62 
Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri— Babhan, [No. 
i.e ., those who were Brahmans once bat had became ^ramanas and lost 
their Brahmanhood, but still they are called Brahmans. 
From these two facts I have been led to conclude that the Babhans 
were Brahman-Buddhists who lost their caste and position in Hindu 
Society, but on the destruction of Buddhism are again trying, though 
unconsciously, to regain the old position they enjoyed 2,000 years ago. 
Leaving the safe ground of philology if I am permitted to speculate 
a little, I believe I have got the derivation of the word Bhumi-haraka. 
After the fall of Buddhism these Babhans misappropriated the rich 
monastic lands and from that fact they are called Bhumi-harakas. The 
word Bhumi-harak is not a Sanskrit word. It is not to be found in 
any Sanskrit Dictionary. It is a Sanskritized form of the Hindi word 
Bliumi-hara, the misappropriator of land. 
The geographical distribution of the class (Babhan) favours the 
theory of their Buddhistic origin. They are to be found in western 
Bihar and eastern Ko 9 ala countries where Buddhism originated and 
lingered longest. 
