Pahari, The term Paharia is an Indo-Aryan word reffering to people living in hills or mountains. There are different tribal groups having the tradition of living in hills, mountains and forests. In order to distinguish their people from other tribals on hills, the Sauria Paharias called their group "Maler" in their native Malto language meaning "hill people". As a matter of fact, the Paharias claim Rajmahal Hills in southern Bihar as their place of origin.

In the early days, the Paharias were well-known as bandits and dacoits who were said to be mean and savage in plundering the neighboring areas in the plain or cargo boats in the Ganges. So their neighbors in the plain and East India Company called them "those hill men".

Geographically, the Paharias in India are mainly found in Bihar and West Bengal. In census report (India) of 1971 the Kumar Paharias are not shown separately, but counted together with the Mal. Their total numerical strength in Bihar and West Bengal is 79,654, whereas the Sauria population in India is over 129,000.

In Bangladesh the census does not have any separate count for different tribal groups, nor is there any tribal census as such. For quite sometime, the tribal number is shown all together as estimated. So we have no way of knowing actually how many different tribal groups we have in the country. Moreover, these estimated figures are far too incorrect and misleading. Just to give an example, a socioeconomic survey in greater Rajshahi District found 29 different tribal groups (small and large) with a total tribal population of more than 100,000, whereas the estimated figure for the same period provided by the Bureau of Statistics was only 30,000.

The Paharia population in Bangladesh is, of course, a small one - only 7,361 by house to house count. They are mainly concentrated in greater districts of Rajshahi and Dinajpur; they are also found in greater districts of Bogra and Pabna.

Historical Background:

The earliest accounts we have of the Rajmahal Hills of Southern Bihar date back to 1795 and 1810 (Shaw and Hamilton as reported in Dalton). There the Paharias are described as illiterate.

They were both cultivators and gatherers. They practiced a slash-and-burn cultivation, which even today is popular especially in "high hilly village". In the jungle of Rajmahal Hills there were plenty of wild fruits and game, as well as edible roots and wild potatoes. So they never thought of serious settled cultivation. At the time of food shortage, they
depended on theft, plundering and looting. Under the Muslim Rule especially they were the terror of the surrounding country. They were wild and backward and were always ready for invasions into the plains and missed no chances either. They took revenge in the form of raids and plunder, in addition to demanding compensation. Both Hindu and Muslim authorities found it impossible to control them. The British Government would not tolerate their disorderly behavior, and used a corps of Light Infantry to keep such mountaineers in order. This paved the way for their submission to Mr. Augustus Cleveland, a Collector of Bhagalpur who died in 1785. Mr. Cleveland reduced the Paharias to order. By making their chiefs salaried, he kept the subordinates under control. He utilized the energy of the youths by forming a regiment of archers, and later on, as armed Bhagalpur Hill Rangers. After Mr. Cleveland we have no records of British attention to the group. They were, of course, disarmed after the Mutiny of 1857.

As early as 1872 Census, Hunter records 7,076 Adivasis in Rajshahi District among whom 72 were recorded Paharias and only 5 Santals. He also noted that the immigration by aboriginal tribes was carried on from the Rajmahal Hills principally into the thinly populated forest areas of Gudagari and Munda in the north of Rajshahi District. A large number of them had permanently settled and were employed in agriculture, as laborers in indigo factories or plantations, and also as fishermen. He further noted that many visited the district annually as read makers or day laborers, but they usually returned to their homes as soon as they made a little money.

Social System:

Lifestyle: As we have noted, the Paharia community in Bangladesh is rather small-only about 7.361 in all. Nomadic tribal life became difficult as pressure on land built up with the increased population growth in the region and elsewhere. They were pressed to adopt settled life. But with such a small number dispersed in the vast region of Northwestern Bangladesh, Paharia way of living retaining its own identity became difficult. They are not a cohesive group. So in the midst of non-tribals, maintaining the Paharia identity became a problem. For example, the Mal-Paharia kinship terminologies are completely Hinduized.

Language: It was found out that in some places the Paharias forgot their own language. It is not written language but spoken only. Even those who speak the language were observed at weddings singing BangIa lyrics.They say they know no Paharia songs and the songs they sing are mostly taken from cinema. At Christian weddings some of the songs were Christian religious hymns.

Culture: The Paharia dance  is mostly performed by young men. Their dance looks a lot like the "twist", rhythmically western or modern, and not at all like the dancing which some older Paharias describe. In the older forms of dancing, when the people had consumed a considerable amount of rice beer, young girls used to dance together with increasing gusto and evident receptivity to invitations to trysts. Everyone would become exuberant yet relaxed; but now the Paharias are a bit stiff and self-conscious when outsiders come, not to participate but to ogle and exploit.

Social Structure: The Paharias in Bangladesh are one of the two Dravidian speaking tribal groups, the other being the Oraons. There is no clan division among them. Most Paharias  considered themselves to be just Paharias. From the literature and census reports we know the tribe is divided mainly into two divisions - Sauria (also known as Maler) and Mal. The Kumar or Kumarbhag is an offshoot of the Mal, but most census reports do not show them separately. In Bangladesh the Mal Paharias are extremely few in number. The Sauria and Kumar Paharias say the Mal Paharias are not clean, and they keep aloof from them.

The Sauria consider themselves asal (genuine) Paharias because they have no die!ary restrictions. They consider the Mal Paharias including the Kumar their "blood" brothers, but ostensibly because the Saurias are omnivorous and the Mal and the Kumar do not eat certain foods and have been under more Hindu influence, they deny any consanguinal relations with them (Saurias). This is why they consider the Saurias who eat beef or meat of animals that die a natural death as cete or of very low caste. [Father Stephen Gomes]