>C1MM at 02:55, 21 May 2021

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{{Infobox ethnic group
|group = Birhor
|image =
|pop = 17,044
|total_ref = <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/ST.html|title=A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix|publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|website=www.censusindia.gov.in|access-date=2017-11-03}}</ref>
|popplace = {{flag|India}}
|region1 = {{spaces|14}}[[Jharkhand]]
|pop1 = 10,726
|region2 = {{spaces|14}}[[Chhattisgarh]]
|pop2 = 3,104
|region3 = {{spaces|14}}[[West Bengal]]
|pop3 = 2,241
|region4 = {{spaces|14}}[[Odisha]]
|pop4 = 596
|region5 = {{spaces|14}}[[Bihar]]
|pop5 = 377
|languages = [[Hindi language|Hindi]]{{*}}[[Birhor language|Birhor]]
|religions = Traditional beliefs{{*}}[[Hinduism]]
|related =[[Munda people|Munda]]{{*}}[[Ho people|Hos]]{{*}}[[Kol people|Kols]]
}}

'''Birhor people (Birhul)''' are a [[Tribe|tribal]]/[[Adivasi]] forest people, traditionally [[nomad]]ic, living primarily in the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Jharkhand]]. They speak the [[Birhor language]], which belongs to the [[Munda languages|Munda group of languages]] of the [[Austroasiatic languages|Austroasiatic language family]].<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.peacefulsocieties.org/Society/Birhor.html
|title = Peaceful Societies Alternatives to Violence and War| access-date = 2008-03-17 | work =Birhor }}</ref><ref name="Ethnologue">{{cite web | url = http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=biy
|title = Birhor – A Language of India | access-date = 2008-03-17 | work = Ethnologue | publisher = SIL International }}</ref>

==Etymology==
Birhor means jungle people - ''bir'' means jungle, ''hor
'' mean men.<ref name="Soan">{{cite web | url = http://akhra.co.in/downloads/THE%20BIRHOR.doc
|title = The Birhors| access-date = 2008-03-17 | last = Soan | first = Kamal Kishore }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

==Ethnology==
The Birhors are of short stature, long head, wavy hair and broad nose. They claim they have descended from the Sun and believe that the Kharwars, who also trace their descent from the Sun, are their brothers. Ethnologically, they are akin to the [[Santal]]s, [[Munda people|Mundas]], and [[Ho people|Ho]]s.<ref name="Soan"/><ref name="Global">{{cite web|url=http://www.jharkhandi.org/birhor_tribe.htm |title=The Birhor |access-date=2008-03-17 |publisher=A Global Network of Jharkhand |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327120003/http://www.jharkhandi.org/birhor_tribe.htm |archive-date=March 27, 2009 }}</ref>

==Location==
Birhors are found mainly in the area covered by the old [[Hazaribagh district|Hazaribagh]], [[Ranchi district|Ranchi]] and [[Singhbhum district|Singhbhum]] districts before these were broken down into numerous smaller units, in [[Jharkhand]]. Some of them are also found in [[Orissa, India|Orissa]], [[Chhattisgarh]] and [[West Bengal]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.peacefulsocieties.org/Society/Birhor.html | title = Peaceful Societies Alternatives to Violence and War| access-date = 2008-03-17 | work =Birhor }}</ref> They are one of the smaller of the thirty [[Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes|scheduled tribes]] [[Tribes of Jharkhand|inhabiting Jharkhand]].<ref name = "JharkhandData">{{cite web | url = http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_st_jharkhand.pdf
|title = Jharkhand: Data Highlights the Scheduled Tribes| access-date = 2008-03-06 | work = Census of India 2001 | publisher = Census Commission of India }}</ref>

==Population==
Birhors number around 10,000.<ref name="Ethnologue"/> According to some sources, their numbers could be lesser than this.<ref name="Peaceful2">{{cite web | url = http://www.peacefulsocieties.org/NAR07/071122birh.html
|title = Peaceful Societies Alternatives to Violence and War| access-date = 2008-03-17 | work =Has the Birhor vanished }}</ref>

==Language==
Most speak Hindi, while some speak the critically-endangered [[Birhor language]], which belongs to the [[Munda languages|Munda group of languages]] of the [[Austroasiatic languages|Austroasiatic language family]]. Their language has similarities with [[Santali language|Santali]], [[Mundari language|Mundari]] and [[Ho language|Ho]] languages. Birhors have a positive language attitude. They freely use the languages prevalent in the areas they move around and use Sadri, Santali, Ho, Mundari. [[Literacy]] rate in the first language was as low as 0.02 percent in 1971, but around 10 per cent were literate in Hindi.<ref name="Ethnologue"/>

