901'', Volume VI: Lower Provinces of Bengal and Their Feudatories]. Census of India</ref> During this

religious transition, they '''drifted away from the Brahminical order and became a

completely

distinct caste,''' while assuming control over lands and shrines associated with

abandoned

Buddhist monasteries, hence the name Bhūmi + Hāraka (Bhumihar), meaning "Those who usurped

lands".

We will discuss the evidence supporting this in the next section

== Historical Testimony of Conversions ==

The internationally renowned historian William Dalrymple, through his field research,

identified an entire village of Brahmins who had converted to Buddhism ''(present day

Bhumihars)'' during

Ashoka's reign around 300 BCE. If anyone needs a proven example of such a conversion, it is

now available.<ref name="dalrymple">[https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Age_of_Kali.html?id=psbFzupTAR8C ''The Age of Kali: Indian Travels and Encounters'']. William Dalrymple. 1998.</ref>

[[File:Origin1.png|thumb|500px|center|Buddhist conversion of Bhumihars]]

== Origins according to report of The Asiatic Society, Ministry of Culture, GOI ==

During Buddhism's height, many Brahmins converted and rose to prominence within monasteries.

But as Buddhism declined by the twelfth century, they returned to Hinduism, accepted back

only with a relegated status. Anticipating Buddhism's fall, they accepted this term and came

to be known as distinct caste called Bhumihars. Some continued as heads of former Buddhist

monasteries, which later turned into Hindu worship centres called Thakurwadis which could be

found in many Bhumihar villages even to this day.<ref name="asiaticsociety2018">[https://asiaticsocietykolkata.org/uploads/Journal%20Vol.%20LX.%20No.%204_2018.pdf#page=48 ''Journal of the Asiatic Society'', Vol. LX, No. 4]. Asiatic Society. 2018.</ref>

[[File:origin2.jpg|thumb|center|500px|Fall of Buddhism & Re-conversion]]

== Linguistic and Geographical proofs of origin ==

Bhumihar's synonym or traditional name 'Babhan', is the Pali form of Brahman from Ashokan

times and it points to Brahmins who had converted to Buddhism and their Pali name stuck with

them ever since. The term Bhumihāraka reflects their control of lands once tied to Buddhist

monasteries. The centre of their population, Magadha, and their other settlements coincide

with the regions where Buddhism was strongest and persisted for the longest time according

to British era historian and Sanskrit linguist Haraprasad Shastri Bhattacharya.<ref name="hariprasad">[https://archive.org/details/babhan_hari_prasad_sastri_journal_of_asiatic_society_of_bengal/page/n78/mode/1up?q=%22favours+the+theory+of+their+Buddhistic+origin%22 "Babhan"]. Article in the ''Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal''. Hari Prasad Sastri. Early 20th century.</ref><ref name="census1901report">[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.55930/page/n393/mode/1up?q=%22as+referring+to+their+having+seized%22 ''Census of India, 1901'', Volume VI: Lower Provinces of Bengal and Their Feudatories, Part I: Report]. Census of India. 1901.</ref><ref name="magadhreport">[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.206879/page/n54/mode/1up?q=%22covered+by+the+ancient+kingdom+of+Magadha%22 Report on the Magadha Region]. Government of India. Early 20th century.</ref>

{| style="margin:0 auto; border:none;"

| style="padding:8px;" |

[[File:origin3.jpg|450px|thumb|Historical Testimony]]

| style="padding:8px;" |

[[File:origin4.png|370px|thumb|Historical Testimony]]

|-

| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; padding-top:15px;" |

[[File:origin5.jpg|700px|thumb|center|Historical Testimony]]

|}

</div>

== Geographical Continuity in the Buddhist Heartland ==

'''Some archaeological and settlement related information are given below to show how

Bhumihars have long inhabited important sites associated with Buddhism, further

strengthening the claim of their Buddhist past.'''

'''(a) '''The Magadh region of Bihar is dotted with sites of Buddhist

significance, many of which are either heavily inhabited by Bhumihars or have Bhumihar

settlements in close proximity. Ghosrawan lies six miles northeast of Indra-śilā peak

(Giryak), eight miles east of Nālandā, seven miles southeast of Bihar's "isolated rock," and

ten miles northeast of the Rājgir ruins—placing it at the heart of ancient Buddhist Magadha.

