SINGBHUM, a British district in I3engal, lying between lat. 21° 59' and 22° 53' N., and between long. 85° 2' and 86° 56' E. ; area, 3897 square miles ; population, 322,393. The district forms the S.E. portion pf the Chutia Nagpur division. It is made up of the Government estate Kolhan or 110-des:um the fiscal division of Iblunn, and the political estates of Parahat, ;-4antikttla, and Kharaawan.
The central portion of Singbhum consists of a long, undulating tract of country, running east and west, and enclosed by great hill ranges. The Ho or Larka Kol would not allow any atrangers to settle in or even pass through the kolhan, and pilgrims to Jaganath bad to make a circuit of several days' journey to avoid-it. Among ab original tribes, the most numerous are the 1Col, 150,925 in 1872 ; Santal, 51,132 ; Bhumij, 37,253 ; and the Bhuiya, 12,078. The bulk of the Kul enumerated above are Ho, otherwise called Larka or fighting' Kol. Physically, the Singbhurn llo are the finest of all the Kolarian tribes. The men average 5 feet 5 or 6 inches in height, the women 5 feet 2 inches ; and both men and women are noticeable for their fine erect carriage, and long, free stride. Even wealthy
men move about all but naked as proudly as if they were clad in purple and fine linen. The Ho are fair marksmen with the bow and arrow, and great sportsmen. They are a purely agricultural people. and their festivals are ad connected with that pursuit. 13rahmans in Singblium in 1872, 4098 ; Khandait, 2255; Rajputs, 1718 ; pastoral Goala, 34,987; Tauti, or weavers, 20,758; awl Kunni, cultivators, 19,667.
In Singbhum, occtusionally, in the markets, ft young man will pounce on a girl and carry her off by force, his friends covering the retreat. In 1857 the raja of Purahat joined in the rebellion, many of the Larka Kol following him. A Chris tian mission went to Chutia Nagpur in 1845, and has made much progress amongst the Dhangar race.—Dalion, pp. 163, 181 ; hap. Gaz.