Birhor Tribe

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About Birhor Tribe:

They are a traditionally nomadic tribe living primarily in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Some of them are also found in Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and West Bengal.
Birhor means’jungle people’– bir means ‘jungle’, hor means ‘men
Language:
- They speak the Birhor language, which belongs to the Munda group of languages of the Austroasiatic language family.
- Their language has similarities with Santali, Mundari, and Ho languages.
Ethnology:
- The Birhors are of short stature, long head, wavy hair, and broad nose.
- They claim they have descended from the Sun and believe that the Kharwars, who also trace their descent from the Sun, are their brothers. Ethnologically, they are akin to the Santals, Mundas, and Hos.
Economy:
- The “primitive subsistence economy” of the Birhors has been based on nomadic gathering and hunting, particularly for monkeys.
- They make ropes out of the fibres of a particular species of vine, which they sell in the markets of the nearby agricultural people.
- Some of them have settled into stable agriculture.
- According to socio-economic standing the Birhors are classified into two groups. While the wandering Birhors are called Uthlus, the settled Birhors are called Janghis.
Beliefs: The Birhor follow a mixture ofanimism and Hinduism.

Q1: Who are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)?

PVTGs are a more vulnerable group among tribal groups in India. These groups have primitive traits, geographical isolation, low literacy, zero to negative population growth rate and backwardness. Moreover, they are largely dependent on hunting for food and a pre-agriculture level of technology. Currently, there are 2.8 million PVTGs belonging to 75 tribes across 22,544 villages in 220 districts across 18 states and Union Territories in India.

News: Jharkhand’s Birhor tribe joins movement against child marriage for first time