Bauri (caste)

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title: "Bauri (caste)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["bengali-hindu-castes", "scheduled-castes", "social-groups-of-west-bengal", "social-groups-of-odisha", "social-groups-of-jharkhand", "social-groups-of-bihar", "indian-castes", "ethnic-groups-in-india"] description: "Caste in eastern India" topic_path: "society/religion" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauri_(caste)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Caste in eastern India ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox ethnic group"]

Field	Value
image	Bauri bearer and grass cutter.jpg
image_caption	Bauri bearer and grass cutter, from a 1799 collection of etchings
total
total_year	2011
total_source	census
regions	India
region1	West Bengal
pop1	1,228,635
ref1
region2	Odisha
pop2	523,127
ref2
region3	Jharkhand
pop3	186,356
ref3
region4	Bihar
pop4	2,233
ref4
languages	Regional languages (Bengali, Odia)
religions	Hinduism
::

| group = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = Bauri bearer and grass cutter.jpg | image_caption = Bauri bearer and grass cutter, from a 1799 collection of etchings | image_alt = | total = | total_year = 2011 | total_source = census | total_ref = | regions = India | region1 = West Bengal | pop1 = 1,228,635 | ref1 = |region2 = Odisha |pop2 = 523,127 |ref2= |region3 =Jharkhand |pop3= 186,356 |ref3 = |region4=Bihar |pop4=2,233 |ref4= | languages = Regional languages (Bengali, Odia) | religions = Hinduism Bauri is a caste primarily residing in the state of West Bengal, India where it is considered as one of the Scheduled Castes. There are significant Bauri populations in the states of Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar. They are usually involved in activities like farming, mainly as agricultural labourers.

Bauris numbered 1,091,022 in the 2001 census in the state of West Bengal. 37.5 per cent of the Bauris were literate - 51.8 per cent males and 22.7 per cent females were literate. Only 4.7 per cent of the Bauris were matriculates or completed schooling.

Distribution

They are primarily residing in Bengal found in large numbers in Bankura, Birbhum, Purulia and other districts in Indian state of West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Orissa. The village of Purbo Tila in Chatlapur Tea Garden, Kulaura and Dakchara Tea Garden, Srimangal, Moulvibazar District are also home to Bauri communities in Bangladesh. They are also found in many villages like Chhatna and Beliatore.

Practices

Traces of totemism still survive in their reverence for the red-backed heron. The heron is looked upon as the emblem of the community.

Classification

The Bauri caste is categorised as a Scheduled Caste in West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Bihar, while in Assam, they are recognised as an Ex Tea garden community and the Bauri of Assam and Tripura placed within the Other Backward Classes.

Notable people

• Sandhya Bauri, MP from Bishnupur (Lok Sabha constituency)
• Susmita Bauri, MP from Bishnupur (Lok Sabha constituency)
• Amar Kumar Bauri, MLA in Jharkhand Legislative Assembly

References

Bibliography

• {{Cite book |last=Das |first=Debajyoti |url=http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/handle/2015/461280 |archive-url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.461280 |archive-date=24 January 2017|title=The Bauris Of West Bengal |date=1962 |publisher=Academic publisher |location=Kolkata}}

References

1. "A-10 Appendix: District wise scheduled caste population (Appendix), West Bengal - 2011".
2. "A-10 Appendix: District wise scheduled caste population (Appendix), Odisha - 2011".
3. "A-10 Appendix: District wise scheduled caste population (Appendix), Jharkhand - 2011".
4. "A-10 Appendix: District wise scheduled caste population (Appendix), Bihar - 2011".
5. Kundu, Santosh Kumar. (2008). "Bengali Hindu Jati Parichay". Presidency Library.
6. (25 March 2021). "বাউরী সম্প্রদায়ের উৎপত্তির ইতিহাস ও ঐতিহাসিক পর্যালোচনা".
7. (2015-09-25). "The Politics of Caste in West Bengal". Routledge.
8. "West Bengal, Census of India 2001". Office of the Registrar General, India.
9. "Bauri". [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute]].
10. (6 March 2019). "Bauri". Dr Suresh Kumar Sahu.
11. (31 August 2012). "Tea Tribe Community".
12. "Central OBC list for Assam".
13. (August 2025). "LIST OF OBCs IN TRIPURA AS APPROVED BY THE GOVT. OF INDIA".

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