Jharkhand (; ) is a
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
in
eastern India
East India is a region consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha
and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The states of Bihar and West Bengal lie on the Indo-Gangetic plain. Jharkhan ...
. The state shares its border with the states of
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
to the east,
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
to the west,
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
to the northwest,
Bihar
Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
to the north and
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
to the south. It is the
15th largest state by area, and the
14th largest by population.
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
is the official language of the state.
The city of
Ranchi
Ranchi (; ) is the capital city and also the largest district by population of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern ...
is its capital and
Dumka
Dumka, the headquarters of the Dumka district and Santhal Pargana region, is a city in the state of Jharkhand, India. It was made the headquarters of the Santhal Pargana region, which was carved out of the Bhagalpur and Birbhum district afte ...
its sub-capital. The state is known for its waterfalls, hills and holy places;
Baidyanath Dham,
Parasnath
Parasnath Hill (also Sammet Shikhar, Marang Buru) is a mountain peak in the Parasnath hill range. It is located towards the eastern end of the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the Giridih district (Hazaribagh district in British India) of the India ...
,
Dewri and
Rajrappa
Rajrappa is a waterfall and a pilgrimage centre in the Chitarpur CD block in the Ramgarh subdivision of the Ramgarh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Geography
Location
Rajrappa is located at .
Rajrappa stands at the confluence of ...
are major religious sites.
Jharkhand is primarily rural, with about 24% of its population living in cities as of 2011.
Jharkhand suffers from what is sometimes termed a
resource curse: it accounts for more than 40% of
India's mineral production but 39.1% of its population is below the poverty line and 19.6% of children under five years of age are malnourished.
Etymology
The word "''Jhar'' means 'forest' and "''Khand'' means 'land' in various
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages, or sometimes Indic languages, are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. As of 2024, there are more than 1.5 billion speakers, primarily concentrated east ...
. Thus "Jharkhand" means ''forest land''.
In the ancient period, in the
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
, the region was referred as Kark Khand due to location near Kark Rekha, that is,
Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, also known as the Northern Tropic, is the Earth's northernmost circle of latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun ...
.
During the Medieval period, the region was known as ''Jharkhand''. According to
Bhavishya Purana
The 'Bhavishya Purana' (') is one of the eighteen major works in the Purana genre of Hinduism, written in Sanskrit. The title ''Bhavishya'' means "future" and implies it is a work that contains prophecies regarding the future.
The ''Bhavishya ...
(1200 CE), Jharkhand was one of the seven
Pundra
Pundravardhana or Pundra kingdom (), was an ancient kingdom of Iron Age India located in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent with a territory that included parts of present-day Rajshahi and parts of Rangpur Division of Bangladesh a ...
desa. The name is first found on a 13th-century copper plate in
Kendrapada, Odisha region from the reign of Narasimha Deva II of
Eastern Ganga dynasty
The Eastern Ganga dynasty (also known as Purba Gangas, Rudhi Gangas or Prachya Gangas) were a large medieval era Indian royal Hindu dynasty that reigned from Kalinga from as early as the 5th century to the mid 20th century. Eastern Gangas rul ...
. Forest land from
Baidhnath dham to
Puri
Puri, also known as Jagannath Puri, () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state ca ...
was known as Jharkhand. In
Akbarnama
The ''Akbarnama (; )'', is the official chronicle of the reign of Akbar, the third Mughal Emperor (), commissioned by Akbar himself and written by his court historian and biographer, Abul Fazl. It was written in Persian, which was the literary l ...
, from
Panchet
Panchet is a census town in Nirsa CD block in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
History
During construction of dam several ruin of Tilakampa kingdom were submerged in the dam. Telkupi was capital ...
in the east to
Ratanpur
Ratanpur is a town and a nagar palika in Bilaspur district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It is located about from Bilaspur on National Highway 130 towards Ambikapur.
History
Ratanpura, originally known as Ratnapura, was the capita ...
to west,
Rohtasgarh to the north and the frontier of Odisha to the south was known as Jharkhand.
History
Ancient period
The region has been inhabited since the Mesolithic-Chalcolithic period, as shown by several ancient cave paintings.
Stone tools have been discovered from Chota Nagpur Plateau region which are from the
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Ancient Greek language, Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic i ...
and
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
periods.
There are ancient cave paintings in Isko,
Hazaribagh district
Hazaribagh district is one of the oldest districts of Jharkhand state, India and the district headquarter located in Hazaribagh town. It is located in the north east part of North Chotanagpur Division. The boundary of this district consists of dis ...
which are from Meso-chalcolithic period (9000–5000 BCE).
During 2nd millennium BCE the use of Copper tools spread in
Chota Nagpur Plateau
The Chota Nagpur Plateau () is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and th ...
and these find complexes are known as the
Copper Hoard Culture
Copper Hoard culture describes find-complexes which mainly occur in the western Ganges–Yamuna doab in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. They occur in hoards large and small, and are dated to the first half of the 2nd millennium BC ...
. In the Kabra-Kala mound at the confluence of the
Son
A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative.
Social issues
In pre-industrial societies and some current ...
and
North Koel rivers in
Palamu district
Palamu district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand, India. It was formed in 1892. The administrative headquarters of the district is Medininagar, situated on the South Koel River, Koel River. Palamu district lies in north-western par ...
various antiquities and art objects have been found which are from the
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
to the medieval period and
pot-sherds of
Redware
Redware as a single word is a term for at least two types of pottery of the last few centuries, in Europe and North America. Red ware as two words is a term used for pottery, mostly by archaeologists, found in a very wide range of places. Howeve ...
,
black and red ware
Black and red ware (BRW) is a South Asian earthenware, associated with the Neolithic phase, Harappa, Bronze Age India, Iron Age India, the Megalithic and the early historical period. Although it is sometimes called an archaeological culture, ...
, black ware,
black slipped ware and
NBP ware are from
Chalcolithic
The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in di ...
to the late medieval period. Several
iron slags,
microlith
A microlith is a small Rock (geology), stone tool usually made of flint or chert and typically a centimetre or so in length and half a centimetre wide. They were made by humans from around 60,000 years ago, across Europe, Africa, Asia and Austral ...
s, and
potsherds
This page is a glossary of archaeology, the study of the human past from material remains.
A
B
C
D
E
F
...
have been discovered from
Singhbhum district
Singhbhum was a district of India during the British Raj, part of the Chota Nagpur Division of the Bengal Presidency. It was located in the present-day Indian state of Jharkhand. Chaibasa was the district headquarters. Located in the southern ...
that are from 1400 BCE according to carbon dating age.
The region was ruled by many empires and dynasties including
Nanda
Nanda, including Nanda (南大), may refer to:
Education
* Nanchang University (南昌大学), a public university in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
* Nanhua University (南华大学), a public university in Hengyang, Hunan, China
* Nanjing Universi ...
,
Maurya
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sourc ...
and
Gupta
Gupta () is a common surname of Indian origin, meaning "guardian" or "protector".
Origins and distribution
The name is based on the Sanskrit word गोप्तृ ''goptṛ'', which means "guardian" or "protector".
According to historian ...
during ancient period.
In the Mahabharata, the region was referred as Kark Khand due to its location near Tropic of Cancer.
During the age of Mahajanpadas around 500 BCE, Jharkhand state was a part of
Magadha
Magadha was a region and kingdom in ancient India, based in the eastern Ganges Plain. It was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas during the Second Urbanization period. The region was ruled by several dynasties, which overshadowed, conquered, and ...
and
Anga
Anga was an ancient Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age in India, Iron Age. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the Āṅgeyas.
Counted among the "sixteen great na ...
. In the Mauryan period, this region was ruled by a number of states, which were collectively known as the Atavika (forest) states. These states were subdued and were forced to accept the
hegemony
Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one State (polity), state over other states, either regional or global.
In Ancient Greece (ca. 8th BC – AD 6th c.), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of ...
of the
Maurya empire
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary source ...
during
Ashoka
Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...
's reign (c. 232 BCE). In the ancient site of
Saridkel, burnt brick houses, red ware pottery, copper tools, coins and iron tools have been found which belong to the early centuries CE. Brahmi inscriptions have been found in Khunti district which are from the 3rd century BCE.
Samudragupta
Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', ( 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India. A military genius and a patron of arts, he is regarded among the greatest rulers in Indian history. As a son of th ...
, while marching through the present-day Chotanagpur region (
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
and
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
), directed the first attack against the kingdom of
Dakshina Kosala
Dakshina Kosala (IAST: Dakṣiṇa Kosala, "southern Kosala") is a historical region of central India. It was located in what is now Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh along with parts of Western Odisha. At its greatest extent, it may have also ...
in the
Mahanadi
The Mahanadi River is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independenc ...
valley.
Medieval period
In the 7th century, the Chinese traveller
Xuanzang
Xuanzang (; ; 6 April 6025 February 664), born Chen Hui or Chen Yi (), also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making ...
passed through the region. He described the kingdom as
Karnasuvarna
Karnasuvarna or Karnasubarna ( Bengali : কর্ণসুবর্ণ অথবা কানসোনা) was an ancient city, located in the present day Berhampore CD block in the Berhampore subdivision of Murshidabad district, West Bengal ...
