Santhal Tribe

Santhal Tribe is the largest tribal community in India. They live mainly in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Assam. Their concentration is mainly in Dumka, Godda, Deoghar, Jamtara and Pakur districts of Santhal Parganas and East and West Singhbhum districts of Jharkhand. Santhals are among the most backward of the ethnic groups of India. The people of this tribal community generally prefer to live in concentrated settlements close to forests and rivers. They are segregated into groups known as “Thars”.

Santhal Tribe dates back to the pre-Aryan period. They belong to the proto-Australoid racial group. Linguistically, the language spoken by Santhals belong to the Mundari group of Austro-Asiatic linguistic family. It is also believed that they had come from the state of ‘Santha’ and that is why they are called ‘Santan’ or men of Santha state. 

The origin of the name Santal is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit term Samanta Pal, meaning “border protector.” Over time, the term is thought to have evolved into Samanta Al during the Middle Ages. A part of ancient Midnapore district in West Bengal was known as Sawanta or Samantabhumi. Gradually, the name underwent linguistic changes, evolving from Samanta Pal to Sawanta Al and eventually to Sawantal, from which the modern name Santal is believed to have originated. The Sanskrit word ‘Samant’ or the Bengali word ‘Saont’ is also associated with the meaning “plain land.”

The Santhals were well-known fighters or rebels during the period of British rule in India. People of this community waged war against Lord Cornwallis’ Permanent Settlement Act in the year 1855. During the later parts of 1850, one of the tribal heroes named Sidhu was able to gather about 10,000 Santhals in order to run a parallel government against the British Empire. The first Santhal leader was Baba Tilka Majhi who raised weapons in the year 1789 against the British.

The Santhali language is part of the Austro-Asiatic family, distantly related to Vietnamese and Khmer. Santhals have their script called "Olchiki". They did not have a written language until the 20th century. It was developed by Dr. Raghunath Murmu in 1925. Apart from santhali, they also speak Bengali, Oriya and Hindi.

The day-to-day life of the Santhals encircle around the forests in which they live and the cultivating land which is their livelihood. The Santhals fulfil their basic requirements from plants and trees in the forests. They are also engaged in fishing and hunting in order to sustain their livelihood. People of this tribal community have unique skills in making tribal musical equipment, baskets and mats from plant fibre. This talent has been passed safely from one generation to another.

The Santhal tribes follow the religion called "Sarna". They believe in supernatural beings and ancestral spirits. Santhals do not possess any temple and they don’t worship idols. Thakur Jiu is their ancestral deity and is worshipped as the supreme creator and life-giver. Other Goddess and Gods worshipped by Santhals are Jaheraera, Marangburu and Manjhi. They also believe in and respect spirits like Lakchera, Kal Sing, Beudarang, etc.

Dances form a significant part of Santhali culture. It is the most prominent component in the festivals and fairs of the Santhal Tribe. After a daylong work, Santhals relax and socialize by enjoying light music along with dance. The women of this tribal community dress in sarees and they dance in the sequence of a line. Santhal men play the music with their indigenous tribal instruments like Tirio, hotok, Dhodro banam, Phet banam, Tamak, Tumdak, Junko and Singa.

Santal society is comparatively egalitarian, with considerably less social stratification than the neighbouring caste-based Hindu society. However, certain status distinctions still exist within the community. The most significant basis of social distinction in interpersonal interactions is an individual's standing as marang (senior) or hudin (junior). In addition, Santal society is organised into totemistic clans known as pari. These twelve clans are further divided into two hierarchical groups, comprising seven senior clans and five junior clans. The Santhals live in peace and harmony among themselves. 

The local affairs of Santal villages are managed by a village council headed by a manjhi (village headman). Traditional Santal houses are distinguished by their artistic decorations, with walls adorned with carved representations of animals, hunting activities, dancing scenes and geometric patterns. Santal bridal palanquins are also intricately carved, reflecting the community's traditional craftsmanship and artistic skills.

The Santal community recognises seven different forms of marriage, each having its own degree of social acceptance. Among them, hapramko bapla, meaning the ancestor's marriage, is considered the most elaborate form, while kesimek' is the most widely practised. In this form of marriage, a boy and a girl who wish to marry mutually decide to go to the groom's house and stay there for some time. When the girl's family becomes aware of their decision, the jog majhi of her village approaches the headman of the boy's village to ascertain the couple's intentions. Subsequently, the groom's family gathers to discuss the bride price to be paid by the groom's father. A relative of the groom, accompanied by the jog majhi of his village, then delivers the agreed bride price to the bride's family, after which the wedding ceremony takes place.

The Santhals generally celebrate the Karma festival every year in the month of September or  October. This festival is celebrated to please the God to bless them with more wealth and decrease their enemies. Some of the other major festivals observed by the Santhals include Baba Bonga, Sahrai, Maghe, Ero, Namah and Asaria. Santhals also enjoy the hunting festival known as Disum Sendra on Baishakhi Purnima.

Chadar Badar, also known as Santal puppetry, is a traditional form of folk entertainment performed using wooden puppets. The puppets are displayed within a small cage-like structure that serves as the stage for the performance.

The Santhal community is constitutionally recognised as a Scheduled Tribe in certain Fifth Schedule areas, including Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Tripura. However, the Santals who migrated from these areas to Sixth Schedule regions, particularly Assam, during the British colonial period to work as tea garden labourers, do not enjoy the same constitutional classification. In Assam, they are categorised as Other Backward Classes (OBCs), while the remaining population residing in other states is classified under the general category.