Bhumihar or Babhan or Bhumihar Brahmin is a Hindu Brahmin community mainly found in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh,Bengal, Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and Nepal. The Kanyakubja Mahati Sabha, an association of Kanyakubja Brahmins, determined at its 19th and 20th national conventions in 1926 and 1927 that the Bhumihars are among the Kanyakubja Brahmin communities, whic
h also include the Sanadhya, Pahadi, Jujhoutia, Saryupareen, Chattisgarhi, Bhumihar and various Bengali Brahmins. "Kanyakubj Vanshavali" mentions five branches of Kanyakubja Brahmins as Saryupareen, Sanadhya Brahmin, Bhumihar, Jujhautiya and Prakrit Kanaujia:
Saryupari Sanadhyashcha Bhumiharo Jijhoutayah
Prakritashcha Iti Panchabhedastasya Prakartitah
First modern Indologist of Indian origin, and a key figure in the Bengal Renaissance, Rajendralal Mitra writes about the five branches of Kanyakubja Brahmins as Saryupareen, Sanadhya, Bhumihar, Jujhoutia and Prakrit Kanaujia or Kanyakubj proper. Bhumihars have been the traditional priests at Vishnupad Mandir in Gaya as Gayawar Pandas and in the adjoining districts like Hazaribagh . The Kingdom of Kashi belonged to Bhumihar Brahmins and big zamindari like Bettiah Raj, Hathwa Raj, Pandooi Raj and Tekari Raj, Sheohar Raj, Ram Nagar belonged to them. Bhumihars were well respected Brahmins in the courts of Dumraon Maharaj, King of Nepal and Raj Darbhanga. Bhumihars are commonly called Babhans which is the Pali word for Brahmins and is used to refer to Brahmins in Buddhist sources.
