Jungle Mahals (

jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...

estates) was a district formed by

British possessions A British possession is a country or territory other than the United Kingdom which has the British monarch as its head of state. Overview In common statutory usage the British possessions include British Overseas Territories, and the Commonwe ...

and some independent chiefdoms lying between

Birbhum Birbhum district () is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is in Suri. Other impo ...

Burdwan Bardhaman (, ), officially Bardhaman Sadar, is a city and municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Purba Bardhaman district, having become a district capital during the period of British rule. Burdwan, an a ...

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''). ...

and the hilly country of Chota Nagpur in what is now the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

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 ...

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 ...

.O’Malley, L.S.S., ICS, ''Bankura'', ''Bengal District Gazetteers'', pp. 21-41, 1995 reprint, Government of West Bengal The district was located in the area known as the

Jungle Terry Jungle Terry or Jungleterry, from ''jangal tarāi'', meaning 'jungle lowland', was a term applied in the 18th century to an area bordering Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand that included large tracts of Bhagalpur and Monghyr districts, as well as the ...

Background

The Chuar Rebellion was a series of uprisings by the tribal communities in the Jungle Mahals region against the oppressive policies 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 ...

. The British referred to the rebels as "Chuars," meaning "barbaric," due to their resistance to land revenue collection. The rebellion spread across Midnapore, Bishnupur, and Manbhum district, peaking in 1798-1799. In response to the unrest, the British reorganized the region, establishing the Jungle Mahals district and implementing stricter administrative control. The legacy of the rebellion influenced the socio-political identity of the region.

History

Established

The vagueness of the jurisdiction caused inconvenience. In 1805, the new district of Jungle Mahals was created by a regulation (Regulation XVIII of 1805), comprising areas from Birbhum (the 1787 British district incorporating Bishnupur), Burdwan, and Midnapore, and placed under the jurisdiction of a new Magistrate. According to L.S.S. O'Malley, the district that was formed consisted of 23 parganas and Mahals.

Jungle Mahal Uprising

In 1832–33, the Jungle Mahal Uprising, also known as the Ganga Narayan Hungama, was led by Ganga Narayan in the Manbhum and Jungle Mahal areas of the erstwhile Midnapore district, Bengal, by Bhumij tribals.

Disestablished

By Regulation XIII of 1833, the district of Jungle Mahals was broken up, and a new administrative unit known as the

South-West Frontier Agency The South-West Frontier Agency was an administrative unit established by the British government in 1833 following the receipt of a detailed report from special commissioners. The agency was later renamed the Chota Nagpur Division in 1854. Backgr ...

was formed. The estates of Senpahari, Shergarh and Bishnupur were transferred to Burdwan District and the remainder constituted the Manbhum District.

Statehood Demand

In 2021, Saumitra Khan, Lok Sabha BJP MP demanded the creation of Junglemahal state consisting of

Purulia Purulia, officially Purulia Sadar, is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Purulia district. It is located on the north of the Kangsabati River. Geography Location Purulia is locate ...

Jhargram Jhargram is a city and a municipality in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Jhargram district. It is a popular tourist destination known for its forests, ancient temples and royal pa ...

Bankura Bankura () is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura district. Etymology It comes from the old Austric word ráŕhá or ráŕho which means “land of red soil”.P.R. Sarkar Rarh - ...

, parts of

, Purbo Medinipur,

Paschim Medinipur Paschim Medinipur (English: ''West Medinipur'', alternative spelling ''Midnapore'') district is one of the districts of the state of West Bengal, India. It was formed on 1 January 2002 after the partition of Midnapore into Paschim Medinipur a ...

and along with some other areas. He claimed that the Junglemahal area is least developed and the demands of employment and development for locals could be met only if it gets statehood. The West Bengal state BJP unit, however, distanced itself from the Junglemahal statehood demand. A Trinamool Congress leader filed a complaint against Saumitra Khan for demanding statehood for Junglemahal.

References

Bibliography

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External links

The Jungle and the Aroma of Meats: An Ecological Theme in Hindu Medicine
Bengal Presidency Districts of British India 1805 establishments in British India {{India-hist-stub