==Socio-economic scenario==
The “primitive subsistence economy” of the Birhors has been based on nomadic [[Hunter-gatherer|gathering and hunting]], particularly for monkeys. They also trap rabbits and titirs{{which lang|date=December 2019}} (a small bird), and collect and sell honey. They make ropes out of the fibres of a particular species of vine, which they sell in the markets of the nearby agricultural people. Partly forced by circumstances, partly encouraged by government officials, some of them have settled into stable agriculture, but others continue their nomadic life, but even when they settle down in a village, their tendency is to lead a nomadic life. According to the socio-economic standing the Birhors are classified into two groups. While the wandering Birhors are called Uthlus, the settled Birhors are called Janghis.<ref name="Ethnologue"/><ref name="Soan"/><ref name="Global"/><ref name="Peaceful2"/><ref name="Peaceful3">{{cite web|title=Peaceful Societies Alternatives to Violence and War|url=http://www.peacefulsocieties.org/NAR/050203birh.html|access-date=2008-03-17|work=Have the Birhor been roped into social changes?}}</ref>

==Traditional religious beliefs==
The traditional magico-religious beliefs of Birhors are akin to those of the Hos. Mundari deities such as ''Sing Bonga'' (Sun God<ref>Although ''sing'' literally means 'sun' and ''bonga'' literally means 'spirit, deity,' the actual conceptualization of ''Sing Bonga'' is not as a 'sun god.' ''Sing Bonga'' is rather the creator of the universe, including humans, animals, plants, rocks, the moon, and the sun. Therefore, the word ''sing'' in ''Sing Bonga'' is sometimes interpreted as an adjective, like 'luminous' or 'brilliant.'</ref>) and ''Hapram'' (ancestral spirits) rank high in esteem. Though the'' Hapram'' are believed to live in the supernatural world along with the ''Bonga'', the Birhors make a distinction between these two categories of supernatural spirits. ''Hapram'' are placed just below the ''Bonga''. The Birhors think that the entire universe has been created and presided over by ''Sing Bonga'' and his wife ''Chandu Bonga''. They are worshipped in the months of [[Pous]] and [[Maagha|Magh]].<ref name="Soan"/><ref>{{cite web | url = http://ignca.nic.in/ps_01012.htm | title = Primal Elements: The Oral Tradition | access-date = 2008-03-17 | last = Adhikary | first = Ashim Kumar | work = The Birhor Universe | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080225160809/http://www.ignca.nic.in/ps_01012.htm | archive-date = 2008-02-25 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

Hinduism and [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal Christianity]] are making significant inroads into their society.<ref name="Peaceful3" />

==Settlement==
The temporary Birhor settlements are known as ''tandas'' or ''bands''. These consist of at least half a dozen huts of conical shape, erected with leaves and branches. The household possessions traditionally consisted of earthen utensils, some digging implements, implements for hunting and trapping, rope making implements, baskets and so on. In recent times aluminium and steel have found their way into Birhor huts.<ref name="Global"/>

==Family and marriage==
The family is the smallest unit of Birhor society. Traditional inheritance follows the male line. The husband-wife relationship is very cordial. They dress in a manner similar to their settled neighbours, using mostly traditional Indian dress with some western influence. Women are fond of ornaments. They are divided into a number of totemic clans named after plants, birds, animals, rivers, etc.<ref name="Global"/>

Birhors follow the rules of tribal and clan endogamy. A Birhor boy is supposed to get married with a Birhor girl, but the clan of the boy and the girl should not be same. ''Tandas'' or ''bands'' have families of different clans but they follow the rule of ''tanda'' exogamy. At the time of marriage, the blood relationship is explored. The marriage between a boy and a girl is possible only when they are not related up to three generations from the father's and the mother's side.<ref name="Global"/>

Birhors follow the practice of bride price. When the child attains the marriageable age, it is responsibility of the father to get his son or daughter married. As per traditional custom the father of the boy approaches the father of the girl. When the latter agrees, the father of the boy settles the bride price with father of the girl and the marriage is fixed.<ref name="Global"/>

==Attempted integration==
After Indian independence in 1947, the government has attempted to settle the Birhors by giving them land, bullocks for cultivation, agricultural implements and seeds. Schools for children, rope making centres and honey collection training centres were started. However, these efforts have borne little fruit as most of the Birhors have reverted to nomadic life.<ref name="Global"/>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* http://projekt.ht.lu.se/rwaai RWAAI (Repository and Workspace for Austroasiatic Intangible Heritage)
* [[hdl:10050/00-0000-0000-0003-A6AE-4@view|http://hdl.handle.net/10050/00-0000-0000-0003-A6AE-4@view]] Birhor language in RWAAI Digital Archive
{{Scheduled tribes of India}}
{{Tribes of Jharkhand}}
{{Scheduled tribes of West Bengal}}
* [http://www.sinlung.com Sinlung Tribes, news Northeast India]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Birhor People}}
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of India]]
[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of Odisha]]

Birhor people - Revision history

>C1MM at 02:55, 21 May 2021