Kharia people

File:Kharia of Ranchi, 1903.jpg

According to linguist Paul Sidwell, Munda languages arrived on the coast of Odisha from Southeast Asia about 4000–3500 years ago.Sidwell, Paul. 2018. [https://www.academia.edu/36689736/Austroasiatic_Studies_state_of_the_art_in_2018 Austroasiatic Studies: state of the art in 2018] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503013417/https://www.academia.edu/36689736/Austroasiatic_Studies_state_of_the_art_in_2018 |date=3 May 2019 }}. Presentation at the Graduate Institute of Linguistics, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, 22 May 2018. The Austroasiatic language speaker spread from Southeast Asia and mixed extensively with local Indian populations.{{cite book |last1=Schliesinger |first1=Joachim |title=Origin of the Tai People 3: Genetic and Archaeological Approaches |date=2016 |publisher=Booksmango |isbn=9781633239623 |page=71 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=766hDQAAQBAJ&q=munda+south+east+asia&pg=PA71 |access-date=29 September 2019 |language=en}}

The Kharia comprise three tribes, the Dudh Kharia, Dhelki Kharia, and Hill Kharia. The first two speak an Austroasiatic language, Kharia, but the Hill Kharia have switched to an Indo-Aryan language, Kharia Thar. There has not been any language development efforts made for Kharia Tar.

The Dudh Kharia and Dhelki Kharia formed together one compact tribe. These Kharia people were attacked by an Ahir chief and then moved on to the Chota Nagpur Plateau.{{cite book |title=Tribal Dances of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TmDRNTYw49EC&pg=PA129 |publisher=Discovery Publishing House |author1=Robin D. Trubhuwan |author2=Preeti R. Trubhuwan |year=1999 |page=129 |isbn=81-7141-443-5 |oclc=41143548}}

File:Khariya Tribal lady from Jharkhand.jpg

In Odisha, the Hill Kharia are mainly found in Jashipur and Karanjia Blocks of Mayurbhanj district. A few villages are also found in Morada block. In Jharkhand, they are concentrated in East Singhbhum, Gumla, Simdega districts. Though widely found in this district, Musabani, Dumaria and Chakulia Blocks are the blocks where they live in large numbers. And in West Bengal, they are in West Midnapur, Bankura and Purulia districts. The majority are in Purulia.{{sfn|Vidyarthi|Upadhyay|1980|pages=7-25}}

The Hill Kharia are also called Pahari (meaning “Hill”) Kharia, Savara/Sabar, Kheria, Erenga, or Pahar.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} Outsiders call them Kharia but they call themselves as Sabar. They are called “Pahari (Hill) Kharia” because they live in the midst of forest and depend upon forest produces.{{sfn|Vidyarthi|Upadhyay|1980|page=11}}

The Hill Kharia community encompasses various gotras (clans), including Alkosi, Baa, Bhunia, Bilung, Dhar, Digar, Dolai, Dungdung, Gidi, Golgo, Kerketta, Kharmoi, Khiladi, Kiro, Kotal, Kullu, Laha, Nago, Pichria, Rai, Sal, Saddar, Sandi, Sikari, Soreng, Suya, Tesa, Tete, and Tolong. Among these, the Bilung clan appears to hold prominence.{{cite thesis|author=Suvendu Kundu| title= HEALTH CARE PRACTICES AMONG THE HILL KHARIA OF DISTRICT PURULIA AND BANKURA, WEST BENGAL |url=https://ir.nbu.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/3609/14/Full%20thesis%20of%20Suvendu%20Kundu.pdf |access-date=4 March 2023 |work=University of North Bengal}}

They mainly inhabit Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, Maharashtra. In Tripura. Few families can be found in Assam and Andaman islands.{{sfn|Vidyarthi|Upadhyay|1980|pages=5, 214}} According to 1981 census, their population in Bihar (now mostly Jharkhand) is 141,771, in Odisha it is 144,178, and in Madhya Pradesh it is 6892.{{cn|date=September 2023|reason=Previous ref used a source that had nothing to do with population counts.}}

The Kharia who were under zamindars during British rule are now land owning farmers in independent India. All Kharia speak their traditional dialect. The Language spoken by them is a part of the Munda Languages, which are part of the Austroasiatic languages. They are very close to the nature and culture of the tribe is influenced by its ecological and cultural surroundings.

