Most of the Bhuiya are agriculturalists and many believe that they are descended from Bhūmi, the village deity clan goddess who represents Mother Earth.

It is speculated that they were the oldest inhabitants of the states of Keonjhar, Bonai, Gangapur, Bamra, Santal paragana, Hazaribagh, Manbhum and Singhbhum as well as most regions of Eastern India and Lower Assam.

Known as Pawri or Pauri Bhuiyan, they generally live in the hilly and inaccessible forest areas.

In Sambalpur, bhuyan have 12 septs which are Thakur or royal blood: Saont (viceroy), Pradhan (village headman), Naik (military leader), Kalo (priest), Dehuri (priest), Chhatriya (carrier of royal umbrella), Sahu (money lender), Majhi (headman), Behera (manager of household), Amata (councilor), and Sena (police official).

Among Pauri, Bhuyan bachelors sleep in youth dormitories known as Dhangar basa (servant home) or Mandar Ghar (Drum House).

[citation needed] There are significant economic variations in the Bhuiya community, with some in areas such as Ghatwar and Tikait being landowners but many others being reliant on working the land either independently or as paid labourers.

Basket-making, livestock rearing, fishing, hunting and the sale of forest produce such as firewood, honey and resin also contribute to their livelihood, although the practise of food collection has probably mostly died out.

[15][16] They have exogamous lineages such as Basuki (cobra), Kachhim (tortoise), Kali (a snake), Sal (a fish), Sigari (fox), Sinjkiri etc in Bihar and Jharkhand.

They have titles such as Deshmandal, Ghatowal, Paramanik, Pradhan, Bhogta, Chharidar, Mahto, Rai Thakur, Tikayat, Bhuiya, Manjhi, Nayak, Roy, Singh in Bihar and Jharkhand.

[17] In Patna division, Palamu, Hazaribagh, Manbhum and Bengal, they were included in Scheduled Caste.