Subgroups: 4
Subgroup Name | Population ▼ | |
---|---|---|
Bara Hazari | 9,800 | |
Tera Hazari | 8,600 | |
Morwa | -1 Unknown | |
Sontwa | -1 Unknown |
The Chero live in Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. They are primarily concentrated in Palamau, Shahabad, Champaran, and other surrounding districts. The Chero speak a language that is also called Chero. Those in Bihar are bilingual, speaking both Chero and Bihari.
The Chero claim to be the descendants of the Rajput, who were a powerful race of Indian warriors whose kingdom existed between the eighth and thirteenth centuries. The Chero were once the lords of all the provinces surrounding the sacred Ganges River. Now, however, they hold meager jobs in the cities or live in the woods skirting the hills.
Like many people in India, the Chero belong to a particular social class, or caste. They are officially classified as land-owners and farmers. In general, they are a proud race and have never forgotten that their bloodline is one of royalty.
Most of the Chero live in villages situated near streams to ensure the people of a fresh water supply. The villagers get timber from the forests to build their homes and to use as fuel. Their settlements are clusters of homes seemingly huddled together without rhyme or reason. The poorest Chero live in homes made of mud. These families share their homes with the cattle, farm tools, and grain.
Today, agriculture is vital to the Chero economy, and the villagers usually grow exactly what they need for survival. Men and women work together to produce the harvest, and the women especially love to sing as they work. Some of the Chero have moved over to shop-keeping and petty trade in towns and cities. Others earn wages by working on roads or in coal mines.
For the Chero living on the plains, their livestock is crucial for their livelihood. Oxen, buffaloes, and cows are yoked to plows and carts to help them work the fields. Goats, fish, and fowl are important components of their diet and are also used as sacrifices in religious ceremonies.
The nuclear family, which consists of parents and unmarried children, is the basic building block of Chero society. While they hold their elders in high regard, old age itself is viewed as an ailment. The tribe is governed by councils called panchayats, which are made up of the village elders, the headman, and the high priest.
The land-holding Chero in the Palamau region have borrowed the gotras social structure, which means that they do not associate with those of lower castes. They are divided into two sub-castes, and marriage outside of their own group is strictly forbidden.
Over the years, the distinctive physical traits of the Chero have been softened by intermarriage with pure Hindu families. Because they are of Rajput descent, the Chero obtained military land grants, which they hold to this day.
The higher caste Chero are almost equal to any other high caste group of Hindus. Brahmins (the highest Hindu caste, made up of priests and scholars) will actually take water from the Chero's hands. This is considered a privilege in their society. They now live strictly as Rajputs and wear their caste symbols. However, they still do not intermarry with pure Rajput families.
The majority of Chero are Hindu, and Brahmin priests serve at all their weddings. About one-fifth of the Chero are Muslims, who were converted during Muslim invasions of the nineteenth century.
At the present time, there are only a few known Chero Christians. Missionaries are needed to disciple these young believers. Christian resources are desperately needed. Prayer is the key to seeing the Chero reached with the Gospel.
* Scripture Prayers for the Chero in India.
* Ask the Holy Spirit to complete the work begun in the hearts of the few Chero believers through adequate discipleship.
* Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers to work among the Chero.
* Pray that God will raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil through worship and intercession.
* Ask the Lord to bring forth a vigorous Chero church for the glory of His name!
Profile Source: Bethany World Prayer Center |
People Name General | Chero |
People Name in Country | Chero |
World Population | 195,600 |
Total Countries | 2 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | No |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 4 |
Alternate Names | Chere, Choro, चेरो |
People ID | 16583 |
ROP3 Code | 111778 |
Affinity Bloc | South Asian Peoples |
People Cluster | Hindi |
People Group | Chero |
Ethnic Code | CNN25g |
Total Subgroups | 4 |
Bara Hazari 9,800 | |
Tera Hazari 8,600 | |
Morwa 80 | |
Sontwa 80 |
Country | India | |||||||||
Region | South Asia | |||||||||
Continent | Asia | |||||||||
10/40 Window | Yes | |||||||||
National Bible Society | Website | |||||||||
Persecution Rank | 10 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | |||||||||
Total States on file | 7 | |||||||||
Largest States |
|
|||||||||
Specialized Website | South Asia Peoples |
Country | India |
Region | South Asia |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 10 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 7 |
Jharkhand 95,000 | |
Uttar Pradesh 75,000 | |
Bihar 13,000 | |
West Bengal 5,200 | |
Assam 1,400 | |
Uttarakhand 1,400 | |
Odisha 30 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Language | Hindi (151,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 28 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) |
|
Primary Language | Hindi (151,000 speakers) |
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 28 |
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) | |
Bhojpuri 15,000 | |
Magahi 13,000 | |
Bengali 3,300 | |
Kanauji 2,600 | |
Odia 1,400 | |
Assamese 900 | |
Awadhi 900 | |
Garhwali 600 | |
Bagheli 500 | |
Kumaoni 400 | |
Nepali 400 | |
Santhali 300 | |
Punjabi, Eastern 200 | |
Sadri 100 | |
Kurux 90 | |
People Groups | Speaking Hindi |
Primary Language: Hindi
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1806-1962) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1811-1998) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1818-2000) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Bible-NT Text | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
World Bibles |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name |
---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching (GRN) |
Audio Recordings | Online New Testament (FCBH) |
Audio Recordings | Online Scripture (Talking Bibles) |
Audio Recordings | Story of Jesus audio (Jesus Film Project) |
Film / Video | A Beautiful Hope (Indigitube.tv) |
Film / Video | A Pilgrimage (Indigitube.tv) |
Film / Video | Aasha - Hope (Indigitube.tv) |
Film / Video | Coconuts (Indigitube.tv) |
Film / Video | Creation to Christ (Indigitube.tv) |
Film / Video | Father's Love Letter |
Film / Video | Following Jesus (India, JF Project) |
Film / Video | God's Story Video |
Film / Video | Haqeeqat Episode 6 (Indigitube.tv) |
Film / Video | Jesus Film: view in Hindi |
Film / Video | Magdalena (Jesus Film Project) |
Film / Video | My Last Day (Jesus Film Project Anime) |
Film / Video | Rivka (Jesus Film Project) |
Film / Video | Story of Jesus for Children (JF Project) |
Film / Video | Ten Virgins (Indigitube.tv) |
Film / Video | The Final Prodigal (Indigitube.tv) |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.02 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.13 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
98.52 %
|
Islam |
0.35 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.01 %
|
Unknown |
0.98 %
|
Photo Source | Bethany World Prayer Center |
Map Source | Bethany World Prayer Center |
Profile Source | Bethany World Prayer Center |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Read more |
* Religion Values | From latest India census data. Current values may differ. |