Jharkhand: History and Tribal Movements

Early history

• Prehistory:
  • stone tools come from Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Singhbhum and Dumka;
  • Isko (Hazaribagh) has rock paintings;
  • Asur sites near Ranchi have bricks and iron. The Asur tribe are traditional iron-smelters.
• Names: in ancient texts the region was Kikat, Pundra and Jharkhand ("land of forests"). The Mughal-era name was "Kokrah".
• Mauryan period: contact through Magadha. Ashoka's thirteenth rock edict mentions forest people (atavika).
• Nagvanshis of Chhotanagpur: founded, according to tradition, by Phani Mukut Rai.
  • Durjan Sal was taken prisoner by Jahangir (1615) over diamonds from the Sankh river and was later freed.
  • Later capitals were Doisa, Palkot and Ratu.
• Cheros of Palamu: Medini Rai (17th century) was the most famous ruler. Daud Khan invaded for Aurangzeb (1660).
• Ramgarh Raj, Panchet and Singhbhum (Porahat) were other chiefdoms.
• Mughal policy: tribute, not direct rule. Akbar sent Shahbaz Khan to the region.

The British entry

• After the Diwani (1765), the Company pushed into the area through Chhotanagpur, Palamu (1771) and Dhalbhum.
• Zamindari, moneylenders (diku) and forest laws broke the khuntkatti (founding-clan) and manki-munda land systems. This was the root cause of almost every revolt.

Major revolts

Revolt	Years	Leaders	Where	Result
Pahariya revolt	1772 onward	Ramna Ahadi	Rajmahal hills	"Pahariya sardar" system and the Damin-i-koh area
Tilka Manjhi	1784–85	Tilka Manjhi	Bhagalpur–Rajmahal	Shot Cleveland; hanged at Bhagalpur (1785)
Tamar revolt	1782–1821	Bholanath Sahay and others	Tamar (Ranchi)	Repeated risings against zamindars
Chuar revolt	1769–1805	Jagannath Singh, Durjan Singh	Manbhum, Dhalbhum	Against revenue demands
Kol rebellion	1831–32	Buddhu Bhagat, Singrai, Bindrai Manki	Sonepur, Tamar, Ranchi	South-West Frontier Agency (1833); Wilkinson's Rule in Kolhan
Bhumij revolt	1832–33	Ganga Narayan Singh	Barabhum, Dhalbhum	Called "Ganga Narayani Hangama"
Santhal Hul	1855–56	Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand, Bhairav, Phulo, Jhano	Bhognadih, Damin-i-koh	Crushed; Santhal Pargana district created (Act XXXVII of 1855) with the Santhal Parganas Rules
Sardari (Mulkai) larai	1858–95	Sardars	Ranchi area	Peaceful phase; petitions about land
Ulgulan (Birsa movement)	1899–1900	Birsa Munda	Khunti, Tamar, Bandgaon	Birsa died in Ranchi jail (9 June 1900); CNT Act 1908
Tana Bhagat	1914 onward	Jatra Bhagat (Oraon)	Gumla, Ranchi	Later joined the Gandhian movement
Haribaba movement	1930s	Haribaba (Dukhan Manjhi)	Santhal Pargana	Reform, against liquor

• Birsa Munda:
  • Born 15 November 1875 at Ulihatu. He studied at a mission school, then started a new faith ("Birsait"), and was called "Dharti Aaba" (father of the earth).
  • He called for "Abua raj" (our rule), against dikus and the Raj.
  • The Dombari hill clash took place in January 1900.
  • He died in Ranchi jail on 9 June 1900.
  • 15 November is now Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (from 2021) and Jharkhand Sthapna Diwas.

1857 in Jharkhand

• Sepoys rose at Hazaribagh and Ranchi (Doranda), and at Rohini (Deoghar) under Amanat Ali, Salamat Ali and Sheikh Haro.
• Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeo (Barkagarh) and Pandey Ganpat Rai led the revolt and were hanged at Ranchi in April 1858.
• Nilambar and Pitambar (Kharwar–Bhogta brothers) led the revolt in Palamu.
• Sheikh Bhikhari and Tikait Umrao Singh were hanged at Chutupalu.

Towards a separate state

Year	Step
1912	Chhotanagpur Unnati Samaj (J. Bartholomew, Thebal Oraon and others)
1938	Adivasi Mahasabha; Jaipal Singh Munda became president in 1939
1940	The Congress session at Ramgarh (presided over by Maulana Azad) brought national attention
1950	The Jharkhand Party was formed (Jaipal Singh). It won 32 seats in the 1952 Bihar assembly elections
1955	A memorandum for a separate state was given to the States Reorganisation Commission (rejected)
1963	The Jharkhand Party merged with the Congress, which weakened the movement
1972	JMM founded by Shibu Soren, Binod Bihari Mahato and A. K. Roy
1987	AJSU (All Jharkhand Students Union)
1995	Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council (JAAC), with Shibu Soren as chair
2000	The Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000; Jharkhand became the 28th state on 15 November 2000, with Babulal Marandi as the first CM

Exam tip: JPSC asks for exact years, places and leaders. Memorise the revolts table and the statehood timeline. Learn the women of the Hul (Phulo and Jhano) and the dates 30 June (Hul Diwas), 15 November (Birsa Jayanti and the state's foundation) and 9 June (Birsa's death).