Birhor: The Inconsequential Extraordinary Primitive Tribal Group (PTG) of India

Jitendra Kumar Premi*

Senior Assistant Professor, School of Studies in Anthropology,

Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University Raipur, Chhattisgarh-492010.

ABSTRACT:

Birhor means jungle people - Bir means jungle, Hor means men. The Birhors are of short stature, long head, wavy hair and broad nose. They belong to the Proto-Australoid racial stock. According to the India census (2011) India consists of only 17,241 the Birhor tribal populations, which is only 0.01 percent of the total tribal population of India. This population data has proved populace scarcity of the Birhor tribe in India. Jharkhand has wrapped the foremost population (62.21 percent) of the total population of the Birhor tribe in India, which indicates that the origin of this tribe is Jharkhand. The “primitive subsistence economy” of the Birhors has been based on nomadic gathering and hunting, particularly for monkeys. They also trap rabbits and titirs (a small bird), and collect and sell honey. They make ropes out of the fibers of a particular species of vine, which they sell in the markets of the nearby agricultural people. Due to combined effect of changed circumstances and government policies, some of the Birhors have adopted settled agricultural economy in recent years, but inspite of that, their traditional tendency of leading nomadic life has not gone. 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. The Birhor tribe has been facing culturisation and acculturisation problem as they live together with various tribal and non tribal communities. They are highly influenced with their culture and the Birhor had left their own cultural characteristics. Now the Birhor’s ethnic characteristics are vanishing as well as they are losing their identity. In the light of above, it is suggested that it is urgent need to document the ethnic characteristics of primitive tribe and to conserve their culture.

KEY WORDS: Birhor, inconsequential, Primitive Tribal Group (PTG), India

INTRODUCTION:

Birhor is the very inconsequential extraordinary Primitive Tribal Group (PTG) of Chhattisgarh, bulk of the population of this tribe concentrated in Jharkhand and Orrisa. Birhor means jungle people - Bir means jungle, Hor means men. The Birhors are of short stature, long head, wavy hair and broad nose. They belong to the Proto-Australoid racial stock. They claim they have descended from the Sun and believe that the Khiarwars, who also trace their descent from the Sun, are their brothers. Ethnologically, they are a kin to the Santals, Mundas, and Ho (Soan 2008).

According to India census (2001) their total population in Chhattisgarh is only1, 744 which is just 0.026 percent of total tribal population of the state. A survey of Tribal Research Institute, Raipur, Chhattisgarh (2008) has found total population of Birhor in Chhattisgarh to be 2626 which is 1.79% of total PTG population of Chhattisgarh. Subsequently table no. 1 reveals that according to the India census (2011) India consists of only 17,241 the Birhor tribal populations, which is only 0.01percent (out of 104,281,034) of the total tribal population of India.

Table No. 1: Distribution of Population of the Birhor Tribe in India and the states

S. No.	Name of the States	Total Population	Percent n=17241	Rural Population	Percent n=16089	Urban population	Percent n=1115
1	Jharkhand	10,726	62.21	10,230	63.58	496	44.48
2	Bihar	377	2.18	323	2	54	4.84
3	Madhya Pradesh	52	0.3	11	0.06	41	3.37
4	Maharashtra	145	0.84	45	0.27	100	8.96
5	Odisha	596	3.45	555	3.44	4	0.35
6	Chhattisgarh	3104	18	3015	18.73	89	7.98
7	West Bengal	2241	12.99	1910	11.87	331	29.68
8	India	17241	100	16089	100	1115	100

This population data has proved populace scarcity of the Birhor tribe in India. Table no. 1 also presents that urban population of the Birhor is very near to the ground (only 6.46 percent) which also establishes the fact that they uphold their primitiveness on the basis of their inhabiting pattern. Jharkhand has wrapped the foremost population (62.21 percent) of the total population of the Birhor tribe in India, which indicates that the origin of this tribe is Jharkhand. On the other hand in Madhya Pradesh there are only 52(0.30 percent) Birhor people, in the light of this fact it can be said that the Birhor people of Madhya Pradesh is the result of their migration.

