Turaiha

Turaiha is a Hindu caste found in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. They are also known as Turaha, Turha, Turahiya or Tureha found in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal, primarily living near rivers and lakes.

Subgroups

The Turaiha community is listed as a Scheduled Caste (SC) in Uttar Pradesh under the Constitutional (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. which governs the SC list for Uttar Pradesh by the Ministry of Social Justice as per the latest Census data (2011).

Turaiha, Turha and Turaha as the Same Ethnic Group :The terms Turha, Turaha, and Turaiha refer to the same ethnic community, with variations arising from regional dialects, transliteration differences, and administrative classifications.

Ethnographic Corrections & Synonym Clarification: The Turaiha community is often referred to by multiple names (e.g., Turahiya, Turha, Turaha). The 2013 Bill have served to standardize these variations to prevent administrative confusion.

Population

The 2011 Census data already recognized the Turaiha as a Scheduled Caste (SC) community, listed at position 66.

The Bihar government's "Caste-Based Survey 2022" indicates that the Turha/Turaiha caste has a population of around 467,867 and its position approximately 81st in the list of castes in the state. Meanwhile, the population of the Turaiha/Turha caste in Uttar Pradesh was recorded as 28,055, with nearly 10,000 (~34%). of this population residing in Ballia district alone.

Scheduled caste

The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2013 (Bill No. LV of 2013), and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2014 (Bill No. XXIV of 2014), were introduced to update the SC list. The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on 11 July 2014, after being introduced in 2013. Following its passage, the Act came to be known as the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Act, 2014. The 2013 Bill and its passage in 2014 likely ratified existing inclusions in Uttar Pradesh’s SC list, thereby ensuring their legal enforceability.

The 2013 Bill and 2014 Amendment did not newly introduce the Turaiha caste into Uttar Pradesh’s SC list but likely reinforced their existing status at position 66. Their inclusion dates back to the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, and subsequent amendments (including the 2013 Bill) have served to clarify administrative details and synonyms for definitive proof of the Turaiha’s SC status.

In Uttar Pradesh, the TURHA /TURAHA surname caste community is not listed under any caste category in the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), or Other Backward Class (OBC) lists while the Turaiha surname caste community is listed under the Scheduled Caste (SC) category community list in uttar pradesh . The surname 'Turaiha' is used in Uttar Pradesh due to regional dialects and they avail their community certificates. This issue arises because, in other parts of Indian states, such as Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, the surname 'Turha' is used and is recognized in the caste community category list respected states whereas in Uttar Pradesh, the surname 'Turaiha' is used and is already included in the Scheduled Caste list. Other indian respected states official document confirm that "TURAIHA" caste of uttar pradesh which is included in Scheduled Caste (SC) list are same as "TURHA" of their state. both are same.

Present circumstances

The Turaiha are still employed to play the turaihi (turha) and other musical instruments on several occasions. However, the majority of the Turaiha are landless agricultural labourers. The Turaiha remain one of the most marginalised communities in the Uttar Pradesh. They live in multi-caste villages, but occupy their own distinct quarters. They often suffer from societal discrimination. Each of their settlement contains an informal caste council, known as a biradari panchayat. The panchayat acts as instrument of social control, dealing with issues such as divorce and adultery.

References

Further reading

• Crooke, William. "Tribes and Castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 1". Internet Archive. Retrieved 12 April 2025. (page 132 part of BALHAR section) Turaha (also spelled Turaiha mention) community is described as a sub-caste of the Kahar caste, traditionally employed as palanquin bearers and water carriers. Crooke notes that the Turaha are primarily found in the regions of North-Western Provinces and Oudh, now part of modern-day Uttar Pradesh, India. He observes that the Turaha have distinct customs and practices, including specific rituals related to marriage and religious observances, which set them apart from other sub-castes within the Kahar community. Crooke also mentions that the Turaha claim a higher social status compared to other Kahar sub-castes, emphasizing their role in ceremonial occasions and their association with certain deities worshipped in their localities.
• William Crooke. "The Tribes and Castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh". Internet Archive. pp. 94–95. Retrieved 12 April 2025. mention that they are belong to kahar (Turai or Turaiya or Turaha). in which Turaha related to occupation green grocers and cultivators.
• Nesfield, John Collinson. "Brief View of the Caste System of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh" (PDF). Paris School of Economics. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 12 April 2025. Nesfield served as Director of Public Instruction in Oudh (1874–1878) and later as a provincial inspector in 1882, played a key role in shaping colonial education policy. His positions gave him access to census data and the authority to analyze caste dynamics for governance. He conducted caste-based surveys to support educational reforms in the region. He provides a lens to interpret their classification as a subgroup of the Kahar community, shaped by occupation and regional adaptation in which Turha or Turaiha castes allied to the fishing state (Section III in his book page 9 & 10).
• A.C. Turner (1931). "Census of India, 1931: United Provinces of Agra and Oudh". Internet Archive. p. 640. Retrieved 12 April 2025.. This also mention that the Turha (also spelled Turaiha or Turaha they all are same) caste is discussed.Turner identifies the Turha as a subgroup that originated from the Kahar caste, traditionally associated with water-related occupations such as palanquin bearing and water carrying. Over time, the Turha community diverged from the Kahars, adopting distinct customs and occupations, notably in fishing and related activities. This occupational shift contributed to their recognition as a separate caste. Turner also notes that the Turha / Turaiha community developed unique cultural practices and rituals, further distinguishing them from their Kahar origins. Arthur C. Turner, was a British civil servant who served as the Superintendent of Census Operations for the 1931 Census of India.
• A. C. Turner’s 1931 Census Report (Bihar and Orissa Volume, Section on "Caste and Tribe").information is documented in the "Tables, Part II, Vol-VII, Bihar and Orissa" of the 1931 Census, published in 1932.
• People of India: Bihar (Anthropological Survey of India, 1992).
• "DO NCBC Advice No. West Bengal 34/98" (PDF). 26 March 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2025.