EAST SINGHBHUM, Jharkhand

Main Attraction: JUBLEE PARK

A circular lake known as the Bagkudar Lake in the vicinity of the court buildings at Jamshedpur was a beauty spot. In 1937, a beginning was made to develop a central park under the guidance of Mr. S. Percy Lancaster. The project was resumed in August 1955 with the Company's Jubilee in mind and its layout entrusted to Mr. G H Krumbiegel , and Mr. B. S. Nirody who had to their credit the famous parks of Mysore State and the Moghul Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhawan New Delhi.

The grounds of the park cover approximately an area of 500 acres with the vista of Dalma Hills to the north and the panorama of the Steel Works to the south. In about two years a vast stretch of unpromising terrain was converted into one of the best parks in India. The park has been designed around a central axis running from the founder's statue at it's highest point through the Moghul Garden, the Foliage group and the Rose garden to the little island in the center of the Jubilee Lake. There are two children's garden in the park provided with swings and equipment for play and exercise. There is children's 80-ft square maze made of a low hedge. The Jubilee Lake with an area of 40 acres has been dredged and deepened for boating and performing an island in the center. There is a boathouse and a cafeteria.

Brief History

Purbi Singhbhum district is situated at the southeast corner of Jharkhand. It has been formed after isolating nine block from old Singhbhum on 16th January 1990.From the industrial growth and mining quarrying point of view this district has leading position in Jharkhand. Before independence the entire area of Purbi Singhbhum district was part of old Manbhum district and old Dhalbhum estate. After independence it has been merged with greater Singhbhum. About 53% of the total area of district is covered by residual mountains and hills consisting of granite, gneiss, schist. It is a part of Chhotanagpur plateau. The Dalma range extends from west to east covered by dense forest on the northern side. The Subernarekha river flows from west to south-east direction. The district is rich in minerals and these are found abundantly. It consists of 11 Community Development Blocks, viz., Patamda, Golmuri-cum-Jugsalai, Potka, Dumaria, Musabani, Ghatshila, Dhalbhumgarh, Chakulia. Boram, Gurbandha and Bahargora. The district is bounded on the north by West Bengal, on the south by Orissa, on the east by West Bengal and on the west by the district of Seraikela-Kharsawan.

The early history of the district is rather obscure although relics have been found in the old district of Singhbhum dating back to the stone age. The territory covered by the district does not find any mention either in the Vedic texts or in puranic literature. The earliest conjecture is in regard to the Gupta emperor Samundragupta of Magadh. According to an inscription, his dominian included all the jungle countries from Baghelkhand to the Orissa coast including the old district of Singhbhum. According to a theory, when the northern and southern Bihar were annexed to the empire of the great Kushans, Orissa and the eastern sea-board were also conquered, implying that the district may also have lain in the conquered territory. In the seventh century A.D. Sasanka (of unknown lineage) is believed to have ruled over this territory. Two copper plate records of Sasanka’s reign indicate that the forest area was under his authority.

Ruins of temples of the ninth and tenth centuries A.D. have been found at Banisagar, situated on the Pashchimi Singhbhum and Orissa border, at a distance of 85 kms. from Chaibasa (in Pashchimi Singhbhum). Shrines with with eight Shgiva Lingas known as “Ashta Shambhus” probably existed here. Images of sitting and standing Ganesh have also been found, as also of Ganga and Yamuna as parshwadevis (side dieties). According to a hypothesis, the temples at Benisagar belonged to two district epochs. The first between the eight and ninth century A.D. when the palas under Dharmapal and Devapal established the pala empire, and the second from the tenth to eleventh century A.D. when the second pala empire was established by Mahipal.

This part of the state remained free from external influence in the Turko-Afthan period (1206 to 1526 A.D.). In this period, however, Sultan Firoz Tughlak may have passed through Jharkhand (as modern Chotanagpur was then known to the Muhammadan historians) in his expedition against the king of Jainagar (Orissa). The Hindu Vaisnav Saint and reformer, Sri Chaitanya, also travelled through Jharkhand in the second decade of the 16th century on his journey to Mathura. Shershah is also said to have crossed Jharkhand in the course of his return from Gaur in 1538.

Jharkhand came to be known as Kukrah in the Mughal period. In the time of Akbar, who assumed the thrown in 1556, an expedition headed by Shahabaz Khan was sent against the Raja of Chotanagpur who was reduced to the position of a tributary. According to the Ain-e-Akbari, is said that ancestors of the Raja of Poraha were three brothers in the bodyguard of Akbar’s General, Mansingh, who took side with the Bhuiyas against the Hos and ended by conquering the country for themselves. The subsequent dealings of the Mughals appear to be restricted to the Raja of Chotanagpur (or Ranchi proper). In 1616, Ibrahim Khan Fateh Jung, brother of Noorjehan and Governor of Bihar, invaded Kukrah which had rejained independence after the death of Akbar in 1605. Durjan Sal, the forty sixth Raja of Chotanagpur was captured and imprisoned but subsequently reinstated.

