User talk:Bhumihar brahmins

Bhumihars are a Hindu caste mainly found in Bihar (including the Mithila region),[2] the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, and Nepal.[3]

The Bhumihars claim Brahmin status, and are also referred to as Bhumihar Brahmin.[4] In Bihar, they are also known as Babhan[5] and they have also been called Bhuinhar.[6]

The Bhumihars were a prominent land-owning group of eastern India until the 20th century, and controlled nine small princely states and zamindari estates in the region. The Bhumihar community played an important role in the peasant movements of India, and was highly influential in politics of Bihar in the 20th century.

By the 16th century, the Bhumihars controlled vast stretches of land in eastern India, particularly in north Bihar. By the late eighteenth century, along with Bihari Rajputs, they had established themselves as the most prominent landholders of the region.[10] Oral legends suggest that along with Muslims and Rajputs, they displaced the Bhar and Chero natives of the region.[11] The weakening of the Mughal suzerainty over the region gave rise to several small Bhumihar states. For example, the revenue contractors for the Mughal province of Awadh declared themselves the Maharaja of Benares. They successfully defended their independence against the Nawab of Awadh in the 1750s and 1760s, before becoming a British dependency.[12] Other princely states and fiefdoms ruled by Bhumihars included Bettia, Tekari, Hathwa, Tamukhi, Sheohar, Mahishadal, Pakur and Maheshpur.[9]

The distinctive Bhumihar caste identity was largely created through military service.[13] During early days of British expansion in India, a large number of Bhumihars participated in battles and revolts against the East India Company.[14] The Company also recruited Bhumihar sepoys in large numbers.[15]