Damin-i-koh
Encyclopedia
Damin-i-koh was the name given to the forested hilly areas of Rajmahal Hills
broadly in the area of present Sahebganj
, Pakur
and Godda
districts in the India
n state
of Jharkhand
.
and the Mal Paharias
. They had been living in the Rajmahal Hills
, since when it is difficult to trace. They lived mostly in hill tracts. Prior to the arrival of the British, the Paharias lead a life undisturbed by the mighty empires reigning in the region. That was mostly the result of their geographical isolation. The Mughals
never seems to have conquered the area, possibly because they failed to penetrate into the deeply forested hilly tracts. They were hill locked and were completely isolated from the outside world. They were also never in any way subordinate to the British Raj
till around the end of eighteenth century.
The main problem that faced the British in the early years of their rule in the area was that the Paharias had become bandits and dacoits in the declining years of Muslim rule and lawlessness prevailed in the region. The pacification of the Paharias and their conversion into a law-abiding people was a major achievement of the early British administration under such people as Captain Brooke, Captain Browne and Augustus Cleveland. The Santals
first began to move in to the hills and forests of what was later called Santhal Parganas, towards the end of the 18th century.
The Santals are the most numerous tribe in eastern India. According to their traditions, they were a wandering tribe until they settled down in Chhotanagpur
and the adjacent districts. That was around the middle of the 18th century. Towards the end of the century, as the pressure of population was keenly felt and the jungles were being cleared, they moved up towards the virgin forests in and around the Rajmahal Hills. The Permanent Settlement
of 1793 forced the landlords to improve productivity of the land. The Santals were increasingly used for land reclamation and improvement. In 1832 the government set apart a large area in Damin-i-Koh for the settlement of the Santal. The population in this tract increased from 3,000 in 1838 to 82,795 in 1851.The intention of the British administration in permanently settling the Santals in Damin-i-koh was to reclaim the dense forested region. The industrious Santal was accorded a warm welcome to carry out the arduous task.
The Santhal rebellion
of 1855, lead to the formation of Santhal Parganas, which till then was administratively under Birbhum district
.
Rajmahal Hills
Rajmahal Hills are hills formed from rocks dating from the Jurassic Period and named after the town of Rajmahal which lies to the east in the state of Jharkhand in India. The hills are oriented in a north-south axis with an average elevation of 200–300 m . The River Ganges meanders around the...
broadly in the area of present Sahebganj
Sahebganj District
Sahibganj district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Sahibganj is the administrative headquarters of this district.-History:...
, Pakur
Pakur District
Pakur district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Pakur is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district, with a population of 701,616 , and covering an area of 686.21 km², is situated on the north-eastern corner of Jharkhand state...
and Godda
Godda District
Godda district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state in eastern India. It lies in the northeastern part of the state. The geographical area that now comprises Godda district was formerly part of the erstwhile Santhal Parganas district. Godda town is the headquarters of Godda...
districts in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
.
History
The Damin-i-koh was a densely forested and hilly area. Even in the valleys there was hardly any human interference except for an occasional Paharia village. That was the situation for centuries. There were two groups of Paharia primitive tribes, namely the Sauria PahariasSauria Paharia people
The Sauria Paharia people are a tribal people of Jharkhand in India. They are found mostly in Santhal Parganas.-Link with Oraons:...
and the Mal Paharias
Mal Paharia people
-Society:The Mal Paharias who live in the southern hills of Damin-i-koh and in the south and east of Santhal Parganas have been Hinduised.The Mal Paharias survive on agriculture and forest produce....
. They had been living in the Rajmahal Hills
Rajmahal Hills
Rajmahal Hills are hills formed from rocks dating from the Jurassic Period and named after the town of Rajmahal which lies to the east in the state of Jharkhand in India. The hills are oriented in a north-south axis with an average elevation of 200–300 m . The River Ganges meanders around the...
, since when it is difficult to trace. They lived mostly in hill tracts. Prior to the arrival of the British, the Paharias lead a life undisturbed by the mighty empires reigning in the region. That was mostly the result of their geographical isolation. The Mughals
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
never seems to have conquered the area, possibly because they failed to penetrate into the deeply forested hilly tracts. They were hill locked and were completely isolated from the outside world. They were also never in any way subordinate to the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
till around the end of eighteenth century.
The main problem that faced the British in the early years of their rule in the area was that the Paharias had become bandits and dacoits in the declining years of Muslim rule and lawlessness prevailed in the region. The pacification of the Paharias and their conversion into a law-abiding people was a major achievement of the early British administration under such people as Captain Brooke, Captain Browne and Augustus Cleveland. The Santals
Santals
The Santhal , are the largest tribal community in India, who live mainly in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, and Assam. There is also a significant Santal minority in neighboring Bangladesh, and a small population in Nepal....
first began to move in to the hills and forests of what was later called Santhal Parganas, towards the end of the 18th century.
The Santals are the most numerous tribe in eastern India. According to their traditions, they were a wandering tribe until they settled down in Chhotanagpur
Chhotanagpur
Chhotanagpur is an area including the tribal areas of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and West Bengal states in India. Many residents of the area identify with the name even though there is no political recognition of the area. A local dialect of Hindi called Nagpuri is common in the area....
and the adjacent districts. That was around the middle of the 18th century. Towards the end of the century, as the pressure of population was keenly felt and the jungles were being cleared, they moved up towards the virgin forests in and around the Rajmahal Hills. The Permanent Settlement
Permanent Settlement
The Permanent Settlement — also known as the Permanent Settlement of Bengal — was an agreement between the East India Company and Bengali landlords to fix revenues to be raised from land, with far-reaching consequences for both agricultural methods and productivity in the entire Empire and the...
of 1793 forced the landlords to improve productivity of the land. The Santals were increasingly used for land reclamation and improvement. In 1832 the government set apart a large area in Damin-i-Koh for the settlement of the Santal. The population in this tract increased from 3,000 in 1838 to 82,795 in 1851.The intention of the British administration in permanently settling the Santals in Damin-i-koh was to reclaim the dense forested region. The industrious Santal was accorded a warm welcome to carry out the arduous task.
The Santhal rebellion
Santhal rebellion
The Santhal rebellion , commonly known as Santal Hul was a native rebellion in present day Jharkhand, in eastern India against both the British colonial authority and corrupt upper caste zamindari system by the Santal people...
of 1855, lead to the formation of Santhal Parganas, which till then was administratively under Birbhum district
Birbhum district
Birbhum district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is located at Suri...
.