Etymology
Kol was generic term for non-Aryan people in Chotanagpur such as Oraon and Munda. The term Kola mentioned in Rigveda. According to legend, Yayati, the son of Nahus divided his kingdom for his five sons. Then after ten generation, India was divided among four brothers; Pandya, Krala, Kola and Chola. According to Markandeya Purana, the Aryan princess Suratha was defeated by some unclean tribe called ''Kolabidhansinah'' means slayer of Pig. According to Herr Jelinghans, Kolarian tribes who eat pig were considered unclean by the hindus. Another meaning of Kol is Pig.History
Colonel Edward Tuite Dalton has refferd to non-Aryan Kolarian and Dravidian tribal of Chotanagpur as Kol such as Munda, Oraon, Ho, Santal, Bhumij, Juang etc in his writings in 1867. According to him the word is epithets of abuse applied by the Brahmin races to the aboriginals who opposed their settlements. In Chotanagpur, the term kol generally applied to Munda and Oraon. Although Oraon and Munda celebrate same festivals, but they don't intermarry among themselves. Later, Colonel Dalton classified Oraon as Dravidian and Munda and other Kol such as Ho, Bhumij as Kolarian after observing their customs and traditions which were distinct.References
{{India-ethno-stub Scheduled Castes of Uttar Pradesh Scheduled Tribes of Odisha Scheduled Tribes of Madhya Pradesh Scheduled Tribes of Chhattisgarh