, with
Shashanka
Shashanka Dev (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Śaśāṅka) was the first independent king of a unified polity in the Bengal region, called the Gauda Kingdom. He reigned in the 7th century, some historians place his r ...
as its ruler. To the north of Karn-Suberna was Magadha, Champa was in the east, Mahendra in the west, and Orissa in the south.
During the medieval period, the region was governed by
Nagvanshi
Nagavanshi (IAST: Nāgavaṃśī) refers to several Indian Kshatriya dynasties or ruling groups claiming descent from the mythical Nāgas. Along with Suryavanshi, Agnivanshi and Chandravanshi, the Nagavanshi clans form a part of the Kshatriya cl ...
,
Pala
Pala may refer to:
Places
Chad
*Pala, Chad, the capital of the region of Mayo-Kebbi Ouest
Estonia
* Pala, Kose Parish, village in Kose Parish, Harju County
* Pala, Kuusalu Parish, village in Kuusalu Parish, Harju County
* Pala, Järva County, ...
,
Khayaravala,
Ramgarh Raj
Ramgarh Raj was the major ''Zamindari'' estate in the era of the British Raj in the former Indian province of Jharkahnd.
Territories which comprised the Ramgarh Raj presently constitute districts of Ramgarh, Hazaribagh,
Chatra, Giridih, ...
and
Chero rulers.
A Buddhist monastery has been found in
Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh is a city and a municipal corporation in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is also the administrative headquarters of Hazaribagh district and divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is known ...
which was built during the Pala period in the 10th century.
Bhim Karn was a Nagvanshi king during medieval period. He defeated the
Raksel dynasty
Raksel is a Rajput clan that claims descent from the Yaduvanshi lineage of the Chandravanshi
The Lunar dynasty (IAST: Candravaṃśa) is a legendary principal house of the Kshatriyas varna, or warrior–ruling varna (Social Class) menti ...
of Surguja when they invaded the region with cavalry.
Modern period
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
influence reached
Palamu Palamu may refer to:
* Palamu division, a division of Jharkhand state, India
* Palamu district, a district in Palamu division
* Palamu Fort, forts in the forests of the Palamau Tiger Reserve
* Palamu (Lok Sabha constituency) a parliamentary const ...
during the reign of Emperor
Akbar
Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...
when it was conquered by
Rajput
Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
Raja Mansingh
Mirza Raja Man Singh I (21 December 1550 – 6 July 1614) was the 24th Raja, Kachawaha Rajput ruler of the Kingdom of Amber from 1589 to 1614. He also served as the foremost imperial Subahdar of Bihar Subah from 1587 to 1594, then for Ben ...
in 1574. Several invasions took place during Mughal rule.
During the reign of the Nagvanshi King
Madhu Singh, Akbar's general invaded
Khukhra
Khukhra is a village in the Pirtand CD block in the Dumri subdivision of the Giridih district in the Indian state of Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shar ...
. Also there was an invasion during the reign of
Durjan Shah
Durjan Shah was a Nagvanshi king in the 17th century. He had built Navratangarh fort.
Early life
He succeeded Bairisal.
Immediately after accession to Nagvanshi throne, he threw away all allegiance to the Mughals.
Mughal invasion and impriso ...
.
King
Ram Shah ruled Navratangarh from 1640 to 1663. He built the
Kapilnath Temple in 1643. He was succeeded by his son
Raghunath Shah
Raghunath Shah was a Nagvanshi king in the 17th century. He succeeded his father Ram Shah in 1663. His capital was at Navratangarh. He built several temples during his reign.
According to Lal Pradumn Singh, writer of the book ''Nagvansh'' (19 ...
. Thakur
Ani Nath Shahdeo built the Jagannath temple of Ranchi in 1691. The King
Medini Ray
Medini Rai Madini Rai or Madini Rao ruled from 1658 to 1674 in the Palamu region of Bengal, now in Jharkhand.
Reign
After consolidating his position, he started to expand his chieftaincy. He extended his sway over South Gaya and setup post ...
ruled from 1658 to 1674 in Palamu. His rule extended to areas in South
Gaya and
Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh is a city and a municipal corporation in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is also the administrative headquarters of Hazaribagh district and divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is known ...
. He attacked Navratangarh and defeated the
Nagvanshi
Nagavanshi (IAST: Nāgavaṃśī) refers to several Indian Kshatriya dynasties or ruling groups claiming descent from the mythical Nāgas. Along with Suryavanshi, Agnivanshi and Chandravanshi, the Nagavanshi clans form a part of the Kshatriya cl ...
Maharaja of
Chhotanagpur
The Chota Nagpur Plateau () is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and th ...
. Chero rule in the
Palamu Palamu may refer to:
* Palamu division, a division of Jharkhand state, India
* Palamu district, a district in Palamu division
* Palamu Fort, forts in the forests of the Palamau Tiger Reserve
* Palamu (Lok Sabha constituency) a parliamentary const ...
region lasted until the 19th century until internal conflict between various factions weakened the Cheros and they were defeated by the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
. Later Palamu estates were sold by the British.
File:IMGJagannathpur Temple.jpg, Jagannath temple
The Jagannath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Jagannath, a form of Vishnu in Hinduism. It is located in Puri in the state of Odisha, situated on the eastern coast of India. As per temple records, King Indradyumna of Avanti (reg ...
at Ranchi built by king Ani Nath Shahdeo
File:Malooti3.jpg, Maluti temples in Dumka
Dumka, the headquarters of the Dumka district and Santhal Pargana region, is a city in the state of Jharkhand, India. It was made the headquarters of the Santhal Pargana region, which was carved out of the Bhagalpur and Birbhum district afte ...
File:Palamau Fort.jpg, Palamu Forts
File:Nawratan gadh.jpg, Navratangarh fort
During the 18th century, regions under the Kings of the Chero dynasty, Nagvanshi dynasty,
Ramgarh and
Kharagdiha
Kharagdiha is a village in the Jamua CD block in the Khori Mahua subdivision of the Giridih district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It had been known as Curruckdea or Curruckdeah during the British Raj.
Geography
Location
Kharagdiha is loc ...
became parts of territories of
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
. Ramgarh Raj along with estates of other chiefs in the regions were permanently settled as Zamindari estates. The
Kharagdiha
Kharagdiha is a village in the Jamua CD block in the Khori Mahua subdivision of the Giridih district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It had been known as Curruckdea or Curruckdeah during the British Raj.
Geography
Location
Kharagdiha is loc ...
Rajas
''Rajas'' (Sanskrit: रजस्) is one of the three '' guṇas'' (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept developed by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.James G. Lochtefeld, Rajas, in The Illustrated ...
were settled as Rajas of Raj Dhanwar in 1809, and the Kharagdiha gadis were separately settled as zamindari estates. Some of the notable Kharagdiha Zamindari estates were
Koderma
Kodarma (also spelled as Koderma) is a city and a notified area in the Koderma subdivision of the Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is also the administrative headquarter of Koderma district.
Demographics
As per the ...
,
Gadi Palganj and
Ledo Gadi. The princely states in the
Chota Nagpur Plateau
The Chota Nagpur Plateau () is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and th ...
came within the
sphere of influence
In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence (SOI) is a spatial region or concept division over which a state or organization has a level of cultural, economic, military, or political exclusivity.
While there may be a formal a ...
of the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
, but they became tributary states of British East India Company as a result of the
Anglo-Maratha Wars Anglo-Maratha Wars may refer to:
* First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782)
* Second Anglo-Maratha War
Second Anglo-Maratha War (from 1803 –1805) was a large conflict within the Maratha Confederacy, Maratha Empire involving the British East In ...
and became known as
Chota Nagpur Tributary States.
Subjugation, colonisation and imposition of taxes by the British East India Company resulted in spontaneous resistance from the local people.
Chuar Rebellion
Chuar rebellion, also called the Chuar Bidroha was a series of peasant movements between 1766 and 1834 by the tribal inhabitants of the countryside surrounding the Jungle Mahals settlements of Dhalbhum, Midnapore, Bishnupur and Manbhum again ...
, the first revolt against the British East India Company led by Jagannath Singh Patar in 1767 with the
Bhumij tribals. The Bhumijes again revolted in 1769–71, led by their Sardar Ghatwals in Dhalbhum. In 1769,
Raghunath Mahato also revolted against the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
(EIC).
In 1771, the revolt against the landlords and the British government was led by
Tilka Majhi, a Paharia leader in Rajmahal Hills. Soon after in 1779, the
Bhumij tribes again rose in arms against the British rule in Manbhum, called the Chuar Rebellion. In 1807, the Oraons in Barway murdered their landlord from
Srinagar
Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...
. The
Munda tribe rose in revolt in 1811 and 1813.
Bakhtar Say
Bakhtar Say was an Indian freedom fighter. He was Jagirdar of Basudev Kona. He had fought against East India Company force in 1812 along with Parganait of Pahar Panri Mundal Singh.
Early life
Bakhtar Say was born in Nawagarh in Raidih block of ...
and
Mundal Singh, two landowners, fought against the British East India Company in 1812.