Titrawan, mentioned alongside Ghosrawan, is another site noted for important Buddhist

remains. The fact that these villages are almost entirely inhabited by Babhans or Bhumihars

lends further weight to the Buddhist-Brahmin origin theory by establishing geographical

continuity.<ref name="ghosrawan">[https://archive.org/details/dli.calcutta.00033/page/265/mode/2up?q=ghosrawan ''Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal'']. Asiatic Society of Bengal. Early 20th century.</ref>

[[File:origin6.jpg|thumb|400px|center|Historical Testimony — upload manually]]

'''(b) '''The villages of Pilliccha and Aramā, where Arahanta Pilinda-Vaccha, a

noted disciple of Gautama Buddha, resided, are inhabited by the Bhumihar community of the

Pilichavara Mool, that's based on the name of the village itself and their Mools are based

on villages that they've been inhabiting since thousands of years, indicating their ancient

presence in that village. This adds further credence to the view that early Bhumihar

settlements coincided with Buddhist centres, strengthening the theory that their origins

trace back to Brahmin groups who had adopted Buddhism.<ref name="biharpuravid">[https://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/journal-of-bihar-puravid-parisad-vols-xiii-and-xiv-january-december-1989-1990-old-and-rare-book-hao658/ ''Journal of Bihar Puravid Parishad'', Vols. XIII–XIV]. Bihar Puravid Parishad. 1990.</ref>

[[File:origin7.jpg|thumb|center|500px|Historical Testimony — upload manually]]

== Countering Misconceptions ==

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in 1907 that the uniform physical type of the

Bhumihars rules out the idea that they are a mixed race, noting that their consistent

physical characteristics completely invalidates such a defamatory claim.<~~sup~~>[~~[#ref-8|[8]]~~]</~~sup~~>

physical characteristics completely invalidates such a defamatory claim.<ref name="crooke1907">[https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Natives_of_Northern_India/5zGBAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 ''Natives of Northern India'']. William Crooke. 1907.</ref>

<blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' "The uniformity of the physical type among them disposes of the suggestion that they are a mixed race"</blockquote>

Line 30:

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absolutely no reliable evidence to support the scandalous claim that Bhumihars are

partly

Rajput and partly Brahmin, or a mixture of Rajputs and other castes.<~~sup~~>[~~[#ref-9|[9]]~~]</~~sup~~>

Rajput and partly Brahmin, or a mixture of Rajputs and other castes.<ref name="sherring1872">[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.469749/page/39/mode/1up ''Hindu Tribes and Castes'', Volume I]. M. A. Sherring. 1872.</ref>

<blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' "Some doubt has been thrown on the purity of their blood as Brahmans. It has been said that they are Kshatriya or Rajpoot Brahmans; or are partly Rajpoots and partly of other castes. I have been unable to obtain any trustworthy evidence for such assertions"</blockquote>

Line 44:

Line 154:

With regard to the claim that Bhumihars

are part Rajput and part Brahmin, D. L.

Drake‑Brockman, a British civil services officer who wrote district gazetteers, stated in 1911 that he found no concrete evidence to support this defamatory theory. Instead, he recorded that it was generally their Hindu Rajput and Brahmin neighbours who propagated the slander that Bhumihars were of mixed Brahmin–Rajput descent.<~~sup~~>[~~[#ref-10|[10]]~~]</~~sup~~>

Drake‑Brockman, a British civil services officer who wrote district gazetteers, stated in 1911 that he found no concrete evidence to support this defamatory theory. Instead, he recorded that it was generally their Hindu Rajput and Brahmin neighbours who propagated the slander that Bhumihars were of mixed Brahmin–Rajput descent.<ref name="drakebrockman">[https://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.07345 ''Azamgarh: A Gazetteer'', Volume XIX of the District Gazetteers of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh]. D. L. Drake Brockman. 1909.</ref>

<blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' "Their Brahman and Rajput neighbours generally insinuate that they are of mixed Brahman and Rajput breed, but there is no evidence in varticular to support this view"</blockquote>

Line 60:

Line 170:

groups are usually the oldest and most enduring elements in the organisation of a caste

or

tribe, which is inconsistent with the idea of a later "degraded" offshoot.<~~sup~~>[~~[#ref-11|[11]]~~]</~~sup~~>

tribe, which is inconsistent with the idea of a later "degraded" offshoot.<ref name="risley1903a">[https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.30980/mode/2up ''Census of India, 1901'', Volume I: India, Ethnographic Appendices]. H. H. Risley (Census Commissioner). 1903.</ref>

<blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' "An examination of the sections or exogamous

Line 69:

Line 179:

This theory is again rejected by HH Risley in his ethnography, which

notes that the appearance and demeanour of the Babhans are inconsistent with the idea that they were suddenly promoted from low-caste status at a single feast of Jarasandha.<~~sup~~>[~~[#ref-12|[12]]~~]</~~sup~~>

notes that the appearance and demeanour of the Babhans are inconsistent with the idea that they were suddenly promoted from low-caste status at a single feast of Jarasandha.<ref name="risley1903b">[https://archive.org/details/tribescastesofno0000croo/mode/1up ''Census of India, 1901'', Volume I: India, Ethnographic Appendices]. H. H. Risley. 1903.</ref>

<blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' "The last theory is at once refuted by the

Line 82:

Line 192:

group raised to Brahmin rank by King Jarasandha at some ceremonial feast.

He treated this tale as unsubstantiated legend rather than a historical fact.<~~sup~~>[~~[#ref~~-~~13|[13]]~~]</~~sup~~>

He treated this tale as unsubstantiated legend rather than a historical fact.<ref name="crooke1896">[https://archive.org/details/tribescastesofno0000croo/mode/1up ''The Tribes and Castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh'', Volume II]. William Crooke. 1896.</ref>

== References ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+Bhumihars or Babhans were originally the native Brahmins of Magadha, Anga & South Tirhut who
+had almost entirely
+converted to Buddhism and later reconverted to Hinduism after Buddhism declined. Having
+spent many centuries as Buddhists, '''''they had largely shed their ritual status and
+priestly
+functions''''' and, since they were returning to Hinduism from another
+religion, they were
+naturally regarded as having branched off and '''''thus emerged as a distinct
+caste.''''' Yet they
+still retained their gotras, ved and other genealogical identifications.
+While numerous theories have been historically proposed regarding the ethnogenesis and
+origins of the Bhumihars, many criminally scandalous, penned by some orthodox Brahmins in
+th
+century, to malign the Babhans/Bhumihars, and others speculative, misguided, and half baked
+originating from some British writers, the true story is far off from both.
+== What's the Origin of Bhumihars ? ==
+'''The most credible and historically supported, firmly established origin story,
+endorsed by
+respected historians and corroborated by authentic published sources, holds
+that''' the
+Bhumihars are the erstwhile native Brahmins of Magadha who had converted to Buddhism. Upon
+their later reconversion to Hinduism, they lost their former ritual status.
+Babhans are thus former Brahmins who adopted Buddhism and subsequently reintegrated into
+Hinduism with a relegated status, still similar to Brahmins, although without the sacredness
+attached to it but higher than Rajpoots.<ref name="census1911">[https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Census_of_India_1911/6C1RAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA373&printsec=frontcover&dq=superior%20to ''Census of India, 1911'', Volume I: India, Part I – Report]. Census of India</ref><ref name="census1901vol6">[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.55930/page/n393/mode/2up ''Census of India, 1901'', Volume VI: Lower Provinces of Bengal and Their Feudatories]. Census of India</ref> During this
+religious transition, they '''drifted away from the Brahminical order and became a
+completely
+distinct caste,''' while assuming control over lands and shrines associated with
+abandoned
+Buddhist monasteries, hence the name Bhūmi + Hāraka (Bhumihar), meaning "Those who usurped
+lands".
+We will discuss the evidence supporting this in the next section
+== Historical Testimony of Conversions ==
+The internationally renowned historian William Dalrymple, through his field research,
+identified an entire village of Brahmins who had converted to Buddhism ''(present day
+Bhumihars)'' during
+Ashoka's reign around 300 BCE. If anyone needs a proven example of such a conversion, it is
+now available.<ref name="dalrymple">[https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Age_of_Kali.html?id=psbFzupTAR8C ''The Age of Kali: Indian Travels and Encounters'']. William Dalrymple. 1998.</ref>
+[[File:Origin1.png|thumb|500px|center|Buddhist conversion of Bhumihars]]
+== Origins according to report of The Asiatic Society, Ministry of Culture, GOI ==
+During Buddhism's height, many Brahmins converted and rose to prominence within monasteries.
+But as Buddhism declined by the twelfth century, they returned to Hinduism, accepted back
