CHOTA NAGPORE, properly Chutia Nagpur, is the country on the eastern part of the extensive plateau of Central India, on which the Koel, the Subunreka, the Damuda, and other rivers have their sources. It extends into Sirguja, and forms. what is called the Upar - ghat ' or highland of Juspur, and it is connected by a continuous chaiu of hills with the Vindhyan and Kymor ranges, from which flow affluents of the Ganges ; and with the highlands of Amarkantak, on which are the sources of the Nerbadda. The plateau has an area of about 7000 sq. miles. It is on all sicleE difficult of access. It is a well wooded, undulat ing country, diveraified by ranges of hills, and has a genial climate. The population at the 1872 census was :3,825,571, and is formed of a number of non-Aryan tribes who had fallen back to that refuge from the plains, more than half of them being of the race known to Europeans as Kol. On the south-west frontier of Bengal, besides Chutia Nagpur, are Sirguja, with Palemow, Ramgurh, Hazaribagh, Mynpat, and Amarkantak. The elevation of Chutia Nagpur is 2000 to 3000 feet, with hills running E. and W., but of little height; Sirguja is mountainous, rising 600 to 700 feet above the level of Chutia Nagpur. Mynpat is a table - land about 30 miles S.E. from Sirguja town, and about 3000 or 3500 feet high. Palemow district is very mountainous. —Ifazaribagh town, lat. 24° N., long. 85° 54' E., is 1750 feet. Slope of the country is south towards Sumbulpore ; N. and E. parts of district very mountainous, but level and even depressed towards the Mahanadi.
Sumbulpore town, only 400 feet. Orissa land then rises on the southern side of Mahanadi, some places to 1700 feet, backed by the chain of E. Ghats. Aniarkantak jungle table-land, lat. 22° 40' N., long. 81° 5' E., 3500 feet. The soil in tho plains is generally fertile, producing abun dant crops of wheat, barley, rice, pulse, excellent vegetables, cotton, and sugar-cane. The culti vated parts are overrun with a coarse grass.
There are 21 malials, which form tho S.W. frontier of the Bengal province, and which may be classified in four groups, the Sumbulpore, Patna, and Sirguja groups, and Singbhum.
The Sumbulpore and Patna groups are in the circle of the Cuttack Tributary Mahals. Singh bhum was never Mahratta ; and in 1857 its chief, the raja of Poorahat, joined in the rebellion, many of the Larka Kol following him. A Christian mission went to Chutia Nagpur in 1845, and has made much progress amongst the Dhangar race. In Chutia Nagpur in which are the districts of 3Ianbhum and Singbihuni, the mortality from the famine of 1866 fell on the population about the same as in Orissa. More than half of the population are aborigines or seini-Ilinduized. The fourteen Kolarian tribes being the Asur, Bhumij, Birhor, Ho, Khania, Kora, Korwa, Muasi, Mun dah, and Santal, who speak the Mundah, or a language closely allied ; with the Cheru, Kharwar, Kisan, and Saont, who have lost their own primi tive speech. Tho Dravidian tribes are the Bhuiher, Binjhia, Gond, Khand, Kaur, 31al, Oraon, Itautia, Sabar, and many others. The census of 1872 showed as under :— Asur, K., . . . 2,567 Ilo or Kol, . . . 292,036 Bhuiher. Tamaria, . . . 3,016 Boyar. 'Konya, . . . . 17,564 • Bhumij, • . . . 128,287 Kur, Kurku or Binjhia. Kornku, . . . 2,458 Birhor, . . . . 393 I Muasi.
Meru, Cherwa, . 17,632 !Mal.
Gond, . . . . 65,069rNaiya or Naik, . 2,324 Kaur, . . . . 27,508 Kisan, Nagesar or Kharria, . . . 26,393 Naksia, . . . 22,934 Santal, . . . . 220,096 Oraon or Dhangar, 208,343 Bhuiyn, . . . . 184,089 rakaria, . . . 511 Chik (weavers), . 19,585 Rautia, . . . . 24,633 Masi (scavengers), 32,258 Bhar ; Raj Bhar, . 17,091 Khaira, . . . . 11,804 Ghatwal, . . . 31,366 Kharwar, . . 137,055 Mahali, . . . 20,28.5 Kolitan. Suidar, 8,980 l'andn, . . . . 5,478 Kurmi, . . . 250,000? Surak, . . . . 9,986 Kocri, . . . . .53,638 Christians, . . . 14,226 Kora, 11,505 Mahomcdans, . 169,000 Kewnt, . . . 2,660 The Asur or Agaria are wild, uncivilised iron smelters. The Bhuiher ruid Boyar aro supposed to be the same tribe, to be identical with the Parheya, and allied to the Gond. They are also called Beoriha, from practising the kumari or jhfim form of cultivation.