Yadavs in Bihar

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Yadavs in Bihar refers to the people of Yadav community of the Indian state of Bihar.[1][2] They are also known as Ahir, Gope and Rai etc.[3][4] The Yadavs form the single largest caste population in the state with more than 14.26%[5] of the state's population, and are included in the Other Backward Class category.[6]

Bihari Yadav
ReligionsHindu
Languages
Original stateBihar
RegionEast India

Origin and history[change | change source]

Origin[change | change source]

The Yadavs claim to be descended from lord Krishna of ancient Yadu tribe.[7]

History[change | change source]

According to Vishnu Purana, Abhiras (modern day Ahirs) conquered Magadha and regained there for several hundred years.[8]

List of dynasties, chieftaincy and zamindari[change | change source]

In Bihar, there were many zamindars belonging to the Ahir community. These zamindars belonged to the difficult geographical regions, mostly diara land of the rivers. In the diara regions their rule continued with the help of their militia.[9][10] The Ahir zamindars were predominantly found in northern and eastern parts of Bihar.[11][12]

  • Yadava-Varman Dynasty, ruler of Anga[13] (East Bihar) and Vanga.
  • Rati Raut, an Ahir chief of Rati Paragana in north Bihar.[14][15]
  • Daso Ahir, Raja of Bhojpur.[16]
  • Ahir chief of Ruidas-Patna.[17]
  • Ahir Rajas of Gawror Fort, Patna.[18]
  • Ahir Chieftain of Murho Estate (Madhepura).[19][20]
  • Kishnaut Ahir zamindars of Parasadi Estate and Parsauna (Saran).[21]
  • Babu Girwar Narayan Mandal, Zamindar of Ranipatti (Madhepura).[22]
  • Zamindars of Pipra estate in erstwhile Munger district (Now in Shambhuganj block of Banka district, Bihar).[23]

Occupation[change | change source]

At one time the main occupation of the Yadavs of Bihar was rearing cattle, but now most of them are cultivator.[24] While majority of Yadavs were peasants with minor landholdings in the Northern and Central parts of India, a few Yadavs had taken over large tract of land in the newly reclaimed portion of Eastern Bihar (Purnea and Saharsa) and had become big landholders.[25]

Subdivision[change | change source]

There are four main sub-castes of Yadav/Ahirs in Bihar, Kishnaut, Majhraut, Kannaujia or Kanyakubja[26] and Goria.[27][28] Apart from these four, Ahir sub-caste like Ghoshi, Dhadhor and Sadgop are also found in small numbers.[29] Among them the first three never sell either milk, ghee or butter, and have, to a large extent, became cultivator.[30]

Title[change | change source]

The titles generally used by the Yadav/Ahirs community in Bihar are the Rai/Ray, Roy, Chaudhary, Gope, Mandal, Singh, Raut, Bhagat, Mahto etc.

Culture[change | change source]

Caste deities[change | change source]

In Kosi division of Bihar, people of the Yadav/Ahir caste worship their caste deity Bisu Raut, whose temple is situated on the banks of the Gogri river.[31][32]

Gobanai Baba is worshipped by Yadav/Ahir families of Darbhanga district. His temple is situated in village Mahulia.[33][34][35]

Ballad song[change | change source]

Lorikayan is sung by Yadav/Ahir community of Bihar, it is a folk song of veer rasa where events from the life of Lorik, a Ahir hero are described. This epic is more popular in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Magahi.[36][37]

Politics[change | change source]

Around 1933–1934, the Yadavs joined with the Kurmis and Koeris to form the Triveni Sangh, a caste federation that by 1936 claimed to have a million supporters. This coalition followed an alliance for the 1930 local elections which fared badly at the polls. The new grouping had little electoral success: it won a few seats in the 1937 elections but was stymied by a two-pronged opposition which saw the rival Congress wooing some of its more wealthy leading lights to a newly formed unit called the "Backward Class Federation" and an effective opposition from upper castes organised to keep the lower castes in their customary place. Added to this, the three putatively allied castes were unable to set aside their communal rivalries and the Triveni Sangh also faced competition from the All India Kisan Sabha, a peasant-oriented socio-political campaigning group run by the Communists. The appeal of the Triveni Sangh had waned significantly by 1947[38][39] but had achieved a measure of success away from the ballot box, notably by exerting sufficient influence to bring an end to the begar system of forced unpaid labour and by providing a platform for those voices seeking reservation of jobs in government for people who were not upper castes.[40] Many years later, in 1965, there was an abortive attempt to revive the defunct federation.[41]

In the post Mandal phase Kurmi, Koeri and Yadav, the three backward castes who constitute the upper-OBC due to their advantageous position in the socio-economic sphere of agrarian society became the new political elite of the state.[42]

Notable politician[change | change source]

Present circumstances[change | change source]