+only with a relegated status. Anticipating Buddhism's fall, they accepted this term and came
+to be known as distinct caste called Bhumihars. Some continued as heads of former Buddhist
+monasteries, which later turned into Hindu worship centres called Thakurwadis which could be
+found in many Bhumihar villages even to this day.<ref name="asiaticsociety2018">[https://asiaticsocietykolkata.org/uploads/Journal%20Vol.%20LX.%20No.%204_2018.pdf#page=48 ''Journal of the Asiatic Society'', Vol. LX, No. 4]. Asiatic Society. 2018.</ref>
+[[File:origin2.jpg|thumb|center|500px|Fall of Buddhism & Re-conversion]]
+== Linguistic and Geographical proofs of origin ==
+Bhumihar's synonym or traditional name 'Babhan', is the Pali form of Brahman from Ashokan
+times and it points to Brahmins who had converted to Buddhism and their Pali name stuck with
+them ever since. The term Bhumihāraka reflects their control of lands once tied to Buddhist
+monasteries. The centre of their population, Magadha, and their other settlements coincide
+with the regions where Buddhism was strongest and persisted for the longest time according
+to British era historian and Sanskrit linguist Haraprasad Shastri Bhattacharya.<ref name="hariprasad">[https://archive.org/details/babhan_hari_prasad_sastri_journal_of_asiatic_society_of_bengal/page/n78/mode/1up?q=%22favours+the+theory+of+their+Buddhistic+origin%22 "Babhan"]. Article in the ''Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal''. Hari Prasad Sastri. Early 20th century.</ref><ref name="census1901report">[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.55930/page/n393/mode/1up?q=%22as+referring+to+their+having+seized%22 ''Census of India, 1901'', Volume VI: Lower Provinces of Bengal and Their Feudatories, Part I: Report]. Census of India. 1901.</ref><ref name="magadhreport">[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.206879/page/n54/mode/1up?q=%22covered+by+the+ancient+kingdom+of+Magadha%22 Report on the Magadha Region]. Government of India. Early 20th century.</ref>
+<div style="text-align:center;">
+{| style="margin:0 auto; border:none;"
+| style="padding:8px;" |
+[[File:origin3.jpg|450px|thumb|Historical Testimony]]
+| style="padding:8px;" |
+[[File:origin4.png|370px|thumb|Historical Testimony]]
+|-
+| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; padding-top:15px;" |
+[[File:origin5.jpg|700px|thumb|center|Historical Testimony]]
+|}
+</div>
+== Geographical Continuity in the Buddhist Heartland ==
+'''Some archaeological and settlement related information are given below to show how
+Bhumihars have long inhabited important sites associated with Buddhism, further
+strengthening the claim of their Buddhist past.'''
+'''(a) '''The Magadh region of Bihar is dotted with sites of Buddhist
+significance, many of which are either heavily inhabited by Bhumihars or have Bhumihar
+settlements in close proximity. Ghosrawan lies six miles northeast of Indra-śilā peak
+(Giryak), eight miles east of Nālandā, seven miles southeast of Bihar's "isolated rock," and
+ten miles northeast of the Rājgir ruins—placing it at the heart of ancient Buddhist Magadha.
+Titrawan, mentioned alongside Ghosrawan, is another site noted for important Buddhist
+remains. The fact that these villages are almost entirely inhabited by Babhans or Bhumihars
+lends further weight to the Buddhist-Brahmin origin theory by establishing geographical
+continuity.<ref name="ghosrawan">[https://archive.org/details/dli.calcutta.00033/page/265/mode/2up?q=ghosrawan ''Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal'']. Asiatic Society of Bengal. Early 20th century.</ref>
+[[File:origin6.jpg|thumb|400px|center|Historical Testimony — upload manually]]
+'''(b) '''The villages of Pilliccha and Aramā, where Arahanta Pilinda-Vaccha, a
+noted disciple of Gautama Buddha, resided, are inhabited by the Bhumihar community of the
+Pilichavara Mool, that's based on the name of the village itself and their Mools are based
+on villages that they've been inhabiting since thousands of years, indicating their ancient
+presence in that village. This adds further credence to the view that early Bhumihar
+settlements coincided with Buddhist centres, strengthening the theory that their origins
+trace back to Brahmin groups who had adopted Buddhism.<ref name="biharpuravid">[https://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/journal-of-bihar-puravid-parisad-vols-xiii-and-xiv-january-december-1989-1990-old-and-rare-book-hao658/ ''Journal of Bihar Puravid Parishad'', Vols. XIII–XIV]. Bihar Puravid Parishad. 1990.</ref>
+[[File:origin7.jpg|thumb|center|500px|Historical Testimony — upload manually]]
 == Countering Misconceptions ==
@@ Line 19: / Line 129: @@