The Hos in Singhbhum revolted in 1820 and a
Kol revolt occurred in 1832. Also in 1832 the
Bhumijs revolted again against the British, this time under the leadership of
Ganga Narayan Singh
Ganga Narayan (also known as Ganga Narain Singh and Gunga Narain Sing) (25 April 1790 – 7 February 1833) was an Indian revolutionary from the Jungle Mahals who was the leader of Bhumij rebellion. He led a revolt against the East India Company ...
, known as the
Bhumij Rebellion
The Ganga Narayan Hungama (also known as Bhumij Revolt, Jungle Mahal Uprising) was revolt of Bhumij tribals, led by Ganga Narayan during 1832–33 in the Manbhum and Jungle Mahal areas of the erstwhile Midnapore district, Bengal.
The British ...
. During the 19th century, large numbers of santals from
Manbhum
Manbhum District was one of the districts of the East India during the British Raj. After India's independence, the district became a part of Bihar State. Upon the reorganization of the Indian states in the mid-1950s, the Manbhum district was ...
,
Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh is a city and a municipal corporation in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is also the administrative headquarters of Hazaribagh district and divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is known ...
,
Midnapore
Medinipur or Midnapore is a city known for its history in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the West Medinipur district. It is situated on the banks of the Kangsabati River (variously known as ''Kasai'' and ''Cossye''). ...
were settled by British in
Damin-i-koh
Damin-i-koh (or sometimes referred to simply as Damin) was the name given to the forested hilly areas of Rajmahal hills broadly in the area of present Sahebganj, Pakur and Godda districts in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Etymology
Damin-i-ko ...
to cultivate the land and generate revenue. But the Santal revolted against tax imposition.
The
Santhal rebellion
The Sonthal Rebellion, also known as the Santhal Rebellion, Santal Rebellion, or Santhal Hool, was a rebellion in present-day Jharkhand against the East India Company (EIC) and zamindari system by the Santals. It started on 30 June 1855, and on ...
broke out in 1855 under the leadership of two brothers
Sidhu and Kanhu. Later the British renamed it as Santal Pargana.
Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeo and
Pandey Ganpat Rai
Pandey Ganpat Rai (Born as Pandey Ganpat Rai; 1809-1858) was a rebel leader in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and a chieftain in Lohardaga district of Bihar (now a part of Jharkhand).
Early life
He was born on January 17, 1809, in Bhaunro, Lohardag ...
rebelled against the British East India Company in the
1857 rebellion
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the form ...
. In the
Battle of Chatra
The Battle of Chatra was a conflict that took place during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 between the East India Company and the mutinying sepoys who were allied certain local zamindars. The rebels had amassed a force of 3000 men and had taken the ...
, conflict took place between the rebels and the East India company.
Tikait Umrao Singh
Tikait Umrao Singh was a king and freedom fighter. He was king of small kingdom Bandhgawa which is located in Ranchi district in Jharkhand. In Indian rebellion 1857, he and his brother Ghasi Singh played pivotal role in preventing East India Comp ...
,
Sheikh Bhikhari
Sheikh Bhikhari Ansari (1819-1858) was born on 2 Oct 1819 in a weaver Ansari family at Lotwa-Khudia Village located in the city of Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. He fought in the Revolt of 1857 against the British rule in India. Sheikh Bhikhari Ansari ...
, Nadir Ali and Jai Mangal Singh played pivotal role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The brothers
Nilambar and Pitambar were chiefs of Bhogta clan of the
Kharwar
Kharwar is a surname used by odh found in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal in India and Sindh in Pakistan.
Etymology
The ''Khar'' grass is totem of the Kharwar. They don't cut or inju ...
tribe who held ancestral jagirs with many
Chero Jagirdars and led revolt against the British East India company.
After the
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...
, the
rule
Rule or ruling may refer to:
Human activity
* The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power
* Business rule, a rule pertaining to the structure or behavior internal to a business
* School rule, a rule th ...
of the British
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
was transferred to the Crown in the person of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
, who, in 1876, was proclaimed
Empress of India
Emperor (or Empress) of India was a title used by British monarchs from 1 May 1876 (with the Royal Titles Act 1876) to 22 June 1948 Royal Proclamation of 22 June 1948, made in accordance with thIndian Independence Act 1947, 10 & 11 GEO. 6. C ...
. The
Cheros and
Kharwar
Kharwar is a surname used by odh found in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal in India and Sindh in Pakistan.
Etymology
The ''Khar'' grass is totem of the Kharwar. They don't cut or inju ...
s again rebelled against the British in 1882 but the attack was repulsed. Then
Birsa Munda
Birsa Munda (15 November 1875 – 9 June 1900) was an Indian tribal independence activist, and folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe. He spearheaded a tribal religious millenarian movement that arose in the Bengal Presidency (now Jharkha ...
revolt, broke out in 1895 and lasted until 1900. The revolt though mainly concentrated in the
Munda belt of Khunti, Tamar, Sarwada and Bandgaon.
In October 1905, the exercise of British influence over the predominantly
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
-speaking states of
Chang Bhakar,
Jashpur
Jashpur District is a district of the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh bordering Jharkhand and Odisha. Jashpur Nagar is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district was formerly a princely state before Independence. Highly ...
,
Koriya
Korea State, currently spelt as Koriya, was a Rajput princely state in the Empire of India. After Indian independence in 1947, the ruler of Korea acceded to the Union of India on 1 January 1948, and Koriya was made part of Surguja Distric ...
,
Surguja, and
Udaipur
Udaipur (Hindi: , ) (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura'') is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, about south of the state capital Jaipur. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Udaipur district. It is the historic capital of t ...
was transferred from the Bengal government to that of the
Central Provinces
The Central Provinces was a province of British India. It comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered parts of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Nagpur was the primary ...
, while the two
Oriya-speaking states of
Gangpur
Gangpur is a census town in Burdwan II CD Block in Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision of Purba Bardhaman district in West Bengal, India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countr ...
and
Bonai were attached to the
Orissa Tributary States
The Orissa Tributary States, also known as the Gadajats (ଗଡ଼ଜାତ) or the Orissa Feudatory States, were a group of princely states of British India now part of the present-day Indian state of Odisha.
The Orissa Tributary States were ...
, leaving only
Kharsawan
Kharsawan garh is a town and a notified area in the Seraikela Sadar subdivision of the Seraikela Kharsawan district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
History
Kharsawan (also spelled as Kharsuan) was founded around 1650. It was one of the Ori ...
and
Saraikela
Saraikela (also spelled Seraikella) is the district headquarters and a nagar panchayat in the Seraikela Sadar subdivision of the Seraikela Kharsawan district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Jharkhand. It was formerly the c ...
answerable to the Bengal governor.
In 1936, all nine states were transferred to the
Eastern States Agency
The Eastern States Agency was an agency or grouping of princely states in eastern India, during the latter years of the British Raj. It was created in 1933, by the unification of the former Chhattisgarh States Agency and the Orissa States Agenc ...
, the officials of which came under the direct authority of the Governor-General of India, rather than under that of any provinces.
In March 1940, the INC 53rd Session occurred under the presidency of
Maulana Azad
Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin (11 November 188822 February 1958), better known as Maulana Azad and sometimes referred as Abul Kalam Azad, was an Indian politician, writer and activist of the Indian independence movement. A senior leader of t ...
at Jhanda Chowk, Ramgarh, which is now
Ramgarh Cantonment
Ramgarh Cantonment, usually referred to as Ramgarh Cantt or just Ramgarh is a cantonment town, belonging to the Ramgarh district of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Historically, a subdivision of the larger Hazaribag district, Ramgarh was ...
.
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...
,
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...
,
Sardar Patel
Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (; ''Vallabhbhāī Jhāverbhāī Paṭel''; 31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950), commonly known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was an Indian independence activist and statesman who served as the first Deputy Prime ...
,
Rajendra Prasad
Rajendra Prasad (3 December 1884 – 28 February 1963) was an Indian politician, lawyer, journalist and scholar who served as the first president of India from 1950 to 1962. He joined the Indian National Congress during the Indian independen ...
,
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu (Birth name, née Chattopadhyay) (; 13 February 1879 – 2 March 1949) was an Indian political activist and poet who served as the first Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Governor of United Provinces, after Independence Day (India), Indi ...
,
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Abdul Ghaffar Khan (; 6 February 1890 – 20 January 1988), also known as Bacha Khan () or Badshah Khan () was a Pathan activist and formerly an Indian independence activist from the North-West Frontier Province, and founder of the Khudai K ...
,
Acharya J.B. Kripalani, Industrialist
Jamnalal Bajaj
Jamnalal Kaniram Bajaj (4 November 1889 – 11 February 1942) was an Indian businessman and politician. He founded the Bajaj Group of companies in the 1920s, and the group now has 24 companies, including six that are listed on the bourses. H ...
and other great leaders of the Indian freedom movement attended the Ramgarh Session. Mahatma Gandhi also opened the Khadi and Village Industries Exhibition at Ramgarh.
At that time, under the leadership of Netaji
Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose (23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian independence movement, Indian nationalist whose defiance of British raj, British authority in India made him a hero among many Indians, but his wartime alliances with ...
a conference against Samjhauta was also completed. In Ramgarh, Subhas Chandra Bose was seen as president of the All India Forward Block and M. N. Roy was seen as leader of the Radical democratic party.
