The Santhals: settlers and rebels

From the 1780s, zamindars hired Santhals to clear land for cultivation, and the British invited them to settle in the Jangal Mahals: the Santhals were skilled at clearing forests and ploughing land.

In 1832, a large area was demarcated as Damin-i-Koh ('skirts of the hills'), the land of the Santhals. A tenth of it was to be cleared and cultivated within ten years. Santhal settlements grew fast: from 40 villages in 1838 to 1,473 in 1851.

The Paharias suffered: they were pushed into the barren, rocky upper hills, and became impoverished, unable to continue their shifting cultivation.

Soon the Santhals found their own land slipping away: the state levied heavy taxes, moneylenders (dikus, or outsiders) charged high interest and took their land when they could not pay, and zamindars asserted control over the Damin area. This drove the Santhal Revolt of 1855-56, led by Sidhu Manjhi.

After the revolt was suppressed, the British carved out the Santhal Pargana (about 5,500 square miles), with special laws to conciliate the Santhals. The Illustrated London News published pictures showing the revolt being crushed. In British eyes, the Santhals turned from ideal settlers into 'savages'.