Bhumihar Origin: Difference between revisions
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century, to malign the Babhans/Bhumihars, and others speculative, misguided, and half baked | 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. | originating from some British writers, the true story is far off from both. | ||
== What's the Origin of Bhumihars ? == | == What's the Origin of Bhumihars ? == | ||
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Babhans are thus former Brahmins who adopted Buddhism and subsequently reintegrated into | 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 | Hinduism with a relegated status, still similar to Brahmins, although without the sacredness | ||
attached to it but higher than Rajpoots.< | 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 | religious transition, they '''drifted away from the Brahminical order and became a | ||
completely | completely | ||
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We will discuss the evidence supporting this in the next section | We will discuss the evidence supporting this in the next section | ||
== Historical Testimony of Conversions == | == Historical Testimony of Conversions == | ||
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Bhumihars)'' during | Bhumihars)'' during | ||
Ashoka's reign around 300 BCE. If anyone needs a proven example of such a conversion, it is | Ashoka's reign around 300 BCE. If anyone needs a proven example of such a conversion, it is | ||
now available.< | 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 == | == Origins according to report of The Asiatic Society, Ministry of Culture, GOI == | ||
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to be known as distinct caste called Bhumihars. Some continued as heads of former Buddhist | 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 | monasteries, which later turned into Hindu worship centres called Thakurwadis which could be | ||
found in many Bhumihar villages even to this day.< | 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 == | == Linguistic and Geographical proofs of origin == | ||
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monasteries. The centre of their population, Magadha, and their other settlements coincide | 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 | with the regions where Buddhism was strongest and persisted for the longest time according | ||
to British era historian and Sanskrit linguist Haraprasad Shastri Bhattacharya.< | 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> | ||
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[[File:origin3.jpg|450px|thumb|Historical Testimony]] | |||
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[[File:origin5.jpg|700px|thumb|center|Historical Testimony]] | |||
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== Geographical Continuity in the Buddhist Heartland == | == Geographical Continuity in the Buddhist Heartland == | ||
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remains. The fact that these villages are almost entirely inhabited by Babhans or Bhumihars | 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 | lends further weight to the Buddhist-Brahmin origin theory by establishing geographical | ||
continuity.< | 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: | [[File:origin6.jpg|thumb|400px|center|Historical Testimony — upload manually]] | ||
'''(b) '''The villages of Pilliccha and Aramā, where Arahanta Pilinda-Vaccha, a | '''(b) '''The villages of Pilliccha and Aramā, where Arahanta Pilinda-Vaccha, a | ||
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presence in that village. This adds further credence to the view that early Bhumihar | 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 | settlements coincided with Buddhist centres, strengthening the theory that their origins | ||
trace back to Brahmin groups who had adopted Buddhism.< | 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 == | == Countering Misconceptions == | ||
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in 1907 that the uniform physical type of the | in 1907 that the uniform physical type of the | ||
Bhumihars rules out the idea that they are a mixed race, noting that their consistent | Bhumihars rules out the idea that they are a mixed race, noting that their consistent | ||
physical characteristics completely invalidates such a defamatory claim.< | 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 | <blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' "The uniformity of the physical type among them disposes of the suggestion that they are a mixed race"</blockquote> | ||
them disposes of | |||
the | |||
suggestion that they are a mixed race"</blockquote> | |||
'''(2) "Bhumihars are partly Rajput and partly Brahmin" / "Bhumihars are | '''(2) "Bhumihars are partly Rajput and partly Brahmin" / "Bhumihars are partly Rajput and partly other castes"''' | ||
partly Rajput and partly other castes"''' | |||
This is also false. Another colonial-era | This is also false. Another colonial-era | ||
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absolutely no reliable evidence to support the scandalous claim that Bhumihars are | absolutely no reliable evidence to support the scandalous claim that Bhumihars are | ||
partly | partly | ||
Rajput and partly Brahmin, or a mixture of Rajputs and other castes.< | 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> | |||
<blockquote>'''Quoted from his book –''' " | In his | ||
assessment, doubts about the purity of their Brahmin | |||
status were based on assertions for which he could obtain no trustworthy | |||
evidence. | |||
'''(3) "Bhumihars are of mixed Brahmin–Rajput origin"''' | |||
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.<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> | |||
He noted that such views were rumours rather than conclusions based on evidence. | |||
'''(4) "They are degraded Brahmins"''' | |||
This is again contradicted by the | |||
evidence. H. H. Risley argued that a close examination of | |||
the sections or exogamous groups into which the Babhans (Bhumihars) are divided strongly | |||
undermines the hypothesis that they are degraded Brahmins. According to him, these | |||
internal | |||
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.<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 | |||
groups into which the Babhans are divided appears, however, to tell strongly against the hypothesis that they are degraded Brahmans. These groups are usually the oldest and most durable element in the internal organisation of a caste or tribe."</blockquote> | |||
'''(5) "They are promoted Aryans" / "They were promoted as Brahmins in King Jarasandha's feat due to shortage of Brahmins"''' | |||
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.<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 | |||
appearance and demeanour of the caste. "They are," says Mr. Beames, "a fine manly race, with the delicate Aryan type of feature in full perfection." This type, I may add, is singularly uniform and persistent among the Babhans, which would not be the case if they were descended from a crowd of low-caste men promoted by the exigencies of a particular occasion"</blockquote> | |||
'''(6) "They were tribals promoted as sham Brahmins at a feast organised by King Jarasandha"''' | |||
This is yet another baseless story. | |||
William Crooke, writing in 1896, stated that there is no | |||
evidence to support the popular hearsay that Babhans/Bhumihars were originally a lowly | |||
group raised to Brahmin rank by King Jarasandha at some ceremonial feast. | |||
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 == | == References == | ||
{ | {{reflist}} | ||