Who Are the Birhor?
The Birhor (meaning "man of the jungle" in their language) are a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) of the Chota Nagpur plateau in eastern India, primarily in Jharkhand state with smaller populations in Odisha, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh. Numbering approximately 10,000-12,000, they are among India's smallest and most endangered tribal groups. They speak Birhor, a Munda language of the Austroasiatic family. The Birhor were traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers and rope-makers, making their living from the forest while moving seasonally across established territories. They represent one of the last vestiges of South Asia's ancient foraging traditions.
Nomadic Tradition
Traditional Birhor life was organized around seasonal movement through forested territories. They lived in kumbas—temporary leaf shelters that could be assembled in hours and abandoned when moving. Their economy combined hunting (particularly monkeys, whose meat they ate and skins they traded), gathering forest products, and making rope from chop (a forest fiber). Rope-making was their economic specialty, providing goods for trade with settled agricultural communities. Unlike some hunter-gatherers who resisted contact, the Birhor maintained exchange relationships with neighboring groups while preserving their distinct nomadic identity. This mobile lifestyle made them vulnerable when forests shrank and restrictions on forest access intensified.
Forced Settlement
Colonial and post-independence policies aimed at "settling" nomadic peoples have dramatically transformed Birhor life. Government programs built permanent houses, allocated agricultural land, and encouraged abandonment of forest wandering. These well-intentioned interventions often failed: Birhor lacked agricultural skills; allocated lands were often marginal; permanent houses conflicted with cultural preferences. Meanwhile, deforestation eliminated forest resources that sustained rope-making and hunting. Many Birhor became dependent on wage labor, government rations, or begging—their specialized knowledge rendered useless by forest loss and settlement policies. The Birhor case illustrates how development approaches that ignore indigenous knowledge and preferences can harm rather than help.
Contemporary Birhor
Modern Birhor face severe challenges. Population has remained stagnant while other groups grew, indicating persistent health and livelihood crises. Malnutrition rates are extremely high; access to healthcare and education remains limited despite PVTG status theoretically prioritizing their development. Some families maintain semi-nomadic patterns, combining settlement with seasonal forest forays. Rope-making continues where forest fibers are accessible. Young people increasingly seek wage labor outside the community. Cultural practices including distinctive dance, music, and oral traditions survive but face pressure from assimilation. Anthropologists debate whether Birhor culture can survive or whether the group faces cultural extinction alongside demographic stagnation. The Birhor represent both the richness of South Asia's indigenous diversity and the vulnerability of small foraging peoples in modern states.
References
- Sinha, D. P. (1972). The Birhors
- Adhikary, A. K. (1984). Society and World View of the Birhor
- Roy, S. C. (1925). The Birhors: A Little-Known Jungle Tribe of Chota Nagpur