| Total population |
|---|
| 1,831,000[1] |
| Regions with significant populations |
| • India |
| Languages |
|
• Hindi |
| Religion |
|
• Hinduism 100% • |
| Related ethnic groups |
|
• Pasi • |
The Bhar are a Hindu caste found in North India. They are also known as Rajbhar.[2] British historian General Cunningham said that Bhars are branch of the Ahir tribe.[3]
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Bhar is a word derived from tribal languages like Gondi and Munda, which means "warrior". The tribal society of central India used to have its own hierarchy, with clans ranging from Brahmins (priestly class), warriors to service or menial class. The tribal society had special respect for its warriors and martial clans. Bhar is one such clan, which in the Medieval period had its own small principalities in various parts of North India. The Bhar formed small kingdoms in the Eastern Uttar Pradesh region, until they were disposed by invading Rajput and Muslim groups in the later Middle Ages. The last Bhar raja was killed by Ibrahim Shah Sharqi, the Sultan of Jaunpur.[4]
Kshatryas are now divided into 49 tribes or gotras: 7 into somavansi, 7 suryavansi, 7 agnivansi, 7 nagavansi, 7 sarasvansi (or apavansi), 7 govansi (or bhumivansi), and 7 vayuvansi.
In the beginning of the 9th century A.D., the Gurjara Pratihara king, Nagbhatta II, overthrew the Ayodhyas who was then ruling at Kannauj, and made this city the capital of his growing empire, which rose to its greatest height in the reign of the famous Mihirbhoj (836-885 A.D.). From the time of Mahipal, the power of Kannauj become to decline, and Avadh was divided into small chieftainships, but all of them had ultimately to yield to newly growing power of Gaharwals of Kannauj.
Jaychandra (1170-1194 A.D.), the last important ruler of the dynasty, was killed in the battle of Chandawar (near Etawah) fighting against the invading army of Shahabuddin Mohd. Gauri. Soon after his death, Kannauj was occupied by the Turks. His grandson afterwards fled to Kantit in the Mirzapur District; overcoming the Bhar Raja of that district, he founded the family of Gaharwar Rajas of Kantit, Mirzapur, which was recently still in existence.
All the Gaharwar Rajas of Kantit trace their origin to Benares or Bijapur. The predecorrors of the Gaharwars were the Bhars, an race of great enterprise, who built forts, dams, and the like.
Bhar are an ancient kshatriya clan from the Benares district, of whom the Raj-Bhar and the Bharpatwa are sections, though they do not eat nor intermarry. They are said to have ruled the tract of eastern Uttar Pradesh, including Suagor, at varying times, and many old forts they are ascribed to them. On the hills to the east of Mirzapur, the principalities of Korar, Kurrich, and Huraha are, however, each held by Bhar rajas. Many of the old stone forts, embankments, and excavations in Gorakhpur, Azimghur, Jonpur, Mirzapur, etc. are still there. The celebrated fortress of Vijayagarh is still recognised as a Bharawati fort; and a pargana in Benares is called Bhadoi, probably Bhar-dai. It is sometimes said that they might have a connection with the ancient warring tribe of Bharatas.
According to legends, for centuries Basti was a wilderness and a large part of eastern UP was occupied by the Bhars. The capital of the Bhars, five miles from Mirzapur, is said to have had 150 temples. Elliot (Supplemental Glossary, art. Bhar) remarks that “common tradition assigns to the Bhars the possession of the whole tract from Gorakhpur to Bundelkhand and Saugor, and many subterranean caverns in Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Mirzapur, and Allahabad which are ascribed to them, would seem to indicate no inconsiderable advance in civilisation”. Mr Smith argues that the Bhars adopted the Jain religion, but there is no evidence for that. The Gaharwars were probably derived from the Bhars, and the Chandels are said to be a branch of the Gaharwars. Chandels are derived from Gonds. Many of the modern Rajput clans of eastern UP, like Gargwanshis, Bisens, Raikwars, Rajkumars, Kalhans, etc. are believed by the scholars to have originated from ancient ruling Bhar clans.
The Bhar are primarily a community of small cultivators who supplement their income by wage labour. Landholdings are small, and many Bhar work on fields owned land. The Bhar are an Hindu community, and have customs similar to other Hindu communities of the Awadh region. They speak Awadhi and Bhojpuri. The community are found in the districts of Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Ambedkar Nagar and Faizabad.[5]
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