The Santals of Mayurbhanj - a Study on Their Original Homeland
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Orissa Review * July - 2009 The Santals of Mayurbhanj - A Study on Their Original Homeland Subash Chandra Karua There are more than five hundred tribes and sub- Mundas, Hos, Kharrias, Bhumijas and some tribes in various parts of our country1. Out of them other tribes belong9. L.O. Skrefsud points out that the Santals constitute one of the largest2 proto- the name 'Santal' is a corruption of 'Saontar'. It Austroloid3 aboriginal4 tribes of India. They were was adopted by the tribe after their sojourn for inhabiting in Southeastern Chotanagpur plateau5. several generations in Saont region of Midnapur The scenery of the main plateau is very attractive of West Bengal. Before they want to Saont they with its undulations detached abrupt hills and forest had been termed 'Kharwar', the root of West tracts. Groves of ancient mango trees, many of Bengal. Before they went to Saont they had been them are of enormous size. This is a prominent termed 'Kharwar', the root of which 'Khar', is a feature of the landscape of Chotanagpur. It is one variant of 'hor' or 'man'-the term used by all the of the most attractive parts of the Indian Santals10. 6 peninsula. Santalas have migrated to the western Santal, Sonthal, Saontal or Saontar are district of West Bengal, Santal pargana of Bihar grouped as tribal Hindus11 in Mayurbhanj. Out and northern hilly district of Orissa and tea of sixty two12 tribes of Orissa, forty-five13 tribes 7 plantation areas of Assam at different times . are found in the district of Mayurbhanja. Though Majority of them live in different parts of Bihar, the Santals are found in other districts like Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Tripura and Keonjhar, Balasore, Sundargarh and Dhenkanal, Chhatisgarh. the district of Mayurbhanj is peopled14 largely by Though, their uniqueness of language, Santals. Among the people of different races and traditions and culture drew the attention of number functional affinities the place of honour, however of administrator, anthropologist, ethnologist, social has been given to the Santalas alone who scientist and researcher from India and abroad. numerically stand foremost in the population of Very little work has been done on the Santals of the state15 of Orissa. Mayurbhanj is bounded on Mayurbhanj except the work of Charulal the north by the district of Singhbhum of Jharkhand Mukharjee8. An humble attempt is made to study and Midnapur district of West Bengal; on the the migration and settlement of the Santals in South by the district of Balasore and Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj state in a broader historical on the east by Midnapur and Balasore district; perspective . They are the most numerous of the on the West by the district of Keonjhar and tribes of the Austro-Asiatic race to which the Singhbhum16. It was the largest and wealthiest of 52 Orissa Review * July - 2009 the feudatory states of Orissa17. The Bhanj rulers and seven daughters were born and as such their are one of the oldest royal families of India and family enlarged28. 18 they are the oldest ruling dynasty of Orissa . The names of five29 sons were Sandhra, Mayurbhanj had the distinction of being Sandhom, Care, Mane and Acredelhu. The names administered by a ruling family in unbroken of four30 daughters were Chita, Kapu, Hisi and continuity for more than one thousand years from Dumni. The names of the rest children are the 9th century AD till it was merged with Orissa forgotten31. on 1st January 1949.19 They believed that though they were The Santals called themselves 'bir sindic'20 originated at Ahili-pipilior hihili-pipili, but they or strong man and 'hor hopon'21 or son of the became the settlers at Chai-champa which was man. E.G. Man points out that the ethnological regarded as their home land32. They recite the characteristics of the Santals distinguishes them dong song: from all other races in India as nomadic and civilized. The men are of middling stature and they "Hihili pipili reban Janamlen are remarkably well made with dark skins. They Khoj Kaman reban khojlen have strong limbs, some what thick lips and in Harat reban hara lena many instances their cast of countenance almost Sasangbeda reban Jate lenho"33. approximates to the Negro type. They wear their The Bengali version of the Santali song is hair, which is long and coarse, tied in a knot on described as follows. the top of the head, the ends hanging down from the center22. Regarding their physical feature, R.R. "Hihili pipirite Jonme chhilam Diwakar states that they are short in stature and Khoj kamane Khoj parchilo they posses a broad