It is shown in the Bengal Census Report that 80 per cent of the Ahirs in Bihar are engaged in agriculture.[43]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ Yadav, Kripal Chandra; Singh, Rajbir (1994). India's Unequal Citizens: A Study of Other Backward Classes. Manohar. ISBN 978-81-7304-069-6.
  2. ↑ Jha, Makhan (1997). Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-7533-034-4.
  3. ↑ Sharma, Shish Ram (2002). Protective Discrimination: Other Backward Classes in India. Raj Publications. ISBN 978-81-86208-23-6.
  4. ↑ Singh, Santosh (2015-10-09). Ruled or Misruled: Story and Destiny of Bihar. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-93-85436-42-0.
  5. ↑ "Muslim-Yadav equation still relevant in Bihar Assembly elections 2020". Archived from the original on 13 October 2020.
  6. ↑ "Bihar Elections 2015: In Yadav strongholds, Lalu's charm still endures". DNA India. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  7. ↑ Pinch, William R. (1996-06-18). Peasants and Monks in British India. University of California Press. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-520-91630-2.
  8. ↑ India), Asiatic Society (Kolkata (1902). Journal.
  9. ↑ Barik, Radhakanta (2006). Land and Caste Politics in Bihar. Shipra Publications. p. 188. ISBN 978-81-7541-305-4.
  10. ↑ Congress, Indian History (1997). Proceedings. Indian History Congress.
  11. ↑ Singh, K. S. (1992). People of India: India's communities. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-81-85579-09-2.
  12. ↑ Bihar men samajik parivartan ke kuchh ayam (in Hindi). Vani Prakashan. 2001. ISBN 978-81-7055-755-5.
  13. ↑ Indian Culture: Journal of the Indian Research Institute. I.B. Corporation. 1984.
  14. ↑ Sinha, Sachchidanand (1982). Caste System: Myths, Reality, Challenge. Intellectual Publishing House. ISBN 978-0-8364-0791-4.
  15. ↑ Sinha, Sachidanand (2009-09-01). Jati Vyavstha (in Hindi). Rajkamal Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-267-1414-8.
  16. ↑ Historical Researches Series. 1963.
  17. ↑ Prasad, R. R. (1996). Encyclopaedic Profile of Indian Tribes. Discovery Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-7141-298-3.
  18. ↑ Historical Researches Series. 1963.
  19. ↑ Department, Bengal (India) Revenue (1909). Report on the Administration of the Wards, Attached and Trust Estates.
  20. ↑ "A village that symbolises Bihar". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  21. ↑ The National Geographical Journal of India. National Geographical Society of India. 1975.
  22. ↑ Jha, Shashi Shekhar (1972). Political Elite in Bihar. Vora. ISBN 9780842603652.
  23. ↑ Narayan, Jayaprakash (2000). Jayaprakash Narayan: 1946-1948. Manohar. ISBN 978-81-7304-518-9.
  24. ↑ Mishra, Shiva Kumar (1998). Educational Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India: From the Earliest Times to 1206 A.D. with Special Reference to Mithilā. Ramanand Vidya Bhawan. ISBN 978-81-85205-71-7.
  25. ↑ Singh, K. S. (1992). People of India: India's communities. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-81-85579-09-2.
  26. ↑ Indian Journal of Physical Anthropology and Human Genetics. Ethnographic and Folk Culture Society, U.P. 2006.
  27. ↑ Jha, Makhan (1997). Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-7533-034-4.
  28. ↑ Pandey, Ramdin (1979). Palāmū kā itihāsa (in Hindi). Pāṇḍeya.
  29. ↑ Pandey, Shyam Manohar (1982). The Hindi oral epic Canainī: the tale of Lorik and Candā (in Hindi). Sahitya Bhawan.
  30. ↑ Hunter, Sir William Wilson (1976). A Statistical Account of Bengal: Districts of Bhágalpur and the Santál Parganás. D. K. Publishing House.
  31. ↑ Bihar (India); Choudhury, Pranab Chandra Roy (1965). Bihar District Gazetteers: Saharsa. Superintendent, Secretariat Press, Bihar.
  32. ↑ Byrne, Joseph (2011). Bhagalpur. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-7268-203-3.
  33. ↑ Folk-lore. Indian Publications. 1974.
  34. ↑ Vidyarthi, Lalita Prasad; Chaubey, Ganesh (1971). Bihar in Folklore Study: An Anthology. Indian Publications.
  35. ↑ Gupta, Sankar Sen (1975). Folklore and Folklife in India ; an Objective Study in Indian Perspective. Indian Publications.
  36. ↑ Rannjan (IAS), Dr Manish (2022-09-26). Bihar General Knowledge 2023. Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 978-93-5488-490-0.
  37. ↑ Experts, Arihant (2019-11-19). Know Your State Bihar. Arihant Publications India limited. ISBN 978-93-131-9975-5.
  38. ↑ Jaffrelot, Christophe (2003). India's silent revolution: the rise of the lower castes in North India (Reprinted ed.). C. Hurst & Co. pp. 197–198. ISBN 978-1-85065-670-8.
  39. ↑ Kumar, Ashwani (2008). Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar. Anthem Press. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-84331-709-8.
  40. ↑ Kumar, Ashwani (2008). Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar. Anthem Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-84331-709-8.
  41. ↑ Kumar, Ashwani (2008). Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar. Anthem Press. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-84331-709-8.
  42. ↑ Kumar, Sanjay (2018-02-19). Post-Mandal Politics in Bihar: Changing Electoral Patterns. SAGE Publishing India. ISBN 978-93-5280-586-0.
  43. ↑ Pillai, V. Kannu (2007). Caste: Observation of I.C.S. Officers and Others Since 1881. Gautam Book Center. ISBN 978-81-905583-6-5.
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