A small number of studies have been undertaken on the Birhore tribe of Jharkhand, but there is no study on the Birhor of Chhattisgarh, yet. The studies carried out on the Birhor are restricted to ethnographic descriptions, quantitative analysis and are not focused on conservation and mapping of their intangible cultural heritage. Sahu (1998) reveals that the Birhors are found in hilly areas of Bihar (Jharkhand), Madhya Pradesh (Chhattisgarh), Orissa and West Bengal, but their main domain is Bihar (Jharkhand). They are concentrated in Hazaribag, Gindih, Chatra, Kodarma, Lohardaga districts of Bihar(Jharkhand), Raigarh, bilaspur, Surguja districts of Madhya Pradesh(Chhattisgarh); Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal and Mayurbhanj in Orissa; and Purulia district of West Bengal. They are Known as Birhor in Bihar (Jharkhand) and West Bengal but in Madhya Pradesh (Chhattisgarh), they are known as Birhor in Jashpur, as Kulhwa Manjhi in Dheramjaygarh (Raigarh), as Manjhi in Korba (Bilaspur). In Orissa they are known as Mankidi, Mankaria or Mankarkhia. In oriya language Mankar means monkey and Khia means habit of eating.

Ethinicity:

Ethnically, along with Munda and Santhal the Birhors belong to Proto- Australoid group. Physically, the Birhors are darkskinned (Malanoderms), short-statured, long-headed (Dolicocephalic), wavy haired (cymotrichous) and broad nosed (plantyrrhine) race (Roy 1925). Regarding the racial history of the Mundari speaking people, different scholars have given their views. Risley (1902) calls the Birhor Dravidians; whereas Rougree (1921) put them under Australoid group. In 1931 B.S. Guha and J.H.Hutton classified them as Hazaribagh as the wildest tribes in Chotanagpur, living in dense forests (Roy 1925).

Adhikary (1984) The Birhors are broadly branded as hunter-gatherers. In the context of their life situation, the Birhors cannot operate the clan-lineage based segmentary system of social structure. The Birhors band has no worshipped in the months of Paus-Magh, sometimes along with sing-Bonga, and sometimes on different days. The Birhors also talk of two other deties -Lugu Haram and Burhi mai. The Birhors identify two categories of ancestral sprites - Hapram and Churgin. Though the Harpram live in the supernatural world along with the Bonga, the Birhors make a distinction between these two categories of supernatural sprits.

Economic characteristics:

The “primitive subsistence economy” of the Birhors has been based on nomadic gathering and hunting, particularly for monkeys. They also trap rabbits and titirs (a small bird), and collect and sell honey. They make ropes out of the fibers of a particular species of vine, which they sell in the markets of the nearby agricultural people. Due to combined effect of changed circumstances and government policies, some of the Birhors have adopted settled agricultural economy in recent years, but inspite of that, their traditional tendency of leading nomadic life has not gone.

Socio-cultural characteristics:

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 (SIL International retrieved at 17/2/14, Soan 2008, Peaceful Societies Alternative to Violence and war retrieved at 17/2/14). The Birhor leave a long legacy behind. Their ancestors were the first to inhabit the wild forests of India, which paved the way for other tribes. The Birhor tribe is also a symbol of persistence. Despite of their being continual mistreatment, their survival strategies continue to have no comparison with the so-called ‘civilized’ world. (Peaceful Societies Alternatives to Violence and War retrieved at 17/2/14). The Birhor is a vanishing, nomadic, hunter, gatherers, rope makers, isolators and a group of half fed and half naked people. The Birhors are found in hilly areas of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra and Madhyapradesh but their main domain is Jharkhand.

Traditional inheritance follows the male line. The husband-wife relationship is very cordial. The Birhor live in a small band known as Tanda. Family is a patrilocal type with the common members – the father, mother and their children. They dress in a manner similar to their settled neighbors, 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. Verma (2004) has written the Birhor of Jharkhand still living in primitive stage, the ”Uthalu” Birhors are not interested in building permanent houses at the particular places. Sahu (2001b) has exposed the physical characteristics, social organization, kinship terminology, life cycle including socialization, youth dormitory, economics life, religious life and sacred specialists of Birhor tribe of Jharkhand.

Religious life:

The Birhor economy presents a mixture of forest economy, agriculture and labor. The term Birhor means “Man of Jungle”. The traditional magico-religious beliefs of Birhors are akin to those of the Hos. Mundari deities such as Sing Bonga (Sun God) and Hapram (ancestral spirits) rank high in esteem. 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 Magh. As a result of contact with Hindu neighbors some Hindu deities such as Debimai, Kalimai, and Mahadev have found a place in their pantheon (Soan 2008, Adhikary, 1984).

