The tribe have four subdivisions, the Binjhwars proper, the Sonjharas,
the Birjhias and the Binjhias. The Sonjharas consist of those who
took to washing for gold in the sands of the Mahanadi, and it may
be noted that a separate caste of Sonjharas is also in existence in
this locality besides the Binjhwar group. The Birjhias are those who
practised _bewar_ or shifting cultivation in the forests, the name
being derived from _bewarjia_, one living by _bewar_-sowing. Binjhia is
simply a diminutive form of Binjhwar, but in Bilaspur it is sometimes
regarded as a separate caste. The zamindar of Bhatgaon belongs to
this group. The tribe have also exogamous divisions, the names of
which are of a diverse character, and on being scrutinised show a
mixture of foreign blood. Among totemistic names are Bagh, a tiger;
Pod, a buffalo; Kamalia, the lotus flower; Panknali, the water-crow;
Tar, the date-palm; Jal, a net, and others. Some of the sections
are nicknames, as Udhar, a debtor; Marai Meli Bagh, one who carried
a dead tiger; Ultum, a talker; Jalia, a liar; Kessal, one who has
shaved a man, and so on. Several are the names of other castes, as
Lohar, Dudh Kawaria, Bhil, Banka and Majhi, indicating that members
of these castes have become Binjhwars and have founded families. The
sept names also differ in different localities; the Birjhia subtribe
who live in the same country as the Mundas have several Munda names
among their septs, as Munna, Son, Solai; while the Binjhwars who are
neighbours of the Gonds have Gond sept names, as Tekam, Sonwani, and
others. This indicates that there has been a considerable amount of
intermarriage with the surrounding tribes, as is the case generally
among the lower classes of the population in Chhattisgarh. Even now if
a woman of any caste from whom the Binjhwars will take water to drink
forms a connection with a man of the tribe, though she herself must
remain in an irregular position, her children will be considered as
full members of it. The Barhias or landowning group have now adopted
names of Sanskrit formation, as Gajendra, an elephant, Rameswar, the
god Rama, and Nageshwar, the cobra deity. Two of their septs are named
Lohar (blacksmith) and Kumhar (potter), and may be derived from members
of these castes who became Binjhwars or from Binjhwars who took up the
occupations. At a Binjhwar wedding the presence of a person belonging
to each of the Lohar and Kumhar septs is essential, the reason being
probably the estimation in which the two handicrafts were held when
the Binjhwars first learnt them from their Hindu neighbours.