Babhan

**Babhan** also known as Bhumihar are an Indo-Aryan Ethnic Group Primarily Native to the Magadh region(Magahi Dialect Belt) in the East Indian states Bihar and Jharkhand. They are also found in some parts of West Bengal and Nepal. It is spoken in approximately twelve districts of Bihar (Gaya, Patna, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Nalanda, Sheikhpura, Nawada, Lakhisarai, Arwal, Jamui and in some parts of Banka), twelve districts of Jharkhand (Hazaribag, Palamu, Chatra, Koderma, Jamtara, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Giridih, Deoghar, Garhwa, Latehar, Chatra) and in West Bengal's Malda district. 

## Who They Are 
They are known for owning land. In the past, many of them were zamindars (landowners who collected taxes). They had power and influence in villages and towns. Some Bhumihars were also **soldiers** and **kings** in history.

## History 
The History of Babhans Earliest Reference mention is to 6th Century BCE in the invasion of the Sakyas by the Kosla Maharaj Virudhaka in 6th century BCE, and it is in the aftermath that King Bir Sen got part of the newly invaded country as his Raj. Earlier seats of the Raj included Huseypur, Kalyanpur, Balchowra and Baghoch. From the sixth to fourth centuries BCE onwards, sixteen kingdoms and aristocratic republics that existed in ancient India, Also known as The **Mahājanapadas** **period,** to Mughal period, to British india, The cadet branches held numerous Zamindaris, Ghatwali and Mulraiyatis in Bihar, Jharkhand and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Traditionally Held status of being an one of oldest Ruling Family from the Eastern Gangetic plain of India. 

During the 14th -15th century AD, Along With Brahmins of the Mithila Region, Babhans established themselves as the most prominent caste of the region., Played a significant Role in the social and political landscape of Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent, there were two major dynasties Oiniwar and Dronwara Ruling the Mithila region in the Indian subcontinent. The Oiniwar Dynasty was led by the king Shivasimha ruling the southern part of the Mithila region. Similarly the Dronwara Dynasty was led by the king Puraditya ruling the northern part of the Mithila region. [1] [2] In the Medival period, Among the Dronwara Dynasty, A Line settled in Narhan village of Vibhutipur, which later Served as the ancestral seat and administrative center of the ruling family. encompassed/Covered an area of 57,282 acres, the estate originally belonged to the erstwhile in Samastipur district and extended across the districts of Muzaffarpur and Patna. Bettiah was one of many chieftaincies that emerged after the collapse of the Oiniwar dynasty of Mithila in the 16th century. According to Baburnama, Babur mentions that the region of Champaran was independent and estimates its revenue to be 1,90,86,060 tankas in his timeline. 

In the Middle Ages, many Babhans controlled large areas of land, Some well-known Chieftancies and kingdoms Held Among the Babhan Dynasties were kalyanpur chieftancy reference is in 1539 when Emperor Humayun sought refuge in Kalyanpur after his defeat at the Battle of Chausa. The Raja of the time, Raja Jay Mal provided aid to Humayun by giving food to his troops. Because Jay Mal provided aid to his enemy, Sher Shah Suri attempted to punish the Hathwa chieftain who in turn fled to the forests of Gorakhpur to lead an insurgency. By the time Humayun had returned to the throne, he rewarded Jay Mal's grandson, Raja Jubraj Shahi, with a substantial amount of land. Jubraj Shahi also engaged in a conflict with Kabul Mohammad of Barharia, a neighbouring chieftain of Afghan origin. It is Believed Blessings of Maa thawewali, Jubraj Shahi emerged victorious after he killed Kabul Mohammad and captured his fort and Four pargana Land. Other Estates Held Among the Babhans included Hathwa Raj, Thawe Raj Fort and it's Renowned Temple, Tekari Raj Estate, Manjhagarh Raj, Tamkuhi Raj Estate, Madhopur Estate, Sursand Raj Estate, Dileep Nagar Estate(Bansgaon Estate), Salemgarh Estate, Sheohar Raj Estate, Madhuban Estate, Amawan Raj Estate in present Day Nalanda, Chainpur Raj Estate in Present-Day saran, Makshudpurgarh in Present-Day Gayaji, Raj Dhanwar Estate etc. 

By the end of the sixteenth (16th) century, the EKSARIA BABHANS got a foothold in the erstwhile district of SARAN, Bihar. From the village of EKSAR, SARAN, They managed to expand and hold out large territories but they could never form a unified lineage and thus lead to the formation of a "RAJ". 

The two youngest sons of Jagarnath Rai moved to other parganas while the eldest two remained behind. The Eldest, SARAN RAI - on whose name SARAN District (present Chapra, Siwan and Gopalganj Districts) was named- had 4 sons - Each of whom formed villages and zamindaris. The Younger Son of Jagarnath had no issue. 

SARAN RAI's descendants settled at different places and formed different zamindaris. The first son created the MANJHAGARH line of zamindars, the second - LATE NATH RAI - settled at PARSA and subsequently his descendants moved to Chainpur Village Established CHAINPUR ZAMINDARI. The third son produced the lineage which resulted in the RUSI and KHAIRA ZAMINDARIS. The youngest became the pioneer for the BAGOURA Zamindari. Famously, they were known as the CHOU-BHAIYAS. (FOUR BROTHERS). 

The Kalyanpur chieftaincy was subjugated by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century. Following conflicts with Sher Shah Suri, the Kalyanpur Raj (often referred to as the Kalyanpur chieftaincy (descendants of Jay Mal) shifted their, or established their, seat at Huseypur. The family is often referred to as the "Huseypur Raj" with famous rulers like Fateh Bahadur Shahi Ruling from Huseypur in the 18th century. 

Maharaja Fateh Bahadur Shahi was 99th Raja of Husseypur Raj situated in today's Gopalganj district of Bihar in India.  He relentlessly pursued his objective of driving them out for nearly three decades while waging a guerrilla war against the British, The British used all of their might and resources to oppose him.

Following his rebellion against the East India Company, Fateh Bahadur Shahi fled his original stronghold of Husseypur (in modern-day Bihar) and established the new estate of Tamkuhi Raj, located in the present-day Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh approximately 109 kilometers from Husseypur, northeast of modern-day Kushinagar within the Kingdom of Oudh.

Fateh Bahadur Shahi Along with Backup from Dileep Nagar Estate(Bansgaon Estate), Madhopur Estate and King of Bettiah waged a 20 year guerilla war against the British East India Company from 1767 onwards. By 1775, the British had been experiencing many problems in the region, so the British then designated Mir Jamal as their superintendent of the Huseypur revenue. The East India Company promised his cousin Babu Basant Sahi the throne if he would capture or kill him. Basant Sahi had been placed as the ruler of Huseypur by the EIC but Fateh Shahi once again marched into Huseypur at night with a thousand cavalrymen on May 3 in response to reports that the enemy was camped at Jadopur, close to Huseypur, and arrived at the enemy camp just before daybreak. After murdering his cousin Basant Sahi and Mir Jamal in the ensuing violent battle, he fled into woods. Even though two companies of sepoys were stationed in the neighborhood to keep an eye on him, this nonetheless transpired. After Basant Sahi's head was severed, it was given to his widow. The Widow together with 13 of his aides, whose husbands also perished in the fight, committed sati. His repeated incursions had crippled revenue collection in the area and exposed the weakness of British control in the locality. In 1777, after many successes, he marched on to the Company's barrack / military station, gained control of it and placed his own men in charge. In response, the British destroyed his fort and they noted that he had caused even more problems for them than the Peshwas in Maharashtra.
  

## References