Baiga

For the town in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China whose Pinyin spelling is Báigā, see Paingar.
Baiga
Baiga women in traditional dress
Total population
552,495[1][2] (2011, census)
Regions with significant populations
 India
Madhya Pradesh414,526
Chhattisgarh89,744
Uttar Pradesh47,393
West Bengal13,423 [note 1]
Jharkhand3,583
Bihar544
Odisha338
Maharashtra333
Languages
Chhattisgarhi • Hindi • Regional languages
Religion
Hinduism • Islam  • Tribal religion

The Baiga are an ethnic group found in central India primarily in the state of Madhya Pradesh, and in smaller numbers in the surrounding states of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The largest number of Baiga is found in Baiga-chuk in Mandla district and Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. They have sub-castes: Bijhwar, Narotia, Bharotiya, Nahar, Rai maina and Kath maina. The name Baiga means "sorcerer-medicine man".

  1. ^ "Statistical profile of scheduled tribes in India 2013" (PDF). tribal.nic.in. Minister of tribal affairs: statistics division, Govt of India.
  2. ^ "A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  3. ^ Gupta, J. Datta (1967). Tables on Scheduled Tribes, Part V-A (ii), Vol-XVI, West Bengal & Sikkim - Census 1961 (PDF).
    Note: The Baigas were Scheduled only in the Purulia district and the territories transferred from the Purnea district of Bihar as per The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes lists (Modification) Order, 1956 and their population was only 4.
  4. ^ Bulletin of the Cultural Research Institute. Special series (22–24). Tribal Welfare Department, Government of West Bengal. 1978. p. 28. In this connection it may be mentioned that as Birjia and Chik Baraik had no population in 1961 and Birhor and Baiga in 1971, ..
  5. ^ Singh, K. S. (1994). The Scheduled Tribes. Vol. III. Oxford University Press in collaboration with the Anthropological Survey of India. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-19-563255-2.
  6. ^ a b "Census of India 1981, Series-23, West Bengal" (PDF). Special Tables For Scheduled Tribes, Part IX- (iii). Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. 1981.
  7. ^ a b Census of India 1991, Series – 26, West Bengal (PDF). Part– VII(II), Special tables on Scheduled Tribes. Vol. V. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. 1901. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 June 2023.
  8. ^ a b "PCA-IND (ST): Primary Census Abstract (PCA) - Individual Scheduled Tribe [2001]". censusindia.gov.in.
  9. ^ a b "A-11 Appendix: District wise scheduled tribe population (Appendix) [2011]". censusindia.gov.in.
  10. ^ Bhadra, Ranjit K; Mondal, S. R, eds. (1991). "Ethnicity, Ethnic groups and Survival Strategy". Stratification, hierarchy, and ethnicity in North-east India. Delhi: Daya Pub. House. p. 19. ISBN 978-81-7035-086-6. OCLC 26858289. In West Bengal, there is a group of people who are popularly known as Bagal, which means 'cattle herding'. [...] this group have greater tribal attributes in them. But they do not belong to Scheduled Caste or tribe. As a result, they are trying to rename themselves as 'Baiga', because the Baigas are Scheduled tribe and are getting all Constitutional benefits.
  11. ^ "Annual Administrative Report 2011–12". Scribd. Backward Classes Welfare Department, Government of West Bengal. p. 66. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  12. ^ Cultural Research Institute Meeting report - 2019. Backward Classes Welfare Department, Government of West Bengal


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