⚠ Official Notice: www.ijisrt.com is the official website of the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) Journal for research paper submission and publication. Please beware of fake or duplicate websites using the IJISRT name.



Relevance of the ‘Santal Hool’ (1855–56) in the Indian Freedom Struggle: A Study on Tribal Resistance, National Consciousness, and the Struggle for Independence


Authors : Dr. Dhanu Murmu

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 6 - June


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4ssvb4vh

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/47js3y69

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jun2070

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : The Santal Hool, which happened from 1855 to 1856 was led by the famous brothers Sidhu Murmu, Kanhu Murmu, Chand Murmu and Bhairav Murmu along together with their sister Pholo and Jhano Murmu. The Santal Hool was one of the fight against the British in India when it came to farmers and land. Most people think that the Uprising of 1857 was the reason India wanted to be free from British rule. This research paper says that the Santal Hool was actually a very important event that happened before and changed the way people fought against the British. The Santal Hool took place in the area of Damin-i-koh, which's now part of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The fight started because the British East India Company’s laws were not fair to the people the law from 1793. In addition, people who lent money took advantage of the santal people, and the police did not do their job correctly. The paper shows how the Santal Hool brought people together not the Santal people, but also other groups who were treated unfairly. The Santal Hool showed that when people work together, they can make the government listen to them and change its policies. For example, the British government created an area called the Santal Parganas district and made a new law called the Santal Parganas Tenancy Act because of the Santal Hool. This study says that the Santal Hool was a part of Indias fight for freedom and that it was not just a small unorganized fight but a well-planned and thoughtful struggle for the Santal people to be in charge of their own lives, which is what Swaraj means. The Santal Hool helped shape the way people thought about freedom, in India.

Keywords : Santal Hool, Tribal Resistance, National Consciousness, Anti-Colonialism, Damin-I-Koh.

References :

  1. Aounshuman, A. (2022). Resistance against the Company Raj: With special reference to Bihar and Jharkhand (1757–1856). Social Change, 49(1 Suppl.), 66–82.
  2. Andersen, P. B. (2024). The Santal Rebellion 1855–1856: The Call of the Thakur. Copenhagen: NIAS Press.
  3. Britannica Editors. (2025). Santal Rebellion. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from Britannica database.
  4. Hunter, W. W. (1868). Annals of Rural Bengal. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  5. Mondal, J. K. (2024). The Santal rebellion and other tribal movements: A historical review. International Education and Research Journal, 10(1), 45–52.
  6. Soy, K. (2025). Historiography of resistance: Revisiting the contributions of Adivasi freedom fighters. EPH International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 11(2), 1–12.
  7. Singh, K. S. (1983). Tribal Movements in India (Vols. I–II). New Delhi: Manohar Publishers.
  8. Guha, R. (1983). Elementary Aspects of Peasant Insurgency in Colonial India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
  9. Murmu, R. (2018). Tribal identity and resistance in colonial India: Re-reading the Santal Hul. Journal of Tribal Studies, 6(2), 75–91.
  10. Datta, K. K. (1940). The Santal Insurrection of 1855–57. Calcutta: University of Calcutta Press.

The Santal Hool, which happened from 1855 to 1856 was led by the famous brothers Sidhu Murmu, Kanhu Murmu, Chand Murmu and Bhairav Murmu along together with their sister Pholo and Jhano Murmu. The Santal Hool was one of the fight against the British in India when it came to farmers and land. Most people think that the Uprising of 1857 was the reason India wanted to be free from British rule. This research paper says that the Santal Hool was actually a very important event that happened before and changed the way people fought against the British. The Santal Hool took place in the area of Damin-i-koh, which's now part of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The fight started because the British East India Company’s laws were not fair to the people the law from 1793. In addition, people who lent money took advantage of the santal people, and the police did not do their job correctly. The paper shows how the Santal Hool brought people together not the Santal people, but also other groups who were treated unfairly. The Santal Hool showed that when people work together, they can make the government listen to them and change its policies. For example, the British government created an area called the Santal Parganas district and made a new law called the Santal Parganas Tenancy Act because of the Santal Hool. This study says that the Santal Hool was a part of Indias fight for freedom and that it was not just a small unorganized fight but a well-planned and thoughtful struggle for the Santal people to be in charge of their own lives, which is what Swaraj means. The Santal Hool helped shape the way people thought about freedom, in India.

Keywords : Santal Hool, Tribal Resistance, National Consciousness, Anti-Colonialism, Damin-I-Koh.

Paper Submission Last Date
31 - July - 2026

SUBMIT YOUR PAPER CALL FOR PAPERS
Video Explanation for Published paper

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe