Bhumihar Genetics

Bhumihar Genetics according to the Harvard University & David Reich

Harvard University’s professors and 114+ genetic scientists from across the globe conducted the most extensive and detailed genetic research on Indian castes & tribes, headed by David Reich, world’s leading geneticist and the director of David Reich Lab at the Harvard University.

This research, “The formation of human populations in South and Central Asia”, highlighted several points about Bhumihars:

(A) “Steppe ancestry in modern South Asians is primarily from males and disproportionately high in Brahmin and Bhumihar groups"

(B) “Groups that traditionally view themselves as being of priestly status (Brahmin, Pandit, and Bhumihar) tend to have a significantly higher ratio of Central_Steppe_MLBA to Indus_Periphery_Cline ancestry than other groups”

(C) Strongest signals of Steppe ancestry in the Gangetic plains were found amongst the Bihari Bhumihars

(D) According to David Reich's genetic research, Bihari Bhumihars were found to have higher Steppe ancestry and lower AHG (Andamanese Hunter-Gatherer)-proxy Indigenous ancestry than Gangetic Plains Brahmins and Rajputs.

In the DNA research on Indian castes by Dr. David Reich, Harvard University and world's most renowned genetic scientist, Bihari Bhumihars were found to have higher Steppe ancestry than Gangetic Plains Brahmins and Rajputs. They were also found to have lower Indigenous ancestry, for which AHG (Andamanese Hunter-Gatherer) was used as a proxy, compared with Gangetic Brahmins and Rajputs.

The exact ancestry percentages are provided in David Reich's widely cited research paper on Indian populations, "The Formation of Human Populations in South and Central Asia." Specifically, they are listed in the supplementary material, in the spreadsheet "File (aat7487_tables1-5.xlsx)," under Table S5.

Model 1 Bihari Bhumihars are estimated to have 28.3% Central Steppe_MLBA-related ancestry and 21.3% AHG-related ancestry, compared with Brahmin_UP (26.4% Steppe, 24.8% AHG), Brahmin_Tiwari (27.0% Steppe, 23.6% AHG), Brahmin_Haryana (24.0% Steppe, 18.8% AHG), and Rajputs (23.5% Steppe, 25% AHG), respectively.

Model 2 Bihari Bhumihars are estimated to have 26.3% Central Steppe_MLBA-related ancestry and 26.4% AHG-related ancestry, compared with Brahmin_UP (25.0% Steppe, 29.1% AHG), Brahmin_Tiwari (25.2% Steppe, 28.2% AHG), Brahmin_Haryana (23.1% Steppe, 25.2% AHG), and Rajputs (21.9% Steppe, 29.5% AHG), respectively.

Research Paper 2

The 2024 study Distinct Positions of Genetic and Oral Histories: Perspectives from India applied qpAdm modeling to estimate the proportions of Steppe and Onge-related (AASI or the indigenous Indian component) ancestry and Bhumihars of Bihar came out to have the highest Steppe ancestry (29.0%) among the Brahmin groups, more than Brahmin Tiwari (27.9%), Saryuparin Brahmins (26.1% Steppe), and West Bengal Brahmins (22.3% Steppe). Their estimated Steppe ancestry was also higher than that of the sampled Rajputs (20.8% Steppe) and Khatris (26.9% Steppe).

Conversely, Bhumihars displayed the lowest Onge-related ancestry (20.7%) among the Brahmin groups in the dataset, lower than Brahmin Tiwari (23.4%), Saryupari Brahmins (22.8%), West Bengal Brahmins (30.6%), Rajputs (21.9%) but the Khatris (11.6%) have even lower Onge related ancestry than Bhumihars. Khatris showed nearly half the amount of Onge-related ancestry compared to Gangetic Brahmins and the Bihari Bhumihars.

Research Paper 2

Bronze age Steppe ancestry proportion is higher in Bihari Bhumihars compared to other caste groups such as Kshatriyas, Kurmis, Tharus, Srivastavas, Yadavs, Nais, Thakurs, and Brahmins sampled in the research.

Research Paper 3

Bihari Bhumihars having higher Eastern European Hunter Gatherer, Western Steppe and Central Steppe than other groups like Kambojs, Dogras, Haviks and Brahmins sampled in the research. This research showed results of 3 different models.

Research Paper 4

Bhumihars have higher Steppe_MLBA ancestry than other groups like Kambojs, Gujjars, Nairs, Brahmins, Dogras, Srivastavas, Reddys, Yadavs, Bunts etc sampled in the research.

Research Paper 5

Bihari Bhumihars again found to be having higher Steppe_MLBA ancestry than other groups like Kambojs, Gujjars, Nairs, Brahmins, Dogras, Srivastavas, Reddys, Yadavs, Bunts etc sampled in yet another research.