The Musahar are considered one of the lowest of the Dalit groups within India and suffer tremendously from their status in society. Their name is derived from two words meaning "rat catcher" and is likely attributed to them for their tendency to eat rodents in times of dire need. They are short in stature with a long narrow headshape and broad nasal features.
Numbering two million mostly in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh they have large families and live with several generations in the same household. A Musahar village is almost always filled with children. Though they will frequently speak Hindi, the local trade language, they will speak Angika or Awadhi at home.
Land ownership is rare and most will work as agricultural laborers, day laborers or forest and fishing. The women also work in agriculture or other unskilled labor such as stitching leaf-plates.
Education is not valued and literacy is extremely low with literacy rates running 2-6%. Often times they will drop out at the primary level due to social or economic factors. Modern development programs have had little impact on them as few if any of the sparsely allocated resources designated for them ever reach them in their need. Many times their wages are paid in crops and they trade in the market place through barter.
Traditionally they follow their tribal faith and will worship their family deity and the village deity, as well as the gods of the wider Hindu faith.
Due their extreme poverty they live far from towns and cities which have proper health care. Nor do they have the capacity to travel to avail themselves of these facilities. The result is a desperate health care situation. Child mortality and maternal mortality are high and the life span is short which is exacerbated by high rates of alcoholism among the male population.
Much of their condition is a result of their low position in the caste hierarchy. They are considered untouchables and treated with disdain by all other sections of society. Any attempts at economic advancement will be taken away from them or destroyed and they have little or no capacity to retain property rights. Their constitutional rights of education and food subsidies are routinely denied through corruption and caste based policies. They are powerless and voiceless, unable to change their situation alone. Sadly many Musahar women are kidnapped or sold into prostitution in the major metropolitan cities. Without recourse this becomes their new life, oppressed, abused and forced to suffer in silence.
* Scripture Prayers for the Musahar (Hindu traditions) in India.
Profile Source: GSCC Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Global Prayer Digest: 2008-09-15 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2015-08-28 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2020-02-09 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2020-08-31 |
People Name General | Musahar (Hindu traditions) |
People Name in Country | Musahar (Hindu traditions) |
Pronunciation | MOO-sah-har |
Population this Country | 3,014,000 |
Population all Countries | 3,248,000 |
Total Countries | 3 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 3 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 60 |
Alternate Names | Banmanus; Banraja; Bhuiya; Gaur; Gonr; Musahar Bhuiya; Mushar; Mushr; Palamau Bhuiya; मुसहर (हिंदू ट्रेडिशन्स) |
People ID | 17711 |
ROP3 Code | 113160 |
Affinity Bloc | South Asian Peoples |
People Cluster | South Asia Dalit - other |
People Group | Musahar (Hindu traditions) |
Ethnic Code | CNN25 |
Affinity Bloc | South Asian Peoples |
People Cluster | South Asia Dalit - other |
People Group | Musahar (Hindu traditions) |
Ethnic Code | CNN25 |
Total Subgroups | 15 |
Maghaiya 104,000 | |
Bhatawar 102,000 | |
Chanrwar 101,000 | |
Chiksauria 101,000 | |
Dhor 101,000 | |
Kanaujia 101,000 | |
Nathur 101,000 | |
Surajia 101,000 | |
Kharwar 99,000 | |
Banmanush 8,600 |
Country | India | ||||||||||||
Region | Asia, South | ||||||||||||
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 | 12 | ||||||||||||
Largest States |
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Specialized Website | South Asia Peoples |
Country | India |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 10 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 12 |
Bihar 2,614,000 | |
Uttar Pradesh 259,000 | |
Assam 65,000 | |
Jharkhand 53,000 | |
West Bengal 21,000 | |
Uttarakhand 700 | |
Andaman and Nicobar 700 | |
Manipur 600 | |
Tripura 300 | |
Arunachal Pradesh 80 | |
Chandigarh 60 | |
Odisha 30 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Language | Hindi (1,608,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 16 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) |
|
Primary Language | Hindi (1,608,000 speakers) |
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 16 |
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) | |
Maithili 665,000 | |
Bhojpuri 422,000 | |
Magahi 230,000 | |
Angika 102,000 | |
Bengali 48,000 | |
Assamese 39,000 | |
Sadri 6,300 | |
Surjapuri 4,000 | |
Bagheli 2,000 | |
Awadhi 700 | |
Kumaoni 300 | |
Bundeli 200 | |
Kanauji 100 | |
Garhwali 100 | |
Sadri, Oraon 30 | |
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 (1835-2012) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Bible-NT Text | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name |
---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching (GRN) |
Audio Recordings | Online New Testament (FCBH) |
Audio Recordings | Online Scripture (Talking Bibles) |
Audio Recordings | Oral Bible stories in Hindi |
Audio Recordings | Story of Jesus audio (Jesus Film Project) |
Film / Video | A Beautiful Hope (EngSub) |
Film / Video | Coconuts |
Film / Video | Creation to Christ |
Film / Video | Father's Love Letter |
Film / Video | Following Jesus (India, JF Project) |
Film / Video | God's Story Video |
Film / Video | Indigitube.tv Video / Animation |
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 | The Hope Video |
General | Bible Visuals |
General | Four Spiritual Laws |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.08 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.06 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.84 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.01 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |