CHERU, aborigines in Gliazipur, part of Gorakhpur, the southern part of Benares, Mirza pur, and Behar. They are sometimes said to be a branch of the Bhur. They seem to be the same as the Sivira or Seoree, but Buchanan con sidered them distinct. Cheru declare themselves to be descended from the great serpent, from which they may be supposed to be the Nagbansi of Magadha. Remains of buildings attributed to them are found near Buddha Gya, Sasram, and Ramghur, and the images of Siva and Hanuman found in them indicate that they belonged to the Hindu religion. They appear to have been from their ancient abodes by the Pramara of Bhojpur, the Ifyobun of Hurdi, and the Moon liar, a little before the first Mahomodan inva sion, about which time there seems to have been a general convulsion in N. India, during which several tribes acquired their present possessions. The features of the Cheru are said to resemble the occupants of the Vindhya mountains. They live by cutting timber, collecting drugs, and killing game ; and though their numbers are very low, they continuo to create a raja for every five or six houses, and invest him with the tilak in duo form. The emperor Sher Shah subdued Muharta, a Cheru zamindar of Behar, which seems to have been a last but strong effort of the Cheru race. The chief of Singrowlee in Mirzapur is a Cheru, though he calls himself a Henbane. Sir II. Elliot suggests that the Sivira,.Seori, and Cheru may perhaps be the Sauraseni. In the Harivansa is the following passage From this race came tho Sauravira and Saurasena. The .great king Sawa, sena has given his name to the country over which he reigned' (Elliot, Glos.). They have
almost disappeared from the seat of their ancient splendour. Once rulers of Behar, a petty popu lation (2377) now represents the nation there. Not above 400 remain in their old home on the plateau of Shahabad, and about 3000 live in the land bordering on Nepal. They were driven into the Nepal Terai, and into the highlands of Chutia Nngpur, where they number 17,632, but are a very humble class of cultivators and day-labourers. They are usually of a light-brown colour, with high cheek-bones, small eyes obliquely set, low, broad noses, and large mouths with protuberant lips, but considerably softened by the alliances with pure Hindu families, which their ancient power and large possessions enabled them to secure. The village of Munka in Palamaw belongs to a Cheru. The Cheru and Kharwar and Kol observe triennial sacrifices. Every three years a buffalo and other animals are offered in the sacred grove Sarna,' or on a rock near the village. They also have, like some of the Kol, priest for each village, called Pahn. He is always one of the impure tribes, a Bhuiya, or Kharwar, or a Parheya, and is also called Byga, and he only can offer this great sacrifice. No Brah manical priests are allowed on these occasions to interfere. The deity honoured is the tutelary god of the village, sometimes called Duar Pahar, sometimes Dharti, sometimes Purgahaili or Daknai, a female, or Darn, a sylvan god, the same, perhaps, as the Darka of the Kols.—Elliot; Wilson; Dalton, Eihnol.