In this blog post, we will discuss in brief, who are Santal. Here we discuss their short history, their lifestyle, their movement, and mission work.
Who are Santal
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The Santals are one of the aboriginal tribes of India belonging to the so-called Santali-speaking group of people. Little is known of the history of the Santals before they settled in the district around Dumka. The Dumka was the headquarters of Santal Parganas, between 1790 and 1810.
In 1832-1833 the Government of Bengal formed the Damin-i-koh a hill tract around Bhagalpur in the Northern part of Santal Parganas. The hill section is reserved for the Paharia people.
But some 500 square miles of low land at the foot of the hills was given to the Santals. We can find that some 82,795 Santals, scattered about in 1,475 villages had settled at the Damin area in 1851
The Santals were known as peace-loving and freedom-loving people, honest and simple-minded. But they uneducated and unpolished; and fared badly in their dealings with the far more advanced Hindu and Muslim neighbors.
The Santal Revolution
Because of the oppression of the moneylenders, the dishonesty of shopkeepers, and agrarian difficulties.
The Santals were under the leadership of four brothers, Sidhu, Kanhu, Chandu, and Bhairal. They revolted against the Government and their oppressors in 1855.
The Government sent regular troops against the rebels, and it stated that some ten thousand Santals lost their lives before the insurrection was quelled.
Santal in Politic
Also, a political motive appears to have played an important role in this insurrection. According to the Santal Traditions, the Santals had once been a powerful people with their own rulers; and known under the name of Kherwars, when they lived in Champa.
The degrading social conditions became an incentive to rise in order to regain their lost liberty; for which they had been yearning ever since their glory days in Champa.