| Native Name: | Lodha |
| Region1: | West Bengal |
| Pop1: | 1,08,707 |
| Region2: | Odisha |
| Pop2: | 9,785 |
| Languages: | First language |
| Religions: | Hinduism, Islam |
| Related: | Munda, Lodha Muslims, Sabar |
Lodha people are one of Schedule Tribes and PVTGs of India, primarily living in West Bengal and Odisha. Lodhas of West Bengal mostly live the Paschim Medinipur and Jhargham districts. A section of the Lodha has converted to Islam, and formed a distinct community called the Lodha Muslims.
As per 2001 census, Lodhas numbered 84,966 and formed 1.9 per cent of the scheduled tribe population of West Bengal. They had a literacy rate of 34.8 per cent.[1] As per the 2011 census, the Lodhas population is 108,707 and 9,785 in West Bengal and Odisha respectively.
| 1971 | 45,906 | 1,508 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 53,718 | 5,100 | |
| 1991 | 68,095 | 7,458 | |
| 2001 | 84,966 | 8,905 | |
| 2011 | 1,08,707 | 9,785 |
The Lodhas of Odisha are primarily found in Suliapada and Morada blocks of Baripada sub-division of Mayurbhanj district of Orissa.[2]
Lodha means piece of flesh named after their ancestor. Lodhas have been in the focus of anthropologists and social activists.[3] During the early period of their rule, the British government in India oppressed the tribal people of Jungle Mahals, who were traditionally dependent upon the forests for a living. They had revolted but were ruthlessly suppressed. Having been deprived of their livelihood and without any alternatives, they took to criminal ways of life and were subsequently branded a criminal tribe. They should properly be labelled as uprooted rebels. Lodha titles are Nayek, Mallick, Digar, Sardar, Bhokta, Kotal, Dandapat, Bhunya etc. These titles were also used by the Sabars.[4] One of the most important research on the Lodhas was done by a Calcutta University faculty, Prabodh Kumar Bhowmick.[5] [6] Much later, researchers from the Department of Anthropology at Vidyasagar University have done empirical studies on the development scenario of the Lodha tribe in Mendinpur district[7] [8] who were by that time declared as a 'Primitive Tribal Group' (PTG) by the Government of India.