Chero: Difference between revisions

{{infobox ethnic group

|langs = [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]], [[Magahi language|Magahi]], [[Maithili language|Maithili]], [[Sadri language|Nagpuri]]

The community claims to have originally been tribal people. The Chero are essentially one of many tribal communities, such as the [[Bhar]], [[Pasi (caste)|Pasi]] and [[Kol people|Kol]], that inhabit the southeastern corner of Uttar Pradesh. [[Chero dynasty]] was ruling parts of [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Bihar]] and [[Jharkhand]] until they were deposed by [[Ujjainiya|Ujjainiya Rajputs]] and the [[East India Company]].{{Sfn|Lahiry|2014|p=30}} They are now found in a territory extending from [[Allahabad]] in the west to [[Muzaffarpur]] in the east. The Chero have two sub-divisions, the Mahto and Chaudhary.<ref>People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part One edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 374</ref>

In Bihar, the Chero are known as Charwa or Cheru and in [[Palamu division|Palamu]], they are known as the Barahazari. The community is mainly found in [[Jharkhand]], especially in [[Ranchi]] and [[Monghyr]]. Those of Palamau were substantial landowners.

The Chero are classified as a [[Scheduled Tribe]] in [[Sonbhadra district|Sonbhadra]] and [[Varanasi district]]s, but a [[Scheduled Caste]] in most parts of Uttar Pradesh.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tribal.nic.in/WriteReadData/CMS/Documents/201212010356439267578File1068.pdf |title=State wise Scheduled Tribes&nbsp;– Uttar Pradesh |publisher=Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India |access-date=4 February 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123041643/http://tribal.nic.in/WriteReadData/CMS/Documents/201212010356439267578File1068.pdf |archive-date=23 November 2016 }}</ref> They are also classified as a Scheduled Tribe in Bihar and Jharkhand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/ST%20Lists.pdf |page=12 |title=List of notified Scheduled Tribes |publisher=Census India |access-date=15 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107225208/http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/ST%20Lists.pdf |archive-date=7 November 2013 }}</ref> They have [[Other Backward Class|OBC]] status in [[Odisha]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Central List of OBCs for the State of Orissa |url=http://www.ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/cl/orissa.pdf |website=ncbc.nic.in |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref>

The community has a traditional caste council that maintains a strong social control on the community. With [[Sanskritization]] they are [[Hindu]], but also worship several their own indigenous tribal deities, such as [[Sairi-ma]], [[Ganwar Bhabhani]] and [[Dulha Deo]].<ref>People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part One edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 375</ref>  

The Chero of Jharkhand have two sub-divisions, the Barahazari and the Terahazari. These two groups are endogamous, and do not intermarry. They practice clan exogamy, and their main clans are the Mawar, Kuanr, Mahato, Rajkumar, Manjhia, Wamwat, and Hantiyas. These clans are of unequal status, and the Chero practice clan hypergamy. The Chero of Jharkhand are mainly farmers, with many were substantial landowners.<ref name="bihar">People of India Bihar Volume XVI Part One edited by S Gopal & Hetukar Jha pages 229 to 231 Seagull Books</ref>