Explanation:

The Santals are the most numerous tribe in eastern India. According to their traditions, they were a wandering tribe until they settled down in Chhotanagpur and the adjacent districts. That was around the middle of the 18th century. Towards the end of the century, as the pressure of population was keenly felt and the jungles were being cleared, they moved up towards the virgin forests in and around the Rajmahal Hills. The Permanent Settlement of 1793 forced the landlords to improve productivity of the land. The Santals were increasingly used for land reclamation and improvement. In 1832, the government set apart a large area in Damin-i-Koh for the settlement of the Santals. The population in this tract increased from 3,000 in 1838 to 82,795 in 1851. The intention of the British administration in permanently settling the Santals in Damin-i-koh was to reclaim the dense forested region. The industrious Santals were accorded a warm welcome to carry out this arduous task. The Santhal rebellion of 1855 led to the formation of Santhal Parganas, which till then was administratively part of Birbhum district.