 in 1907 that the uniform physical type of the
 Bhumihars rules out the idea that they are a mixed race, noting that their consistent
-physical characteristics completely invalidates such a defamatory claim.<sup>[[#ref-8|[8]]]</sup>
+physical characteristics completely invalidates such a defamatory claim.<ref name="crooke1907">[https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Natives_of_Northern_India/5zGBAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 ''Natives of Northern India'']. William Crooke. 1907.</ref>
 <blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' "The uniformity of the physical type among them disposes of the suggestion that they are a mixed race"</blockquote>
@@ Line 30: / Line 140: @@
 absolutely no reliable evidence to support the scandalous claim that Bhumihars are
 partly
-Rajput and partly Brahmin, or a mixture of Rajputs and other castes.<sup>[[#ref-9|[9]]]</sup>
+Rajput and partly Brahmin, or a mixture of Rajputs and other castes.<ref name="sherring1872">[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.469749/page/39/mode/1up ''Hindu Tribes and Castes'', Volume I]. M. A. Sherring. 1872.</ref>
 <blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' "Some doubt has been thrown on the purity of their blood as Brahmans. It has been said that they are Kshatriya or Rajpoot Brahmans; or are partly Rajpoots and partly of other castes. I have been unable to obtain any trustworthy evidence for such assertions"</blockquote>
@@ Line 44: / Line 154: @@
 With regard to the claim that Bhumihars
 are part Rajput and part Brahmin, D. L.
-Drake‑Brockman, a British civil services officer who wrote district gazetteers, stated in 1911 that he found no concrete evidence to support this defamatory theory. Instead, he recorded that it was generally their Hindu Rajput and Brahmin neighbours who propagated the slander that Bhumihars were of mixed Brahmin–Rajput descent.<sup>[[#ref-10|[10]]]</sup>
+Drake‑Brockman, a British civil services officer who wrote district gazetteers, stated in 1911 that he found no concrete evidence to support this defamatory theory. Instead, he recorded that it was generally their Hindu Rajput and Brahmin neighbours who propagated the slander that Bhumihars were of mixed Brahmin–Rajput descent.<ref name="drakebrockman">[https://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.07345 ''Azamgarh: A Gazetteer'', Volume XIX of the District Gazetteers of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh]. D. L. Drake Brockman. 1909.</ref>
 <blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' "Their Brahman and Rajput neighbours generally insinuate that they are of mixed Brahman and Rajput breed, but there is no evidence in varticular to support this view"</blockquote>
@@ Line 60: / Line 170: @@
 groups are usually the oldest and most enduring elements in the organisation of a caste
 or
-tribe, which is inconsistent with the idea of a later "degraded" offshoot.<sup>[[#ref-11|[11]]]</sup>
+tribe, which is inconsistent with the idea of a later "degraded" offshoot.<ref name="risley1903a">[https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.30980/mode/2up ''Census of India, 1901'', Volume I: India, Ethnographic Appendices]. H. H. Risley (Census Commissioner). 1903.</ref>
 <blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' "An examination of the sections or exogamous
@@ Line 69: / Line 179: @@
 This theory is again rejected by HH Risley in his ethnography, which
-notes that the appearance and demeanour of the Babhans are inconsistent with the idea that they were suddenly promoted from low-caste status at a single feast of Jarasandha.<sup>[[#ref-12|[12]]]</sup>
+notes that the appearance and demeanour of the Babhans are inconsistent with the idea that they were suddenly promoted from low-caste status at a single feast of Jarasandha.<ref name="risley1903b">[https://archive.org/details/tribescastesofno0000croo/mode/1up ''Census of India, 1901'', Volume I: India, Ethnographic Appendices]. H. H. Risley. 1903.</ref>
 <blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' "The last theory is at once refuted by the
@@ Line 82: / Line 192: @@
 group raised to Brahmin rank by King Jarasandha at some ceremonial feast.
-He treated this tale as unsubstantiated legend rather than a historical fact.<sup>[[#ref-13|[13]]]</sup>
+He treated this tale as unsubstantiated legend rather than a historical fact.<ref name="crooke1896">[https://archive.org/details/tribescastesofno0000croo/mode/1up ''The Tribes and Castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh'', Volume II]. William Crooke. 1896.</ref>
+== References ==
+{{reflist}}

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