Food and Food habits:

Sahu (2001a) has explored the Birhore’s food habits of Jharkhand. This study reflected that relationship between forest and Birhor, the Birhor are the denizens of this area. They are basically hunter and food gatherers. Even today they are mainly dependent upon the forest. Their whole socio-cultural and religious life revolves round the forest, their values, attitudes, conservation etc. Birhors food is constituted of fruits, flowers leaves, mushrooms, hunted animal etc. Paper also shows the relationship of Birhor food habit and their nutritional aspects. It is revealed that food contents consumed by the Birhor are deficient in nutrients. Birhor are suffering from common diseases like malaria, dysentery, fever, skin disease etc of their living in un-hygienic conditions. The development of the Birhors also takes into consideration initiatives to propagate allopathic medicine as well as periodical examination of their health. Sahu (2000) highlights the settlements of Birhors of Jharkhand. They change the place of abode with the change of season and convenience, usually four times a year and sometimes even as six time if needed. They are totally depended on forest and do not domesticate cattles. Sahu (2001b) has highlighted that the Birhors are now exposed to several other factors i.e., close contact with the non-Birhors mainly due to economic interdependence, development programme etc. which have resulted into change in their attitude, aspiration, world view and other material aspects of the culture?

CONCLUSION:

The Birhor’s entire life revolves round the forest and most of the rituals are associated with forest (Sahu 2001b). But now a day, the culture and morphology (i.e. ethnicity) of the Birhor is rapidly changing because of their contact with other tribal and also non tribal (rural and urban) groups in uninterrupted circumstances along with globalization factors that are imposed upon them by the market forces. As a result of all these factors, the Birhor tribal group is placed in list of endangered human groups. Before they vanish, it is utmost urgent to conserve their ethnographical characteristics and their indigenous knowledge. It will be a need to attempt to documentation and conservation of vanishing intangible cultural heritage of the Birhor. Under the influence of other cultures, the Birhor community is leaving their cultural traits.

The Birhor is one of the primitive tribal groups (PTG) out of 75 PTGs of India and out of 5 PTGs of Chhattisgarh. The Birhor tribe has been facing culturisation and acculturisation problem as they live together with various tribal and non tribal communities They are highly influenced with their culture and the Birhor had left their own cultural characteristics. Now the Birhor’s ethnic characteristics are vanishing as well as they are losing their identity. In the light of above, it is suggested that it is urgent need to document the ethnic characteristics of primitive tribe and to conserve their culture.

REFERENCES:

Adhikary, Ashim Kumar. 1984. Society and World View of the Birhor: A Nomadic Hunting and Gathering Community of Orissa. Anthropological Survey of India: Calcutta.

Birhor-A Language of India". Ethnologue. SIL International.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birhor_people#cite_ref-Ethnologue_2-3. Retrieved 2014-02-17

Census of India. 2001. A- 11 state primary census abstract for individual scheduled tribe – 2001

Census of India. 2011. A- 11 state primary census abstract for individual scheduled tribe – 2011

Guha, B.S.1931. Census of India, Vol.1- India, Part-III- Ethnographical; A Racial affinities of the Peoples of India. Ethnographic Notes by Various Authors, Ed. J.H. Hutton. Government of India Press, 1935.

Hutton, J.H. 1931. Census of India. Vol. 1, Part- III: Ethnographical. Simla, 1935.

Peaceful Societies Alternatives to Violence and War. Birhor. http://www.peacefulsocieties.org/refs.html#Adh84a. Retrieved 2014-02-17

Risley, H.H. 1902. The People of India. Asian Educational Services: New Delhi

Rougree . 1921. Cited from S.C. Roy’s Book The Birhor

Roy, S.C. 1925. The Birhors: A Little-known Jungle Tribe of Chotanagpur. Ranchi: Man in India Office.

Sahu, C. 2000. Encyclopedia of Indian Tribes. Sarup and Son’s: New Delhi.

Sahu, C. 2001a. Food And Health of the Birhor: A Vanishing Tribe of Birhor” (ed. Book – Tribal culture and Identity. Sarup and Son’s: New Delhi.

Sahu, C. 2001b. Socio-Economic Aspects and Quality of life of the tribals. Sarup and Son’s: New Delhi.

Sahu, C.1998. Primitive Tribes of India. Sarup and Son’s: New Delhi.

Soan, Kamal Kishore. 2008. East Singhbhum, Jamshedpur, Tribal Issues. http://troubledgalaxydetroyeddreams.blogspot.in/2008/11/east-singhbhum-jamshedpur.html. Retrieved 2014-02-17

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Received on 18.11.2014

Revised on 22.12.2014

Accepted on 28.12.2014

Research J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 5(4): October-December, 2014, 366-369