File:Roadside gods of the Hill Kharia Tribe.jpg

The Hill Kharia have preserved their traditional dress pattern and rest of the Kharia have been influenced by the modern contacts and changed their dressing style. Traditionally, they wear Dhoti called Bhagwan. women wear saree falling up to the ankles. A part of the saree covers their bosom. The traditional dress is nowadays going out of use. Both men and women wear ornaments generally made of Brass, Nickel, Aluminium, Silver and rarely of Gold. Dudh Kharia women prefer Gold ornaments.{{sfn|Vidyarthi|Upadhyay|1980|pages=50-51}}

Different levels of economic developments on sectional basis exist among Kharia. The Hill Kharia is a food gathering, hunting and labourer community. The Dhelkis are agricultural labourers and agriculturalists, while Dudh Kharia are exclusively agriculturists in their primary economy.{{sfn|Vidyarthi|Upadhyay|1980|page=26}}

Kharia people are skilled in cottage industries.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gVo1I4SIqOwC&pg=PA270 | title=Indian Society and Social Institutions | publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distri | author=N. Jayapalan | year=2001 | pages=270 | isbn=9788171569250}}

According to the 2011 Census on Kharias in all states of India, 46.1% are Christians, followed by 43.4% Hindus. Minor populations follow Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other religions.{{cite web |title=ST-14 Scheduled Tribe Population By Religious Community - Odisha |url=http://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/SCST-Series/ST14/ST-21-00-014-DDW-2011.XLS |website=census.gov.in |access-date=12 February 2020}}

Kharia are said to be the great dancers. Youth of both sexes dance together. sometimes they form two groups each of males and females and sing one after the other. It is like a conversation is going on between boys and girls in the form of the song.{{cite book |title=Tribal Dances of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TmDRNTYw49EC&pg=PA132 |publisher=Discovery Publishing House |author1=Robin D. Trubhuwan |author2=Preeti R. Trubhuwan |year=1999 |page=132 |isbn=81-7141-443-5 |oclc=41143548}}

The following dance patterns are prevalent among Kharias: Hario, Kinbhar, Halka, Kudhing and Jadhura.{{cite book |title=Tribal Dances of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TmDRNTYw49EC |publisher=Discovery Publishing House |author1=Robin D. Trubhuwan |author2=Preeti R. Trubhuwan |year=1999 |isbn=81-7141-443-5 |oclc=41143548 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=TmDRNTYw49EC&pg=PA133 133], [https://books.google.com/books?id=TmDRNTYw49EC&pg=PA134 134], [https://books.google.com/books?id=TmDRNTYw49EC&pg=PA135 135]}}

{{unreferenced section|date=April 2020}}

• Gladson Dungdung, tribal right activist
• Sylvanus Dung Dung, hockey player
• Rose Kerketta, writer
• Telanga Kharia, freedom fighter
• Jyoti Sunita Kullu, hockey player
• Archana Soreng, Activist
• Salima Tete, hockey player

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{Cite book|title=Kharia: Then and Now – A comparative study of Hill, Dhelki and Dudh Kharia of the Central-Eastern region of India |last1=Vidyarthi |first1=L.P. |author-link1=L. P. Vidyarthi |last2=Upadhyay |first2=V. S. |date=1980 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=0391018388 |location=New Delhi |oclc=948680446 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6xZsvFPca2UC |via=Google Books}} ([https://archive.org/details/khariathennowcom00vidy Via Internet Archive])

{{refend}}

• Mukhopadhyay, C. (1998). Kharia: the victim of social stigma. Calcutta: K.P. Bagchi & Co. {{ISBN|81-7074-203-X}}
• Dash, J. (1998). Human ecology of foragers: a study of the Kharia (Savara), Ujia (Savara), and Birhor in Similipāl hills. New Delhi: Commonwealth. {{ISBN|81-7169-551-5}}
• Sinha, A. P. (1989). Religious life in tribal India: a case-study of Dudh Kharia. New Delhi: Classical Pub. Co. {{ISBN|81-7054-079-8}}
• Sinha, D. (1984). The hill Kharia of Purulia: a study on the impact of poverty on a hunting and gathering tribe. Calcutta: Anthropological Survey of India, Govt. of India.
• Banerjee, G. C. (1982). Introduction to the Khariā language. New Delhi: Bahri Publications.
• Doongdoong, A. (1981). The Kherias of Chotanagpur: a source book. [Ranchi]: Doongdoong.
• Biligiri, H. S. (1965). Kharia; phonology, grammar and vocabulary. Poona: [Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute].
• {{Cite book |title=Encyclopaedic profile of Indian tribes |date=1996 |publisher=Discovery Pub. House |author1=Sachchidananda |author2=Prasad, R. R. |isbn=9788171412983 |edition=1st |location=New Delhi, India |oclc=34119387}}

• [http://www.kharia.in For more information]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927225630/http://www.kharia.in/satod.php First Kharia Online Magazine]
• [http://www.ling.hawaii.edu/austroasiatic/AA/Munda/Dictionaries/Kharia.txt Patricia Donegan & David Stampe’s Online Kharia Dictionary]

{{Commons cat|Kharia people}}

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Category:Odia culture

Category:Scheduled Tribes of India

Category:Social groups of Odisha

Category:Social groups of Jharkhand

Category:Scheduled Tribes of Odisha