flat nose with sunken nose Harata dese Bansa badrala 34 ridge. They have wavy hairs, some-times curly, Sasang beda dese Jatibhag holo' though never frizzy. They share these A. Campbell narrates: characteristics with other primitive tribes in the "In Hihiri, mother I was born same group.23 Their dialect belongs to that of the In pipili, Mother I saw the light Austro-Asiatic group. G.A. Grierison states that In Haradata, Mother I grew up their dialect has been derived from old Kherwali In Khoj kaman, Mother I was faught for"35 language which had a similarity with other mundari speaking people24. P.O. Bodding narrates: Santals do not have any written literature, "In Hihiripipiri We were born though their traditional legends (binti) are current In Khoj Kaman We were called for among them25. Their traditional lore has been In Harat We grew up handed down orally from generation to In Sasang beda We became sept."36 26 generation . From Khoj Kaman they went to Chai and Pilchu halam and Pilchu budhi are to be then to Champa, where they resided for many the first human couple (Adam and Eve) of the years. Their social in division was instituted here37. Santal myth27 who were born from the egg of Has Regarding the identification of Champa, and Hasin birds. In course of time seven sons E.T.Dalton states that he is unable to identify the 53 Orissa Review * July - 2009 Ahiripipiri, but Khairagarh and Chai Champa are to different directions in-groups in search of the in the Hazaribagh or Ramgarh district38. L.O. site for their settlement. Skrefsud derives the name Hihiri or Ahuri pipiri It appears that the Santals had first begun from the Hir origin, but others identify it with Ahuri to settle in the hilly tracts of Damin-I-Koh or pargana in the Hazaribagh. From Ahuri pargana Damin estate near Rajmahal hills45 in the district they moved to Khoj Kaman, then to Hara, then of Santal pargana in about 1790. The Santals to Sasangbeda, then to Jarpi, then to Koinda, faced a little opposition from the Malers Chai and finally reached Champa. In Champa, (Paharias) who were the natives of this area. The they soujourned for many generations and the Santals learnt the art of 'kurao' or 'Jhuming'46 present social institution of the tribe was also cultivation system from the Paharias. So long as formed there.39 there were vast forests and low population this Champa was the capital of Anga40 (South method did not do much harm. But with the East Bihar). It was situated at the confluence of shrinking of the forests and rapid growth of the the river of the same name and the Ganges. It is immigrants it caused a lot of harm. Frequent stated in the Mahabharata, the Purana and in 'the Jhuming of hill sides resulted in destruction of Hari Vamsa' that the ancient name of Champa forests and soil erosion. The process of converting was Malini41. the forest and wilderness to cultivable land went "Champasya tu Puri champa on very rapidly. As a result various social evils Ya maliny - ab bhavatpura"42. sprang up rapidly. Like other aboriginals the Santals were toys in the hands of the money A great calamity took place with this race lenders and dishonest amalas (subordinate probably due to the invasions of the officials). Further under 'kamiauti'47 system, a man Muhammadans. Peace and order disappeared borrowing money had to work for the lender until and the reign of terror prevailed. the debt was rapaid. The position of the Santals E.T. Dalton has found the existence of an became little better than that of slavery in the hands old fort at Chai, the walls of which were of earth of the unscrupulous money lenders. Many and stone. A space of about five acres of land Dikkus48 (Non-aboriginals) had occupied the hilly surrounded the fort. It was the abode of the Santal tracts cleared by the Santal. Many plots of fertile Raja named Jangra. He destroyed him-self and rice land prepared by the Santals, were occupied his family members on hearing the approach of a by the 'Dikkus' by means of mortgage deeds. Muhammadan army under Sayid Ibrahim Alli, a The headman of a Santal village had to beg general of Muhammad Tughluq. Ibrahim was also a permission from the landlord to convert a patch known as Malik Baya and died in 1453 A.D.43 of forest land to a patch of cultivable land. The The existence of the fort is also substantiated headman had to pay a sum fixed by the landlord by J. Phillips who states that while Santals were for the said purpose. Though initially the fixed sum dwelling in Chai Champa, they multiplied. Further was paid, later the landlord began to demand he states that there were two gates-Ahin gate and much higher sum as a rent and harassed the Bahin gate of the fort of Chai Champa.44 The date villagers49.