Post Independence
After Indian independence in 1947, the rulers of many states chose to accede to the
Dominion of India
The Dominion of India, officially the Union of India,
*
* was an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations existing between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950. Until its Indian independence movement, independence, India had be ...
.
Changbhakar
Changbhakar State, also known as Chang Bhakar, was one of the small princely states of British Empire in India in the Chhattisgarh States Agency. It included 117 villages and had an area of with a 1941 population of 21,266 people. Bharatpur, Ch ...
,
Jashpur
Jashpur District is a district of the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh bordering Jharkhand and Odisha. Jashpur Nagar is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district was formerly a princely state before Independence. Highly ...
,
Koriya
Korea State, currently spelt as Koriya, was a Rajput princely state in the Empire of India. After Indian independence in 1947, the ruler of Korea acceded to the Union of India on 1 January 1948, and Koriya was made part of Surguja Distric ...
,
Surguja and
Udaipur
Udaipur (Hindi: , ) (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura'') is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, about south of the state capital Jaipur. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Udaipur district. It is the historic capital of t ...
after that became part of the state of
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
, but
Gangpur
Gangpur is a census town in Burdwan II CD Block in Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision of Purba Bardhaman district in West Bengal, India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countr ...
and
Bonai became part of the state of
Orissa
Odisha (), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is a state located in Eastern India. It is the eighth-largest state by area, and the eleventh-largest by population, with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the thir ...
and
Kharsawan
Kharsawan garh is a town and a notified area in the Seraikela Sadar subdivision of the Seraikela Kharsawan district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
History
Kharsawan (also spelled as Kharsuan) was founded around 1650. It was one of the Ori ...
and
Saraikela
Saraikela (also spelled Seraikella) is the district headquarters and a nagar panchayat in the Seraikela Sadar subdivision of the Seraikela Kharsawan district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Jharkhand. It was formerly the c ...
became part of the state of
Bihar
Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
. In 1928, a separate state was demanded by ''Unnati Samaj'', the political wing of the Christian Tribals Association, which submitted a memorandum to the
Simon Commission
The Indian Statutory Commission, also known as the Simon Commission, was a group of seven members of the British Parliament under the chairmanship of John Simon. The commission arrived in the Indian subcontinent in 1928 to study constitutional ...
to constitute a tribal state in eastern India.
Prominent leaders like
Jaipal Singh Munda
Jaipal Singh Munda (3 January 1903 – 20 March 1970) was an Indian politician, writer, and sportsman. He was a member of the Constituent Assembly, which debated the new Constitution of the Indian Union. He also captained the Indian field hock ...
and
Ram Narayan Singh also demanded a separate state. In 1955, the
Jharkhand Party
The Jharkhand Party (JKP) is one of the oldest political parties in India. formed on 5 March 1949 by ''Marang Gomke'' Jaipal Singh Munda in Ranchi. The party grew out of the demand for a separate Jharkhand state.
The Jharkhand Party participa ...
, led by Jaipal Singh Munda, submitted a memorandum to the
States Reorganization Commission
The States Reorganisation Commission of India (SRC) constituted by the Central Government of India in December 1953 to recommend the reorganization of state boundaries. In September 1955, after two years of study, the Commission, comprising Just ...
for a separate Jharkhand state comprising the tribal area of South Bihar, but it was rejected because there were many languages, no link language in the region, tribals were in the minority, Hindustani was the majority language, and it risked adverse effect on the economy of Bihar.
Later the
Sadan people
Sadan are the native Indo-Aryan-speaking ethnolinguistic groups of Chota Nagpur Plateau consist of Indian state of Jharkhand and neighbouring states who speak Nagpuri, Khortha and Kurmali language as their native language.
Definition
Sadan ...
, the native various caste/non-tribal groups, also joined the movement for a separate state.
In 1972,
Binod Bihari Mahato
Binod Bihari Mahato (23 September 1923 – 18 December 1991) was an advocate and politician. He founded Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in 1972 and was a leader of the movement for the establishment of the separate state of Jharkhand. He was a member of ...
,
Shibu Soren
Shibu Soren (born 11 January 1944; ) is an Indian politician who is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha, representing Jharkhand, and the leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). He previously served as the 3rd Chief Minister of Jharkhand, ...
and
A. K. Roy founded
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (; ) is a political party in the Indian state of Jharkhand, founded by Binod Bihari Mahato, Shibu Soren, and A. K. Roy. Hemant Soren is the president of the JMM. JMM is also an influential political party in the state ...
.
Nirmal Mahto founded the
All Jharkhand Students Union
All Jharkhand Students Union or AJSU Party is a state political party of Jharkhand state, India. The party was founded on 22 June 1986, modelled after All Assam Students Union. AJSU was born out jharkhand separate statehood movement and portray ...
. They led the movement for a separate state of Jharkhand. The Jharkhand coordination committee (JCC), consisting of
Ram Dayal Munda,
B. P. Keshri,
Binod Bihari Mahato
Binod Bihari Mahato (23 September 1923 – 18 December 1991) was an advocate and politician. He founded Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in 1972 and was a leader of the movement for the establishment of the separate state of Jharkhand. He was a member of ...
, Santosh Rana and Suraj Singh Besra started a new initiative and tried to coordinate between different parties. Keshri sent a memorandum to form Jharkhand state in 1988. The Jharkhand co-ordination committee was then led by Congress General Secretary
Ram Ratan Ram, who urged
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian statesman and pilot who served as the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the Assassination of Indira Gandhi, assassination of his mother, then–prime ...
to pay attention to the issue at hand.
In July 1988, the
Bharatiya Janata party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
led by
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018) was an Indian poet, writer and statesman who served as the prime minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months from 1998 ...
,
Lal Krishna Advani
Lal Krishna Advani (born 8 November 1927) is an Indian politician who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004. He is one of the co-founders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak San ...
, and
Murli Manohar Joshi
Murli Manohar Joshi (born 5 January 1934) is an Indian politician. He is one of the founding members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and served as its President from 1991 to 1993. In addition to his role in the BJP, he has been a lifelong ...
decided to demand a separate state, Vanachal, comprising the forest region of South Bihar in
Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (; ), also known as Tatanagar, is a major industrial city in eastern India. It is the List of cities in Jharkhand by population, largest city in the state of Jharkhand. With a population of 629,658 in the city limits and 1.3 million ...
.
Inder Singh Namdhari,
Samresh Singh, and
Rudra Pratap Sarangi were the leaders of the Vanachal movement. They organised several rallies to form a separate state.
The central government formed a committee on the Jharkhand matter in 1989. It stressed the need for greater allocation of development funds for the area. There was a provision for limited internal autonomy in the hill area of
Assam
Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
. Other
tribal
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
areas were covered by the fifth schedule of the constitution. Chotanagpur and
Santal
The Santal (or Santhal) are an Austroasiatic languages, Austroasiatic-speaking Munda peoples, Munda ethnic group of the Indian subcontinent. Santals are the largest tribe in the Jharkhand and West Bengal in terms of population and are also found ...
Pargana development boards were constituted under the chairmanship of the then chief minister of Bihar under the provision of the fifth schedule in 1972. This failed to achieve the desired result. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha wanted more representation and the All Jharkhand Students Union was against it. Due to differences these parties broke away from each other. The All Jharkhand Students Union introduced elements of violence in the movement and called for a boycott of election while Jharkhand Mukti Morcha opposed this. The Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council bill passed in Bihar's legislative assembly in December 1994. The Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council were given responsibility for forty areas including agriculture, rural health, public work, public health and minerals. The council has power to recommend legislation to the Assembly through the state government and to frame bylaws and regulations.
In 1998, when the separate state movement was falling apart, Justice
Lal Pingley Nath Shahdeo was leading the movement. In 1998, the
Union government
The Government of India (ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of 36 states and union territor ...
decided to send the bill concerning the formation of the state of Jharkhand to the
Bihar Legislative Assembly
The Bihar Legislative Assembly, also known as the Bihar Vidhan Sabha, is the lower house of the bicameral Bihar Legislature of the state of Bihar in India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is ...
to which
Lalu Prasad Yadav
Lalu Prasad (born 11 June 1948) is an Indian politician who served as the chief minister of Bihar from 1990 to 1997 with a brief interruption in 1995 and as the union minister for Railways from 2004 to 2009. He is the founder and president o ...
had said that the state would be divided over his dead body. A total of 16 political parties including the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the
All Jharkhand Students Union
All Jharkhand Students Union or AJSU Party is a state political party of Jharkhand state, India. The party was founded on 22 June 1986, modelled after All Assam Students Union. AJSU was born out jharkhand separate statehood movement and portray ...
, and the
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
came in one platform and formed the 'All Party Separate State Formation Committee' to start the movement. Shahdeo was elected as the convener of the committee. Voting on the Jharkhand Act was to be done on 21 September 1998 in the Bihar legislature. On that day the committee, under the leadership of Shahdeo called for Jharkhand Bandh and organised a protest march. Thousands of supporters of a separate state took to the streets led by Shahdeo. He was arrested and detained in a police station for hours along with many supporters.
