Baheliya Community ( A Warrior Clan)

We will be discussing the glorious past of the Baheliya Community and their contribution in  the freedom struggle of India and various wars. Baheliya  community has a long history of being a source of manpower in India[i]. They long provided a source of military recruitment[ii] . They were foot soldiers in various armies and have been stated to be brave soldiers. The actual history of the community has long been hidden and the community is just depicted as a community of hunters and fowlers, which is not true at all. 

In the 1857 independence struggle of India, the wave of revolt was spread allover the country. A small village  Pindra at Satna District of Madhya Pradesh had a huge contribution to the Independence struggle wherein almost 109 village people died fighting against the Britishers. Baheliya community had a huge role in the above stated revolt where 49 people of the community lost their life fighting bravely against the Britishers. There is a memorial constructed at the village mentioning about the Independence struggle. The names of the martyrs are mentioned on the memorial present at the village[iii][iv][v].

Bahelias were foot soldiers who generally used matchlock guns. It seems word Bahelia was used as generic term to denote the musketmen of those regions. Contemporary sources mention the presence of Bahelia musketmen in all the battle fields of eighteenth century Bengal and Bihar. The Chief Commander of the Bahelias was styled as Bakshi (paymaster) Chidan (Chaitan) Hazari. The Bakshi of Bahelias fought for Alivardi in the battle of Gheria and an anonymous Bakshi of the Bahelias was present when Sardar Khan and Shamshir Khan led their fateful action at Azimabad. The participation of the Bahelias in the rebellion of Sardar Khan and Shamshir Khan in 1748 suggests their close relationship with Afgans.^[vi]

Balthazar Solvyns described Baheliya soldier as a primitive Hindu soldier and stated that Baheliya used matchlocks, a horn was their powder pouch and their sabres were more or less curved. They wore long trousers, very heavy shoes and in general whole dress was very heavy and cumbersome. The Bahelia lived under tents and fed as the Hindu soldier upon rice and water[vii].

They were also appointed as Governors under the Mughals. During the reign of Tuglaqs in Delhi in the 14th century, a certain Sanidhi, an African and a Baheliya were appointed as joint governor with the title of hazari, at the fort of Chunar on the bank of Ganga near Benaras. A jagir of 27 villages were conferred on them[viii].

During the Seventeenth century they were conspicuous as footsoldiers fighting under Mughal commanders. Mirza Nathan mention them as serving in Bengal in 1692[ix], the Mughal fauzdar of Kanchipuram in South India had many Baheliya in his service who went over to Marathas after a battle. In 1700, hundred of Baheliya footmen were killed as a result of ill-timed explosion during the seize of Satara by Aurangzeb, the survivors enraged at the carelessness of their Mughal Commanders set fire to the seize batteries as a substitute for the proper cremation of their brother, Sons and friends[x]. 

In Bengal the traditional occupation of the Bahelias was that of watchman and soldiers under Maharaja Krishna Chandra Roy. Later on they became bussinessmen and cultivators[xi]

Maharaja Balwant Singhji of Banaras (Kashi) had an army of Baheliyas. Maharaja's Bahelia army had fought the British in their raid battle. The Baheliya army had also fought against the Nawabs on behalf of Maharaj .They used to kill the Nawab's men in plunder. [xii]

Baba Gayadin Dubey was the Zamindar of Korani village of Fatepur, Uttar Pradesh.He had sixty two villages. He had a very good army of 200 Baheliya Soldiers. He along with his soldiers supported the revolutionaries  in the 1857 Independence struggle and marched against his judge friend , who at the end had to commit suicide. [xiii]

The Baheliyas therefore were employed as Soldiers under various Maharajas and the Zamindars. The above discussion shows the great history of the Baheliya community. They had been a warrior class and were part of the Independence struggle and various wars, they fought them bravely and many even lost their lives. The Baheliya community at present is scattered all over India. Most of the population lives in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal etc. Today they are involved in different occupations- farming, business, politics etc. Many people are serving in the Armed forces, government jobs. A large Baheliya population is facing economic issues due to the ignorance of the government, many are landless and live nearby forests as they used to serve as gamekeepers for the kings during hunting. They have faced a lot of trouble after the hunting was banned in India. There is a need to protect the community and make some special policy for them. Their contribution in the history should not at all be ignored, otherwise it will be a great loss to the national development.

 Written by- Ashutosh Kumar

---

[i] Naukar, Rajput and Sepoy, D.H.A.Kolff (1990), 117

[ii] A Portrait of the Hindus Balthazar Solvyns & the European Image of India,  1760-1824,Robert L. Hardgrave Jr. Pg. 251

[iii]  https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/chitrakoot/109-villagers-of-pidra-village-were-martyred-for-the-country-s-independence-chitrakutt-news-knp5406652101 retrieved on 17.09.2020

[iv]  https://zeenews.india.com/hindi/india/bihar-jharkhand/people-of-pindra-of-mp-gave-tough-fight-to-britishers-in-1857-revolt/562601retrieved on 4. 08. 2020

[v] https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-india-s-independence-struggle-built-on-the-backs-of-forgotten-bravehearts-2781905retrieved on 04.08.2020

[vi] Social Scientist, V. 13, No. 143 (April 1985) Pg. 22,23

[vii] Les Hindous,Volume 2, by Balthazar Solvyns

[viii] Mirzapur Gazetteer 307. Crooke Tribes and Caste, 1,105. See also Thomas Chronicles, 196

[ix] Mirza Nathan,Baharistan-i-Gahyabi,I,189 and,II, 826

[x] Bhimsen Tarikh-I-Dilkasha,186,222

[xi] People of India, West Bengal, V. XXXXIII part 1, K. S. Singh, Pg 104.

[xii] Banarsi Lal Arya, Maharaja Balwant Singh aur Kashi Ka Atit, 1975, Pg 37;77.

[xiii] Dipnarayana Sinha, Phatehapura ke svatantrata Senani, 1979, Pg 29