Lodha people

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Lodha people
Lodha
Regions with significant populations
West Bengal 108,707 [a] [1]
Odisha 9,785 [1]
Languages
First language : Lodhi
Second language : Sadri, Bengali, Odia
Religion
Hinduism, Islam
Related ethnic groups
Munda, Lodha Muslims, Sabar

The Lodha people (often honorifically Sabar and Savar) [2] are a Scheduled Tribe and particularly vulnerable tribal group of India, inhabiting primarily West Bengal and Odisha. Lodhas of West Bengal mostly live the Paschim Medinipur and Jhargham districts. A section of the Lodha has converted to Islam, and formed a distinct community called the Lodha Muslims.

Contents

Demographics

As per 2001 census, Lodhas numbered 84,966 and formed 1.9 per cent of the scheduled tribe population of West Bengal. They had a literacy rate of 34.8 per cent. [3] As per the 2011 census, the Lodhas population is 108,707 and 9,785 in West Bengal and Odisha respectively.

Historical number of Lodha tribe
Census yearWest Bengal [a] ±%Odisha±%
1901 [7] 8,173
1911 [8] 7,403
1921 [9] n/a
1931 [10] 11,001n/a
1941 [11] 11,6415.8n/a
1951 [12] 8,346-28.4n/a
1961 [13] 40,898390.72,370
197145,90612.23,89164.2
198153,71817.05,10031.1
199168,09526.87,45846.2
200184,96624.78,90519.4
2011108,70727.99,7859.9

The Lodhas of Odisha are primarily found in Suliapada and Morada blocks of Baripada sub-division of Mayurbhanj district of Orissa. [14]

Religions of Lodhas (census 2011) [15]
  1. Hinduism (86.58%)
  2. Christianity (12.06%)
  3. Sarna (0.83%)
  4. Islam (0.23%)
  5. Sari Dharma (0.06%)
  6. Religion not stated (0.15%)
  7. Other (0.09%)

Focus

Lodha means piece of flesh named after their ancestor. Lodhas have been in the focus of anthropologists and social activists. [17] During the early period of their rule, the British government in India oppressed the tribal people of Jungle Mahals, who were traditionally dependent upon the forests for a living. They had revolted but were ruthlessly suppressed. Having been deprived of their livelihood and without any alternatives, they took to criminal ways of life and were subsequently branded a criminal tribe. They should properly be labelled as uprooted rebels. Lodha titles are Nayek, Mallick, Digar, Sardar, Bhokta, Kotal, Dandapat, Bhunya etc. These titles were also used by the Sabars. [18] One of the most important research on the Lodhas was done by a Calcutta University faculty, Prabodh Kumar Bhowmick. [19] [20] Much later, researchers from the Department of Anthropology at Vidyasagar University have done empirical studies on the development scenario of the Lodha tribe in Mendinpur district [21] [22] who were by that time declared as a 'Primitive Tribal Group' (PTG) by the Government of India.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 The Lodha tribe primarily inhabits in undivided Paschim Medinipur and Mayurbhanj, with populations of 51,772 and 5,523 respectively, according to the 2011 Census. Linguistically, they lack a distinct mother tongue and typically speak Bengali or Odia. Their total population is recorded as 108,707 in West Bengal and 9,785 in Odisha. The elevated figure in West Bengal includes the Kharia tribe, who are not separately recognised as a Scheduled Tribe and are listed alongside the Lodha. [4] [5] [6] A large number of Kharia migrated to West Bengal, particularly to Jalpaiguri , where they number 34,481, including 3,180 Kharia speakers and 29,004 Sadri speakers.

References

  1. 1 2 Statistical profile of scheduled tribes in India 2013 (PDF) (Report). Minister of tribal affairs: statistics division, Govt of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2025.
  2. Ghatak, Proggya (January 2011). "PROBLEMS OF TRIBAL IDENTITY: A Case Study of Savara & Lodha Tribes of West Bengal".
  3. "West Bengal: Data Highlights the Scheduled Tribes" (PDF). Census of India 2001. Census Commission of India. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  4. Bhowmick 1963, Introduction pp. xii.
  5. Kolay, Swapan Kumar; Khatua, Nilanjan (1 January 2024). Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups of India: Livelihood Patterns and Development Strategies (Volume 1). Concept Publishing Company. ISBN   978-93-5594-863-2.
  6. Pati, Rabindra Nath (2002). Reproductive Child Health. APH Publishing. ISBN   978-81-7648-323-0.
  7. Commissioner, India Census (1902). Census of India, 1901: Bengal (4 v.). Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India.
  8. Census of India, 1911, Vol. V; Bengal; Part II.-Tables
  9. "Estimated Population by Castes, 4 West Bengal - Census 1951" (PDF).
  10. "Tables, Part II, Vol-V, Bengal & Sikkim - Census 1931" (PDF). p. 234.
  11. "Census Of India 1941, Vol-IV, Bengal - Census 1941" (PDF). p. 5.
  12. "The Tribes and Castes of West Bengal, Land and Land Revenue Department - Census 1951" (PDF).
  13. "Tables on Scheduled Tribes, Part V-A (ii), Vol-XVI, West Bengal & Sikkim" (PDF).
  14. "Mayurbhanj, Tribal languages, festivals and culture" . Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  15. "ST-14 Scheduled Tribe Population By Religious Community". census.gov.in. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  16. "ST-15: Scheduled tribe by mother tongue (for each tribe separately) (State/UT level), West Bengal - 2011". Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India.
  17. Vidyarthi, Lalita Prasad (1978). Rise of anthropology in India: a social science orientation, Volume 1 By Lalita Prasad Vidyarthi . Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  18. Ghosh, Binoy, Paschim Banger Sanskriti, (in Bengali), part I, 1976 edition, pp. 201-203, Prakash Bhaban
  19. Bhowmick, P. K. (1981). "Rehabilitation of a 'Denotified Community': The Ex-Criminal Lodhas of West Bengal". RAIN (44): 6–8. doi:10.2307/3032233. JSTOR   3032233.
  20. Bhowmick, P. K. (1963). The Lodhas of West Bengal. A Socio-Economic Study. Punthi Pustar Publishing. OCLC   582340536.
  21. Guha, Abhijit (2014). "Lodhas of West Bengal : A Case Study". Tribal Tribune. 6 (2).
  22. Panda, Santanu; Guha, Abhijit (31 March 2013). "Ground realities of Development among the Lodhas in West Bengal". South Asian Anthropologist. 13: 75–84.

Further reading