In 1999 the Bharatiya Janata party promised to form a separate Vanachal state if they won the state election with a majority of votes.
After the last Assembly election in the state resulted in a hung assembly,
RJD
The Rashtriya Janata Dal ( RJD; translation: National People's Party) is an Indian political party, mainly based in the state of Bihar. The party was founded in 1997 by Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The party's support base has traditionally been Othe ...
's dependence on the Congress extended support on the precondition that RJD would not pose a hurdle to the passage of the
Bihar reorganisation Bill. Finally, with the support from both RJD and
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
, the ruling coalition at the Centre led by the Bharatiya Janata Party which had made statehood its main poll plank in the region in successive polls earlier, cleared the Bihar reorganisation Bill in the monsoon session of the Parliament on 2 and 11 August in Loksabha and Rajyasabha. This paved the way for the creation of a separate Vanachal state comprising the
Chota Nagpur Division
The Chota Nagpur Division was one of the administrative divisions established under British rule. Under Act XX of 1854, the South West Frontier Agency was renamed a Commissionary, with the Political Agent becoming the Commissioner and the Assis ...
and
Santhal Pargana Division
Santhal Pargana division constitutes six district administration units known as the divisions of Jharkhand state in eastern India.
Origin of name
Santal Pargana derives its name from two words: " Santal", a major inhabited tribe in the region an ...
of South Bihar.
NDA formed the government with
Babulal Marandi
Babulal Marandi (; born 11 January 1958) is an Indian politician and a prominent tribal leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) . He is currently the Leader of Opposition in Jharkhand legislative assembly. He was the first Chief Minister o ...
as chief minister. Later the name of the state was changed from Vanachal to Jharkhand.
Babulal Marandi
Babulal Marandi (; born 11 January 1958) is an Indian politician and a prominent tribal leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) . He is currently the Leader of Opposition in Jharkhand legislative assembly. He was the first Chief Minister o ...
took the oath of chief minister on 15 November 2000 on the anniversary of the birth of tribal leader
Birsa Munda
Birsa Munda (15 November 1875 – 9 June 1900) was an Indian tribal independence activist, and folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe. He spearheaded a tribal religious millenarian movement that arose in the Bengal Presidency (now Jharkha ...
.
Jharkhand statehood
The dynamics of resources and the politics of development still influence the socio-economic structures in Jharkhand, which was carved out of the relatively underdeveloped southern part of
Bihar
Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
. According to the 1991 census, the state has a population of over 20 million out of which 28% is
tribal
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
while 12% of the people belong to
scheduled castes. Jharkhand has 24 districts, 260 blocks, and 32,620 villages out of which only 45% have access to electricity while only 8,484 are connected by roads. Jharkhand is the leading producer of mineral wealth in the country after
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
state, endowed as it is with a vast variety of minerals like iron ore, coal, copper ore, mica, bauxite, graphite, limestone, and uranium. Jharkhand is also known for its vast forest resources.
Naxal insurgency
Jharkhand has been at the centre of the
Naxalite-Maoist insurgency. Since the uprising of the
Naxalites
Naxalism is the communist ideology of the Naxalites or Naxals, a grouping of political and insurgent groups from India. It is influenced by Maoist political sentiment and ideology.
Inspired by Maoism, Charu Majumdar wrote the Historic ...
in 1967, 6,000 people have been killed in fighting between the Naxalites and counter-insurgency operations by the
police
The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
, and its
paramilitary
A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934.
Overview
Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...
groups such as the
Salwa Judum
Salwa Judum (meaning "peace march" in the Gondi language) was a militia that was mobilised and deployed as part of counterinsurgency operations in Chhattisgarh, India, aimed at countering Naxalite activities in the region. The militia, consisti ...
.
Despite having a presence in almost 7.80% of India's geographical area
(home to 5.50% of India's population), the state of Jharkhand is part of the "
Red Corridor
Red corridor designates the districts of India which has the presence and influence of Naxalites. As of March 2025, the corridor encompasses 18 districts across seven states, predominantly in Central and East India.
History
The Naxalite� ...
" comprising 92,000 square kilometres,
where the highest concentration of the groups estimated 20,000 combatants fight. Part of this is due to the fact that the state harbours an abundance of natural resources, while its people live in abject poverty and destitution.
The impoverished state provides ample recruits for
communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
insurgents, who argue that they are fighting on behalf of the landless poor and tribals that see few benefits from the resource extractions.
As the federal government holds a monopoly on sub-surface resources in the state, the
tribal
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
population is prevented from staking any claim on the resources extracted from their land.
In response, the insurgents have recently begun a campaign of targeting infrastructure related to the extraction of resources vital for Indian energy needs, such as coal.
On 5 March 2007,
Sunil Mahato, a member of the national parliament, was shot dead by
Naxalite
Naxalism is the communist ideology of the Naxalites or Naxals, a grouping of political and insurgent groups from India. It is influenced by Maoist political sentiment and ideology.
Inspired by Maoism, Charu Majumdar wrote the Historic Eight ...
rebels near
Kishanpur while watching a football match on the
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
festival of
Holi
Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...
. His widow,
Suman Mahato
Suman Mahato (born 4 December 1964) was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. A member of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) political party, she represented the constituency of Jamshedpur in the eastern state of Jharkhand.
She became MP in ...
, the
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (; ) is a political party in the Indian state of Jharkhand, founded by Binod Bihari Mahato, Shibu Soren, and A. K. Roy. Hemant Soren is the president of the JMM. JMM is also an influential political party in the state ...
candidate, won the
Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (; ), also known as Tatanagar, is a major industrial city in eastern India. It is the List of cities in Jharkhand by population, largest city in the state of Jharkhand. With a population of 629,658 in the city limits and 1.3 million ...
Lok Sabha by-election in September 2007 and served in parliament until 2009.
Geography
Jharkhand is located in the eastern part of India and is enclosed by
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
to the eastern side,
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
and
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
to the western side,
Bihar
Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
to the northern part and
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
to the southern part.
Jharkhand envelops a geographical area of . Much of Jharkhand lies on the
Chota Nagpur Plateau
The Chota Nagpur Plateau () is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and th ...
. Many rivers pass through the Chota Nagpur plateau. They are:
Damodar,
North Koel,
Barakar
Barakar is a neighbourhood in Asansol, Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is governed by the Asansol Municipal Corporation It is situated at the border of the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The Grand Trunk R ...
,
South Koel,
Sankh and
Subarnarekha rivers. The higher watersheds of these rivers stretch out within the Jharkhand state. Much of the Jharkhand state is still enclosed by forest. Forests sustain the population of elephants and tigers.
Climate
Climate of Jharkhand varies from
Humid subtropical
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...
in the north to
tropical wet and dry in the south-east. The main seasons are summer, rainy, autumn, winter and spring. The summer lasts from mid-April to mid-June. May, the hottest month, characterised by daily high temperatures around and low temperatures around . The
southwest monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
, from mid-June to October, brings nearly all the state's annual rainfall, which ranges from about in the west-central part of the state to more than in the southwest. Nearly half of the annual precipitation falls in July and August. The winter season lasts from November to February. The temperatures in
Ranchi
Ranchi (; ) is the capital city and also the largest district by population of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern ...
in December usually vary from . Spring season lasts from mid-February to mid-April.
Hills and mountain ranges
*
Parasnath
Parasnath Hill (also Sammet Shikhar, Marang Buru) is a mountain peak in the Parasnath hill range. It is located towards the eastern end of the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the Giridih district (Hazaribagh district in British India) of the India ...
: Parasnath Hill is also called as
Sri Sammed Sikharji by Jains and
Marang Buru
Marang Buru, also written Maran Buru; ( Santali:ᱢᱟᱨᱟᱝ ᱵᱩᱨᱩ) is a supreme deity of Santal, Bhumij, Ho and Munda tribes residing in India, Bangladesh, Nepal. This creator is variously called Marang Buru (meaning "Supreme Deity ...
by
Santal
The Santal (or Santhal) are an Austroasiatic languages, Austroasiatic-speaking Munda peoples, Munda ethnic group of the Indian subcontinent. Santals are the largest tribe in the Jharkhand and West Bengal in terms of population and are also found ...
tribes. The Parasnath Hill is situated in Giridih district of Jharkhand. It is a chief
Jain pilgrimage site and the holy place for
Jains. Additionally, for
Santal
The Santal (or Santhal) are an Austroasiatic languages, Austroasiatic-speaking Munda peoples, Munda ethnic group of the Indian subcontinent. Santals are the largest tribe in the Jharkhand and West Bengal in terms of population and are also found ...
tribes, their supreme deity
Marang Buru
Marang Buru, also written Maran Buru; ( Santali:ᱢᱟᱨᱟᱝ ᱵᱩᱨᱩ) is a supreme deity of Santal, Bhumij, Ho and Munda tribes residing in India, Bangladesh, Nepal. This creator is variously called Marang Buru (meaning "Supreme Deity ...
is prayed and ''Jug Jaher'' is the holy enshrine in its valley where ''Jaher Ayo'' being worshiped. It is believed in the Jain culture that 20 of the 24 Tirthankaras attained Moksha from this place. The height of the hill is 1,365 meters.
