Overview
Bhumihar, also locally known as Bhuinhar and Babhan, is a Hindu caste mainly found in Bihar (including the Mithila region), the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Nepal. The community has traditionally been associated with land-owning in eastern India.
In the early twentieth century, Bhumihars controlled a number of small princely states and zamindari estates across the region. Their position as landholders shaped their social and economic role in rural society, particularly in Bihar and adjoining areas.
The community played an important role in the peasant movements and political life of Bihar. Members of the caste have been active participants in agrarian mobilisations as well as in regional and state-level politics over the years.
Bhumihars claim Brahmin status, and the community is often grouped with Brahmins in social usage. However, their varna classification has been a subject of considerable debate, and different scholarly and traditional accounts have placed the community variously within the broader caste framework.
References
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article on Bhumihar.