Again in 1724, A.D. Sarballand Khan, Governor of Bihar led a campaign against the Raja of Chotanagpur followed by another in 1731 by Fakruddoula, the then Governor. In 1735 Alivardi Khan could inforce payment of Tribute with some difficulty. The district of Midnapur which included Dhalbhum, had been ceded to the East India Company in 1760. In 1765 a force was sent to neighbouring Zamindars but it could not subdue to the Raja of Dhalbhum. After this expedition another was sent under Ferguson in 1767. He commenced his march to Ghatshila. The enemy had, however, retreated and the forts of Narsinghygarh had been destroyed by them earlier. However, the Raja was captured and sent to Midnapur in confinement. His nephew Jagannath Dhal was installed on the throne on promising to pay an annual revenue of Rs. 5500/- but the Raja failed to pay the tribute new year. Hence two companies of sepoys were sent under Lt. Rooke. Rooke was succeeded by Morgan who crossed the subarnarekha and sent out to Haldi pokhar in pursuit of Jaganath Dhal. 

Although Jaganath Dhal could not be captured, peace was effected with the Sardars. In 1769 the Bhumij, in a body of five thousand persons, invaded Dhalbhum forcing the new Raja Nimu Dhal to retire to the fort at Narsinghgarh with a small body of the Company’s Sepoys. The Bhumij were expelled by a force under Captain Forbes. In 1773 Jagannath Dhal with the followers attacked his successor Baikunth Dhal. A force was again sent under captain Forbes and two companies were left at Narsinghgarh and Haldipo Khar. In 1774 there were another Bhumij raid led by Jaganath Dhal. Many villages between Narsinghgarh and Baharagora were destroyed extending to almost within a mile of Haldipokhar. Eventually Jagannath Dhal was reinstated in 1777 on agreeing to pay Rs. 2000 for the first year, Rs. 3000 for the second year and Rs. 4000 for the third year. On account of the turbulent state of affairs, Dhalbhum pargana was not settled at the same time as other jungle Mahals in 1776. The permanent settlement was extended in Dhalbhum in 1800 for a revenue of Rs. 4267. The Zamindars of Dhalbhum in 1906 was, according to tradition, the 21st in the line of descent from Jaganath Dhal Deo, the founder of the dynasty. According to his reckoning the estate must have been founded some time in the fourteenth century, While the company sent forces on various occasions to extract tribute up to 1800 A.D., the Zamindar was, like his compere of Chotanagpur, left to his own resources in regard to administration of the country. In 1800, the Zamindar was formally invested with the power of police Daroga. The power was exercised by him through his vassals who were subsequently misnamed Ghatwals. 

In 1805 the district of the jungle Mahals was established by Regulation XVIII and though Dhalbhum was not included in it, the provisions of the regulation were observed there also. The Zamindari police system was not successful since the agents of the Zamindar tended to utilise these powers more for the advancement of their own private interests than for the welfare on safety of the people under their charge. Chitreshwar Dhal succeeded to the gaddi in 1825 as a minor. The estate was, therefore, managed by Bara Thakur Jugal Kishore, the youngest brother of late Raja. Jugal Kishore omitted to pay Government revenue and engaged himself in various malpractices with the said and connivance of the new Dewan, Samsher Khan. When Chitreshwar Dhal attained majority in 1829, Jugal Kishore refused to hand over power to him and continued to wield influence. Samsher Khan was so universally detested that Jugal Kishore was able to extract Rs. 20,000 from the raiyats on condition that Samsher Khan would be removed as Dewan. Although Samsher Khan was removed, the popular Dewan installed after him could not last long and another officer was appointed in his place. This state of dissatisfaction led to the corruption insurgence in 1832. The insurgents burnt villages, killed people mercilessly and plundered property till military operations directed against them put an end to disorder.

The immediate result of these troubles and Kol insurrections in Ranchi and other parts of Singhbhum was the establishment of the South West Frontier Agency by Regulation XIII of 1833. Dhalbhum which had hither to been included in Midnapur district, was transferred to the Manbhum district. After the conquest of the Kolhan in 1837, it was considered advisable to bring all the Ho pirs under the direct management of the British Government. In 1846 the district of Singhbhum (old) was enlarged by the transfer of Dhalbhum from Manbhum. When Act X of 1854 was passed, Singhbhum became a non-regulation district under the jurisdiction of the Lt. Governor of Bengal. The Indian forces stationed at Hazaribag had rebelled, soon to be followed by a detachment of the Ramgarh Battalion sent from Ranchi to quell the rising at Hazaribag. The detachment of the Ramgarh Battalion

stationed at Chaibasa was also inflamed. The insurgent forces raided the treasury and broke open the jail. Then they sought to proceed to Doranda but were prevented by the flooded river Sanjai. They were given refuge by Arjun Singh, Raja of Porahat, who was acclaimed a rebel by the British administration. On September 16, 1857 the new principal Assistant Commissioner, Lt. Birch reached Chaibasa with the Rajas of Seraikela and Kharsawan (now in Seraikela – Kharsawan district) and Kol forces. Ultimately Arjun Singh and his followers surrendered in February, 1859. An era of peace and progress followed, to be broken almost forty years later by the Birsaite rising, the effects of which, however, were not very widespread or great. The history of the district of Purbi Singhbhum in the present century is the Saga of a powerful industrial revolution coming in the wake of the exploitation of the districts’ vast mineral resources.