*
Netarhat: Netarhat is a town in Latehar district. Referred to as the "Queen of Chotanagpur", it is a hill station.
Netarhat Residential School
Netarhat Residential School is a school in Netarhat, India. Students participate in the Regional Mathematics Olympiad and National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT ...
is located here. Netarhat Dam is also located in this area.
*
Rajmahal Hills
The Rajmahal Hills are located in the Santhal Pargana division of Jharkhand, India. They were located on the northern margin of the Gondwana supercontinent, and its hills are today inhabited by the Sauria Paharia people whilst its valleys are do ...
: These hills are located in Sahibganj and Godda districts of Eastern part of Jharkhand. The Rajmahal hills belong to the Jurassic era. These hills like others also have many waterfalls, lakes and greenery.
* Trikut: Trikut Hill is located ten kilometres away from Deoghar and lies on the way to Dumka in Jharkhand. Trikut hill is also called Trikutchal because there are 3 major peaks on the hill. The height of Trikut hill is 2470 feet.
* Tagore Hill: The Tagore Hill is also recognised as the Morabadi Hill. The Tagore hill is located in Morabadi, Ranchi. The brother of Rabindranath Tagore, Jyotirindranath Tagore had made a tour at Ranchi in the year 1908.
Main Rivers
* Ganga River: The holy river Ganga passes through the north-eastern district of Sahebganj. Cities on the banks of Ganga river in Jharkhand: Sahebganj, Rajmahal
* Son River: Origin of Son River: Amarkantak, Cities on the Shore of Son River: Sidhi
* Subarnarekha River: Origin of Subarnarekha River: (Nagdi Ranchi) Chota Nagpur Plateau, Cities on the Shore of Subarnarekha River: Ranchi, Chandil, Jamshedpur, Ghatshila, Gopiballavpur
* Kharkai River: Origin of Kharkai River: Mayurbhanj District, Odisha; Cities on the Shore of Kharkai River: Rairangpur, Adityapur, and enters the Subarnarekha river in north-western Jamshedpur.
* Damodar River: Origin of Damodar River: Chota Nagpur Plateau (Tori latehar), Cities on the Shore of Damodar River: latehar, lohardaga, Ramgarh, Gridih, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Asansol, Raniganj, Durgapur, Bardhaman
* North Koel River: Origin of North Koel River: Chota Nagpur plateau, Cities on Shore of North Koel River: Daltonganj
* South Koel River: Origin of South Koyal River: Chota Nagpur Plateau (Nagdi Ranchi), Cities on the Shore of South Koyal River: Manoharpur, Rourkela
* Lilajan River: Also known as Falgu river. Origin of Lilajan River: Northern Chota Nagpur Plateau, City on the Shore: Gaya
* Ajay River: Origin of Ajay River: Munger, Cities on the Shore of Ajay River: Purulia, Chittaranjan, Ilambazar, Jaydev Kenduli
* Mayurakshi River: Origin of Mayurakshi River: Trikut hill, City on the Shore of Mayurakshi River: Suri
* Barakar River: Origin: Padma in Hazaribagh, Barakar Nadi flows through the districts of Koderma, Giridih, Hazaribagh, etc.
For the list of dams built across these revere refer t
Flora and Fauna
Jharkhand has a rich variety of flora (plants), flora and fauna (animals), fauna. The wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and zoological gardens in the state present a panorama of this variety. There are several wildlife sanctuaries and national park in the state, including Hazaribag Wildlife Sanctuary, Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, Koderma Wildlife Sanctuary, Lawalong Wildlife Sanctuary, Palkot Wildlife Sanctuary, Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary, Palamu Tiger Reserve and Betla National Park. Palamu Tiger Reserve reserve is abode to hundreds of species of flora and fauna, as indicated within brackets: mammals (39), snakes (8), lizards (4), fish (6), insects (21), birds (170), seed bearing plants and trees (97), shrubs and herbs (46), climbers, parasites and semi-parasites (25), and grasses and bamboos (17).
File:Forest of jharkhand.jpg, Forest in jharkhand
File:Palaash flowers.jpg, Palash flowers, bright red, pepper the skyline in Jharkhand during fall, also known as forest fire
File:Muta crocodile park.jpg, A crocodile at Muta Crocodile Breeding Centre at Ormanjhi, Ranchi
File:RAJNI.jpg, A female Indian elephant at Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary in Jharkhand
Demographics
According to the 2011 Census of India, 2011 Indian Census, Jharkhand has a population of 32.96 million, consisting of 16.93 million males and 16.03 million females.
[ The Human sex ratio, sex ratio is 947 females to 1,000 males.][ In 2017 The literacy rate of the state was 73.40% with Ranchi district being most educated at 83.13% compared to rural Pakur district being least at 50.17%.] In social demographics, Jharkhand's Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes populations are 3,985,644 (12.08%) and 8,646,189 (26.21%), respectively. Nationally, they rank 14th and 6th, comprising 1.98% and 8.29% of the total population within these social groups. They are predominantly concentrated in south-western district Simdega district, Simdega (78.23%), Khunti district, Khunti (77.77%), Gumla district, Gumla (72.11%), West Singhbhum district, Paschim Singhbhum (71.1%), Latehar district, Latehar (66.85%), and in Lohardaga district (60.21%).
Languages
Jharkhand is linguistically diverse, with speakers of Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, and Austroasiatic languages. Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
is the official language and is spoken as the link language by the people of the state, although different regional languages exist. Some of which, including Nagpuri language, Nagpuri, Khortha language, Khortha, Kurmali language, Kurmali, Magahi language, Magahi and Bhojpuri language, Bhojpuri are categorised as 'Hindi languages' in the Indian census 2011. Jharkhand has accorded additional official language status to Angika language, Angika, Bengali language, Bengali, Bhojpuri language, Bhojpuri, Bhumij language, Bhumij, Ho language, Ho, Kharia language, Kharia, Kurukh language, Kurukh, Khortha language, Khortha, Kurmali language, Kurmali, Magahi language, Magahi, Maithili language, Maithili, Mundari language, Mundari, Sadani language, Nagpuri, Odia language, Odia, Santali language, Santali and Urdu language, Urdu.
Religion
As per the 2011 Census of India, 2011 census, Hinduism is the majority religion in the state at 67.8%, followed by Islam at 14.5% and Christianity at 4.3%. Other religions, primarily Sarnaism, claim to be 12.8% of the population.
Hindus form the majority in 19 out of the 24 districts of the Jharkhand. Christianity forms majority in Simdega district (51.04%). Sarna (religion), Sarna forms majority in Lohardaga district, Lohardaga (51.01%), West Singhbhum district, West Singhbhum (62.29%) and plurality in Gumla district, Gumla (44.62%) and Khunti district, Khunti (45.37%). Muslims have the highest presence in Pakur district and Sahebganj district of Jharkhand forming 35% and 34% of the population, respectively.
Government and administration
The constitutional head of the government of Jharkhand is the Governor (India), governor, who is appointed by the president of India. The real executive power rests with the Chief minister (India), chief minister and the cabinet. The political party or the coalition of political parties having a majority in the Legislative Assembly forms the government.
The head of the bureaucracy of the state is the Chief secretary (India), chief secretary. Under this position, is a hierarchy of officials drawn from the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Forest Service and different wings of the state civil services.
The judiciary is headed by the chief justice. Jharkhand has a Jharkhand High Court, High Court which has been functioning since 2000.
All the branches of the government are located in the state capital, Ranchi.
Administrative districts
The state was formed with 18 districts that were formerly part of south Bihar. Some of these districts were reorganised to form 6 new districts, namely, Latehar, Saraikela Kharsawan, Jamtara, Pakur, Khunti and Ramgarh. At present, the state has 5 Divisions and 24 Districts. One interesting thing about Jharkhand is that all its districts, except Lohardaga and Khunti, share a border with a neighbouring state.
Divisions and districts
Major cities
Largest Cities in Jharkhand
Economy
The gross domestic product of Jharkhand is estimated at in 2025-26. The per capita GDP of Jharkhand in 2024-25 was .
Jharkhand has several towns and innumerable villages with civic amenities. Urbanization ratio is 24.1%. Jharkhand also has immense mineral resources: minerals ranging from (ranking in the country within bracket) from iron ore (4th), coal (3rd), copper ore (1st), mica (1st), bauxite (3rd), manganese, limestone, china clay, fire clay, graphite (8th), kainite (1st), chromite (2nd), asbestos (1st), thorium (3rd), sillimanite, uranium (Jaduguda mines, Narwa Pahar) (1st) and even gold (Rakha Mines) (6th) and silver and several other minerals. Large deposits of coal and iron ore support concentration of Industrial sector, industry, in centres like Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (; ), also known as Tatanagar, is a major industrial city in eastern India. It is the List of cities in Jharkhand by population, largest city in the state of Jharkhand. With a population of 629,658 in the city limits and 1.3 million ...
, Dhanbad, Bokaro Steel City, Bokaro and Ranchi. Tata Steel, a ''NSE NIFTY 500'' conglomerate has its corporate office and main plant in Tatanagar, Jharkhand. It reported a gross income of . 204,910 million for 2005. NTPC will start coal production from its captive mine in state in 2011–12, for which the company will be investing about Rs 18 billion.
