Bhumij people
Bhumij are a Munda ethnic group of India. They primarily live in the Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand, mostly in the old Singhbhum district, and can also be found in Bangladesh. They speak Bhumij language. The Ol Onal script,[2] invented by Ol Guru Mahendra Nath Sardar, is used to write Bhumij language in some parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Assam.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 9,11,349[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India | |
| West Bengal | 3,76,296 |
| Odisha | 2,83,909 |
| Assam | 2,48,144 |
| Jharkhand | 2,09,448 |
| Bangladesh | 3,000 |
| Languages | |
| Bhumij language • Regional languages | |
| Religion | |
| Sarnaism • Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Munda • Kol • Ho • Santal | |
Etymology
Bhumij means "one who is born from the soil" and it is derived from word bhūmi (a land or soil). According to N. Ramaswani, the word is etymologically Bhūm-jo meaning "people originating from Bhum areas, i.e. Singhbhum, Dhalbhum, Manbhum, Barabhum, etc.", E.T. Dalton also had claimed that Bhumijs were the original inhabitants of Dhalbhum, Barabhum, Patkum and Baghmundi.[3]
History
Bhumij means "one who is born from the soil". Herbert Hope Risley noted in 1890 that the Bhumij inhabit that tract of the country which lies on both sides of the Subarnarekha River. He claimed the eastern branch of Bhumij only spoke Bengali. According to him, they were a group of Munda who moved east and lost connection with other Mundas, and later adopted Hindu customs when non-tribals arrived in the area.[4]
While those living nearer to Chota Nagpur Plateau still retain linguistic links with Bhumij language, those living further east have adopted Bengali as their language. In Dhalbhum they are completely Hinduized. During British rule, or sometimes even earlier, many of the Bhumij became zamindars and some even secured the title of Raja. Others were called Sardar. However, all of them, having climbed the social ladder, proclaimed themselves to be Kshatriyas, in keeping with the trends in the region.[5]
Geographic distribution
The Bhumijs are found in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and Bihar. They are concentrated in the districts of Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura and 24 Parganas in West Bengal. In Odisha, they are thickly concentrated in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, and Balasore, and sporadically distributed in other parts. In Assam, where they are very recent immigrants, their greatest concentration occurs in the Assam valley. In Jharkhand, they are found in the districts of Singhbhum, Manbhum, Hazaribagh, Ranchi and Dhanbad.
The Bhumij people came to the Sylhet region from Bihar as tea-labourers. They can be found in Srimangal with a population of 3000. They are divided into many clans such as Kaitra, Garur, Kasim, Bhugal, Baundra, Ban, Nag, Shona, Shar and Tresha. Their Bhumij dialect is less and less spoken and Bengali is more widely spoken among the community.[6]
Culture
The Bhumijs of Manbhum believe that their original occupation was military service. Subsequently, agriculture was taken as the sole activity by all the tribes, except the iron-smelting Shelo. A few were engaged in petty trade, and some immigrated to the tea districts of Assam. In Jharkhand and Bihar, the Bhumij even today depend upon agriculture, fishing, hunting and forest produces. Thus, the Bhumijs who are mainly agriculturists also hunts and traps birds and animals in the jungles, and the landless among them work as labourers. Various seasonally available forest products are a subsidiary source of income for them. Marginal income from wage labour, minor non-forest products and animal husbandry are the main source of livelihood for the rural Bhumij.[4]
Rice is their staple food and is consumed throughout the year. They are non-vegetarians, but do not eat pork or beef. The Bhumijs also eat white-ants (termites) and insects. Drinks like rice beer and toddy are commonly consumed by them. Mahua liquor is used sumptuously during feasts and festivals.
As regards dress and ornaments, they follow their Hindu neighbours. Children of both the sexes go naked till the age of four or five years and after which they wear a towel or trouser till adolescence. The male dress consists of a shirt, a dhoti or lungi, and a towel. The women wear sari and blouse. Young girls are fond of ornaments such as nose-rings, earrings, bead necklaces, armlets and bangles made of brass. They put on flowers in their hair.[4]
References
- ↑ "A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix". censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- ↑ "Ol Onal".omniglot
- ↑ Ramaswamy, N (1992). Bhumij Grammar.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Risley, Sir Herbert Hope 1851-1911 (1892). The tribes and castes of Bengal. Bengal secretariat Press. OCLC 68183872.
- ↑ Ghosh, Binoy, Paschim Banger Sanskriti, (in Bengali), part I, 1976 edition, pp. 423-434, Prakash Bhaban
- ↑ Jengcham, Subhash. "Bhumij". Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.