Chero

The Chero is a caste found in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh in India.

For the dynasty, see Chero dynasty.

History and origin

The community claims to have originally been tribal people. The Chero are essentially one of many tribal communities, such as the Bhar, Pasi and Kol, that inhabit the southeastern corner of Uttar Pradesh. Chero dynasty was ruling parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand until they were deposed by Rajputs and the East India Company. They are now found in a territory extending from Allahabad in the west to Muzaffarpur in the east. The Chero have two sub-divisions, the Mahto and Chaudhary.

In Bihar, the Chero are known as Charwa or Cheru and in Palamu, they are known as the Barahazari. The community is mainly found in Jharkhand, especially in Ranchi and Monghyr. Those of Palamau were substantial landowners.