In February 2006, the government of Jharkhand established the Jharkhand Silk Textile and Handicraft Development Corporation (Jharcraft), which promotes local sericulture and weaving and the wider marketing of these products.
Agriculture is another major economic sector. Farmers in Jharkhand produce several crops such as rice, wheat, maize, pulses, potatoes, and vegetables such as tomato, carrots, cabbage, brinjal, pumpkin, and papaya. Other important industries include the cottage industry and IT.
Culture
Cuisine
Staple foods of Jharkhand are rice, dal, roti, vegetables, and tubers. Spices are sparingly used in cuisine. Famous dishes include Chhilka Roti, Malpua, Pitha, Dhooska, Arsa roti, Dudhauri, and Panipuri (Gupchup). Rugra and Putoo is a type of edible mushroom that is grown extensively in Jharkhand and harvested during the rainy months. It has a hardened, white, edible shell and a softer dark coloured centre. Bamboo shoot are a versatile ingredient used in many culinary traditions, particularly in Jharkhand cuisine. They can be boiled, steamed, stir-fried, or pickled, making them a popular addition to dishes such as soups, curries, and salads. Bamboo shoots are known for their ability to absorb the flavours of the ingredients they are cooked with, enhancing the overall taste of the dishes. The leaves of Munga (Moringa oleifera) and Koinar (Bauhinia variegata) trees are used as a leafy vegetable or Saag.
Local alcoholic drinks include rice beer, originally known as Handi or Handia (drink), Handia, named after the vessel, handi (earthen pot), used to make it. Handia is culturally associated with natives, i.e., Sadans and Tribals; this drink is consumed by both men and women on social occasions like marriage and festivals. Another common liquor is called ''Mahua Desi daru, daru'', made from flowers of the Mahua tree (Madhuca longifolia).
Folk music and dance
There are several folk dances in Jharkhand such as: Jhumair, Mardani Jhumar, Janani Jhumar, Domkach, Vinsariya, Jhumta, Fagua, Janani Jhumar, Angnai, Paiki dance, Paiki, Chhau dance, Chhau, Firkal dance, Firkal, Munda people#Culture and tradition, Mundari, and Santal people#Culture, Santali dance.
Festivals
Major festivals of Jharkhand are Sarhul, Baha parab, Baha Parab, Karam festival, Karam Parab, Mage Parab, Sohrai, Bandna, Tusu Festival, Tusu festival, Makar Sankranti, Nawakhani, Durga Puja, Jitiya, Manasa, Manasa Puja, Rath Yatra, Saraswati Puja, Diwali, Holi
Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...
, Phagua and the Sendra festival.
File:Karam puja in jharkhand.jpg, Karam (festival), Karam festival in Jharkhand
File:Holy Prayer.jpg, Sarhul in Jharkhand
File:Crossing_Baha_festival_2025_80.jpg, Baha Parab in Jharkhand
File:Durgas Puja in a Pandal.jpg, Durga Puja in Jharkhand
File:Mansa Puja in Bhagalpur.jpg, Manasa in Jharkhand
Paintings
Sohrai and Khovar painting is a mural art form practised by women. Sohrai painting is traditionally done at the Sohrai harvest festival, while Khovar painting is done at weddings.
Tattoo
The tattoo making tradition of Godna is an essential part of local tradition.
Cinema
Jharkhand produces many films in regional and Tribal languages including Nagpuri cinema, Nagpuri, Khortha cinema, Khortha, Santali cinema, Santali, Ho language, Ho, and Kurukh language, Kurukh. The film industry in the state of Jharkhand is known as Jhollywood.
Media
There are some television channels, newspapers, and radio stations which operate in Jharkhand. DD Jharkhand is an important channel in Jharkhand. All India Radio operates from Ranchi.
Hindustan (newspaper), Hindustan, Dainik Jagran, Sokal Sokal, Prabhat Khabar, and Ranchi Express are some of the Hindi newspapers and The Hindu, The Times of India, Hindustan Times, Navbharat Times, The Pioneer (India), The Pioneer, and The Telegraph (Calcutta), The Telegraph are some English newspapers in Jharkhand.
Transport
Airways
*Birsa Munda Airport is the largest domestic airport in the state with air connectivity to major Indian cities of Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad among others.
*Deoghar Airport is the second busiest airport located in the state of Jharkhand, India. It is the second operational airport in state of Jharkhand after Ranchi
Ranchi (; ) is the capital city and also the largest district by population of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern ...
.
*Sonari Airport at Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (; ), also known as Tatanagar, is a major industrial city in eastern India. It is the List of cities in Jharkhand by population, largest city in the state of Jharkhand. With a population of 629,658 in the city limits and 1.3 million ...
is the third operational airport in the state and it has daily flight to Bhubaneswar and Kolkata.
*Bokaro Airport is under Steel Authority of India Limited and 4th operational airport of the state. It is being developed under UDAN scheme.
*Other airports present in the state are Chakulia Airport, Dumka Airport, Giridih Airport, Dhalbhumgarh Airport and Dhanbad Airport which mostly run private and charter flights.
Roadways
Jharkhand has extensive network of National Highway (India), National Highways and State highways in India, State Highways. There is of paved National Highways in the state as of 2016. The National highways present in the state are numbered National Highway 18 (India), 18, National Highway 19 (India), 19, National Highway 20 (India), 20, National Highway 22 (India), 22, National Highway 33 (India), 33, National Highway 39 (India), 39, National Highway 43 (India), 43, National Highway 114 (India), 114A, National Highway 118 (India), 118, National Highway 133 (India), 133, National Highway 133A (India), 133A, National Highway 133B (India), 133B, National Highway 139 (India), 139, National Highway 143 (India), 143, National Highway 143A (India), 143A, National Highway 143AG (India), 143AG, National Highway 143D (India), 143D, National Highway 143H (India), 143H, National Highway 218 (India), 218, National Highway 220 (India), 220, National Highway 320 (India), 320, National Highway 320D (India), 320D, National Highway 320G (India), 320G, National Highway 333 (India), 333, National Highway 333A (India), 333A, National Highway 343 (India), 343, National Highway 419 (India), 419 and National Highway 522 (India), 522. The Golden Quadrilateral network of Delhi – Kolkata route runs through Jharkhand notably at Dhanbad.
Ports
Jharkhand is landlocked state but has numerous rivers and waterways. A Sahebganj Multi-Modal Port, multi-modal port has been planned at Sahebganj where river Ganges flows. The project is estimated to cost 65,000 million and phase-1 is estimated to be completed by 2019.
Railways
Jharkhand is very well connected by railways. The state has numerous Railway stations in Jharkhand, railway stations and railway junctions. Dhanbad Junction is the largest railway station in the state which is connected to almost all big cities of India. Hilly regions of state are equipped with tunnels that form essential organ of railways.
File:Ranchi Airport Night View.jpg, Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi Airport (IXR)
File:NH 33 Between Ramgarh and Chutupallu.jpg, National Highway 20 (India), National Highway 20 near Ramgarh Cantonment
Ramgarh Cantonment, usually referred to as Ramgarh Cantt or just Ramgarh is a cantonment town, belonging to the Ramgarh district of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Historically, a subdivision of the larger Hazaribag district, Ramgarh was ...
File:Sahibganj railway station.jpg, View from the Sahibganj Railway Station
File:Dhanbad station night view.jpg, Night View of Dhanbad Junction railway station. (Largest Railway Station in Jharkhand)
Education
As per the 2011 census conducted by Government of India the official literacy rate for the state was 66.41% (male: 76.84%; female: 55.42%) with nine districts above the average literacy rate:
* Ranchi district, Ranchi: 76.06% (male: 84.26%; female: 67.44%)
*
* East Singhbhum district, East Singhbhum: 75.49% (male: 83.75%; female: 66.81%)
* Dhanbad district, Dhanbad: 74.52% (male: 83.81%; Female: 64.29%)
*
* Ramgarh district, Ramgarh: 73.17% (male: 82.44%; female: 63.09%)
* Bokaro district, Bokaro: 72.01% (male: 82.51%; female: 60.63%)
* Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh is a city and a municipal corporation in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is also the administrative headquarters of Hazaribagh district and divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is known ...
: 69.75% (male: 80.01%; female: 58.95%)
* Simdega district, Simdega: 67.99% (male: 76.08%; female: 59.92%)
* Seraikela Kharsawan district, Saraikela Khasawan: 67.70% (male: 79.03%; female: 55.88%)
* Lohardaga district, Lohardaga: 67.61% (male: 77.21%; female: 57.69%)
* Koderma district, Koderma: 66.84% (male: 79.78%; female: 53.23%)
Since the formation of the new state, the Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) has been implementing four projects to spread elementary education: DPEP, SSA, NPEGEL, and KGBV. The state has been moving towards the goal of universal elementary education but the target of 100% enrolment and retention of children in schools has not yet been attained. Jharkhand has made primary education so accessible that 95% of children of ages 6–11 are enrolled in school, as opposed to 56% in 1993–94; this will likely improve literacy a great deal.
