Kharwar

Indian community

Ethnic group

KharwarRegions with significant populations

India
Jharkhand| 248,947[1]
Uttar Pradesh| 160,676[2]
Bihar| 125,811[3]
West Bengal| 20,270[4]
Odisha| 2,265[5]
Assam| 13,476 (1951 est.)[6]
Languages
Bhojpuri, Nagpuri
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Bhogta

Kharwar is a surname used by odh found in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal in India and Sindh in Pakistan.

## Etymology

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The Khar grass is totem of the Kharwar. They don't cut or injure it while growing. Kharwar tribe of present-day may be enlarge totem sept which broke off from some larger group and in course of time developed a separate organisation.[7]

## History

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The Kharwar have various putative origins. Some may be traced to Palamu region, now in the state of Jharkhand, while others may have lived in the Sone Valley. Those of Uttar Pradesh claim to have come from Rohtas and to be descended from the mythological Suryavansha dynasty.[8]

According to an inscription dated 1169 AD found at Phulwari in Rohtas district, which refers to road construction by Nayak Pratapdhavala, the chief of Japila(modern Japla). Pratapdhavala is also known for his inscription of Tarachandi temple in Sasaram and Tutla Bhawani in Tilothu. According to an inscription dated to 1223 AD at Lal Darwaja of Rohtas fort, the descendant and successor of Pratapdhavala was Shri Pratapa.[9][10] In inscription Shri Pratapa is referred to as belong to Khayaravalavansha or Khayaravala dynasty. Probably Khayaravala survives as modern day Kharwar.[11][12][13][14][unreliable source?]

Raja Sahas Dhawal Dev Inscription

## Present circumstances

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The primary traditional economic activity of the Kharwar has been agriculture but their reliance on a single annual crop and on suitable weather means that it is barely enough to sustain themselves for a part of the year. Thus, they also engage in work based on forest activities, livestock, fishing, hunting and trapping.[8] They have totemic clans such as Kansi (Kans grass), Nilkanth (Indian roller), Hansgadhia, Besra (sparrowhawk), Sahil, Tirkey (eagle), Chandiyar, Lohwar etc. They are patrilinial. Their village chief know as Pradhan. Group of four village called Chatti and its chief known as Chatti Pradhan. Group of five village known as Panchora and chief Panchora Pradhan. Group of seven villages called Satora and its chief known as Satora Pradhan. They employ both Brahmin and Pahan for religious function.[15]

Kharwar speak Sadri, an Indo-Aryan language, at home, and Hindi with others. Kharwar have six endogamous division which are Surajbanshi, Daulat bandi, paraband, Kharia bhogti and Mauijhia. Risley(1891) records Bania, Ba Bahera, Bael(Aegle marmelos), Bair(berry), Bamria, Bandia and few more septs among Kharwar of Chotanagpur. He further reports that in Palamu Kharwar have Pat bandh, Dulbandh and khairi sub tribes where as in southern Lohardaga the community has Deshmari, Kharwar, Bhagta, Rout and Manjhia sub tribes. They consider themselves Kshatriya, often consider themselves Athara Hazari and claim descent from Surajvanshi Rajput.[7]

Birth pollution observed for six days. They cremate or bury the dead and observe death pollution for ten days.

## Official classification

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The Government of Uttar Pradesh had classified the Kharwar as a Scheduled Caste but the community members disliked this. preferring to think of themselves as a tribe.[8] By 2007, they were one of several groups that the Uttar Pradesh government had redesignated as Scheduled Tribes.[16] As of 2017, this designation applied only in certain districts of the state.[17] The Kharwar Scheduled Caste population in Uttar Pradesh at the 2011 Census of India was 14,796.[18] Kharwar are classified as Scheduled Tribes in Jharkhand.[19]

## Notable people

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* Lakshman Acharya, Governor of Sikkim
* Nilamber and Pitamber, freedom fighter in 1857 rebellion
* Chhotelal Kharwar, former M.P from Robertsganj
* Satyanand Bhogta, labour minister of Jharkhand
* Nikki Pradhan, hockey player

## See also

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* Agori Fort
* Ramgarh Raj
* Kanhachatti
* Singrauli district
* Sidhi district

## References

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1. ^ "Jharkhand population". populationu. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
2. ^ "Uttar Pradesh population". populationu. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
3. ^ "Bihar population". populationu. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
4. ^ "west bengal population". populationu. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
5. ^ "Kharwar". scstrti. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
6. ^ "Estimated Population by Castes, 5. Assam – Census 1951" (PDF). Office of the Registrar General, India. 1954. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2024.
7. ^ a b Minz, Diwakar; Hansda, Delo Mai (2010). Encyclopaedia of Scheduled Tribes in Jharkhand. ISBN 9788178351216.
8. ^ a b c Mishra, R. C. (2011). "Villages and Villagers of the Naughar Region in Chanduali". In Narayana, Badri (ed.). Rethinking Villages. Concept Publishing Company. pp. 87–. ISBN 978-81-8069-764-7.
9. ^ Roma Niyogi 1959, p. 118.
10. ^ Roma Niyogi 1959, p. 119.
11. ^ Devendrakumar Rajaram Patil 1963, p. 488.
12. ^ Roma Niyogi 1959, p. 99.
13. ^ "अफीम की खेती और उग्रवाद के लिए बदनाम कान्हाचट्टी में कभी चलता था खरवारों का शासन". bhaskar. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
14. ^ "ROHTASGARH FORT". rohtasdistrict.
15. ^ "Kharwar Tribe Detailed Study". okworldguru. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
16. ^ Darpan, Pratiyogita (July 2007). "State At A Glance - Uttar Pradesh". Pratiyogita Darpan. 2 (13): 81.
17. ^ "State wise Scheduled Tribes — Uttar Pradesh" (PDF). Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
18. ^ "A-10 Individual Scheduled Caste Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Uttar Pradesh". Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
19. ^ "List of notified Scheduled Tribes" (PDF). Census India. p. 12\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.

### Works cited

[edit]

* Devendrakumar Rajaram Patil (1963). The antiquarian remains in Bihar. Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute. OCLC 248920006.
* Roma Niyogi (1959). The History of the Gāhaḍavāla Dynasty. Oriental. OCLC 5386449.

## Further reading

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* http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/handle/2015/150067

Authority control databases: National |

* United States
* Israel

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*[est.]: estimation