Schools
The medium of instruction in schools is Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
/English language, English with English language, English/Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
/Sanskrit/Bengali language, Bengali/Odia language, Odia as second language. After 10 years of schooling, students can join two years of Intermediate course (or +2 courses) in Arts, Science and Commerce. This is followed by three years of degree courses (graduation) or four years of Engineering/Agriculture/Medicine degree.
The school system comprises various private and public schools. The government schools are abundant. Few notable schools are: St. Thomas School, Ranchi, Sainik School, Tilaiya, Sainik School Tilaiya, Loyola School, Jamshedpur, Delhi Public School, Bokaro, Delhi Public School, Ranchi, Bishop Westcott Boys' School, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar, De Nobili School, FRI, De Nobili School and St. Xavier's School, Hazaribagh.
In 2009 Franz Gastler established Yuwa-India, Yuwa School a NGO in Hutup village in Ranchi district with helps of friends to use football as a platform to combat Child marriage in India, child marriage, Education in India#Women's education, illiteracy and Human trafficking in India, human trafficking in rural India. In 2019, It won the Laureus Sport for Good Award.
Universities and colleges
* AISECT University, Jharkhand, Hazaribagh
* Arka Jain University, Jamshedpur
* Binod Bihari Mahto Koyalanchal University, Dhanbad
* Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi
* Central University of Jharkhand, Brambe, Ranchi
* Jharkhand Rai University, Ranchi
* Jharkhand Raksha Shakti University, Ranchi
* Kolhan University, Chaibasa
* National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi
* Nilamber-Pitamber University, Medininagar
* Radha Govind University, Ramgarh
* Ranchi University, Ranchi
* Sarala Birla University, Ranchi
* Sido Kanhu Murmu University, Dumka
* Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh
Autonomous
* Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, formerly Ranchi college
* Indian Institute of Information Technology, Ranchi
* Indian Institute of Management Ranchi
* Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad
* National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT), Ranchi
* National University of Study and Research in Law
* National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur
* St. Xavier's College, Ranchi
* Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi
* XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur
Agriculture
* Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi
Engineering
* Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi
* Birsa Institute of Technology Sindri, Dhanbad
* DAV Institute of Engineering & Technology, Daltonganj
* Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Dhanbad
* National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT), Ranchi
* National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur
Management
* Indian Institute of Management Ranchi IIM-Ranchi
* XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur
* Netaji Subhas University, NSIBM - Netaji Subhas Institute of Hotel & Business Management, Jamshedpur
Medical colleges
* All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Deoghar
* Hazaribag College of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Hazaribagh
* Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Jamshedpur, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College (MGM), Jamshedpur
* Medini Rai Medical College and Hospital, Palamu, Palamu
* Phulo Jhano Murmu Medical College and Hospital, Dumka
* Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi
* Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College, Dhanbad, Dhanbad
* Shaheed Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital, Hazaribagh
Psychiatry
* Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi
Public Health
Because of its mild climate, Jharkhand, particularly its capital Ranchi, has been a health resort. As far back as 1918, facilities were set up for treatment of mentally challenged.
European Mental Hospital was established along with Indian Mental Hospital. Today they are called Central Institute of Psychiatry and Ranchi Institute of Neuro-psychiatry and Allied Sciences respectively.
In certain areas of Jharkhand, poverty and consequent malnutrition have given rise to diseases like tuberculosis (TB). In fact, TB has assumed epidemic proportions in certain areas of the state. For management and treatment of such TB, Itki TB Sanatorium, Ranchi, established in 1928 has been doing work as a premier institute for clinical and programmatic management of TB. The Itki TB Sanatorium is well equipped and accredited by the Indian government for quality assurance and Culture and Drug Sensitivity Testing for M.TB. It provides free of cost treatment for TB as well as drug-resistant TB. Likewise, in the field of treatment of cancer, Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur, is rendering pioneering work. In the same way, Bokaro General Hospital equipped with modern facilities for the treatment of cancer and heart-related problems with the capacity of 1100 beds one of the largest in eastern India.
Although several public and private health facilities are available in the state, overall infrastructure for dispensing health related services require improvements. An exception is the Tata Motors Hospital which is an example of an ISO 14001 and 18001 certified hospital with DNB teaching facilities.
Ranchi, the capital, has witnessed a sharp growth in the number of hospitals.
Fluoride in groundwater presents a public health problem in Jharkhand. A recent survey led by the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi in collaboration with UNICEF in the northwest districts of Palamau and Garhwa found fluoride levels above the drinking WHO drinking water guidelines. Excessive amounts of fluoride in drinking water can lead to dental fluorosis, prevalent bone fractures, and skeletal fluorosis, an irreversible disabling condition. Some work has focused on combating fluorosis through increased calcium intake by consuming local plants. Researchers at Princeton University and the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi are currently investigating defluoridation options, while performing an epidemiological survey to assess the extent of fluoride linked health problems and the impact of future interventions.
Almost 80% of Jharkhand's people are farmers, although it contains 40% of India's mineral reserves it has some of India's poorest people, in Summer 2009 the state was threatened by drought, with people criticising the government for not providing food aid or assistance.
Sports
JRD Tata Sports Complex, JRD TATA Sports Complex, Jamshedpur hosts football matches of Indian Super League and is the home of ISL based football club Jamshedpur FC.
Cricket, Field hockey, hockey, and Association football, football are common games in Jharkhand. Players like Jaipal Singh, a former Indian hockey captain and Olympic Games, Olympian and Manohar Topno currently play for the India men's national field hockey team, Indian Hockey team. Jaipal Singh was the captain of the hockey team that won the first gold medal for India in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Mahendra Singh Dhoni who was the captain of Indian cricket team and led the India national cricket team, Indian cricket team to ICC Cricket World Cup glory on 2 April 2011, ending a 28-year wait to repeat the feat achieved by former Indian captain Kapil Dev in 1983 at Lord's, Lord's, England is from here.
Other notable cricketers from Jharkhand are Varun Aaron, Shahbaz Nadeem, and Saurabh Tiwary. He was one of the key batsmen in the Indian team that won the 2008 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia. Other sportspeople include Deepika Kumari, a young archer who won gold medal in the 2010 Commonwealth games in the women's individual recurve event. Nikki Pradhan currently a member of the India women's national field hockey team, national hockey team. Pradhan was the first female hockey player from Jharkhand to represent India in the Olympic Games, Olympics.
An JSCA International Cricket Stadium, International Cricket stadium with an indoor stadium and a practice ground has been constructed. This international stadium has hosted an International match between India and England on 19 January 2013. Apart from that, this stadium has hosted two IPL 6 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders, KKR and qualifier 2 of IPL 8 between Chennai Super Kings, CSK and Royal Challengers Bangalore, RCB and Celebrity Cricket League Matches for Bhojpuri Dabanggs. A tennis academy, which was inaugurated by Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik, also runs besides the cricket stadium. Ranchi is among six cities in Hockey India League to be played in January 2013. Ranchi franchise was bought by Patel-Uniexcel Group and the team named Ranchi Rhinos which is now being co-hosted by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and named as Ranchi Rays.
File:Keenan Stadium aerial view.jpg, Aerial view of Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur
File:J.R.D. Tata Stadium.jpg, JRD Tata Sports Complex
Tourism
Jharkhand is known for its waterfalls, hills and holy places. Parasnath
Parasnath Hill (also Sammet Shikhar, Marang Buru) is a mountain peak in the Parasnath hill range. It is located towards the eastern end of the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the Giridih district (Hazaribagh district in British India) of the India ...
, Baidyanath Dham, Maa Dewri Temple and Chhinnamasta Temple are major religious places.
Tattapani Hot Water Spring is located 8 km from Latehar. The hot spring water come out from different places on the Sukari River bed. Rich in sulphur, the hot spring is believed to have medicinal properties and good for skin.
Itkhori Block, Itkhori is a holy place for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. It is believed to be the place from where Gautama Buddha started his journey for Bodh Gaya. Many sculptures of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist art styles were found in 2018. Rankini Temple, Jadugora, Rankini Temple of Jadugora is famous in Jharkhand, as well as in Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. There are several waterfalls in the state including Jonha Falls, Hundru Falls, Dassam Falls, Perwaghagh Falls and Panchghagh Falls. Netarhat is a hill station in the state.
There are several wildlife sanctuaries and national park in Jharkhand including Betla National Park and Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, which are major attraction for tourists.
State Museum Hotwar and Tribal Research Institute and Museum showcase various cultural heritage and tribal culture of Jharkhand.
File:Temples at Deorgag, Santal Parhanas, Bihar - William Hodges, 1782 - BL Foster 396.jpg, The ancient Baidyanath Temple, Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple in Deoghar
File:Shikharji Jain temple.jpg, Jain temple at Samet Shikharji, the place from where twenty Tirthankars attained nirvana
File:Jonha falls.jpg, Jonha Falls
File:Sunset point.jpg, Netarhat
See also
* List of museums in Jharkhand
* List of people from Jharkhand
* Political families of Jharkhand
* JSCA International Stadium Complex
References
Footnotes
Sources
Works cited
*
*
External links
Government
Government of Jharkhand, India
General information
*
{{Authority control
Jharkhand,
States and union territories of India
States and territories established in 2000
2000 establishments in India
Countries and territories where Bengali is an official language