Jungle Mahals

This article is about Jungle Mahals District. For Jungle estate, see Mallabhum_kingdom § 4._Jungle_Mahal.

Jungle Mahals
District of British India
1805–1833
Flag
Capital	Chhatna^[citation needed]
History
• Established	1805
• Bifurcation	1833
Preceded by Succeeded by Burdwan district Birbhum district Midnapore district Burdwan district Manbhum District

Jungle Mahals (lit. jungle estates)[1] was a district formed by British possessions and some independent chiefdoms lying between Birbhum, Burdwan, Midnapore[2] and the hilly country of Chota Nagpur in what is now the Indian state of West Bengal.[3] The district was located in the area known as the Jungle Terry.[4]^[citation needed]

The Jungle Mahals area as depicted on a 1776 map by James Rennell.

Background

Main article: Chuar Rebellion

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 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.[1]

According to L.S.S. O'Malley, the district that was formed consisted of 23 parganas and Mahals.[1]

Jungle Mahals District[1] 1805–1833
District transferred from Birbhum	District transferred from Burdwan	District transferred from Midnapore
Panchet	Senpahari	Chhatna
	Shergarh	Barabhum
	Bishnupur	Manbhum
		Supur
		Ambikanagar
		Simlapal
		Bhalaidiha

Disestablished

By Regulation XIII of 1833, the district of Jungle Mahals was broken up. The estates of Senpahari, Shergarh and Bishnupur were transferred to Burdwan District and the remainder constituted the Manbhum District.[3]

Statehood Demand

In 2021, Saumitra Khan, Lok Sabha BJP MP demanded the creation of Junglemahal state consisting of Purulia, Jhargram, Bankura, parts of Birbhum, Purbo Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur 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. [5]

The West Bengal state BJP unit, however, distanced itself from the Junglemahal statehood demand.[6] A Trinamool Congress leader filed a complaint against Saumitra Khan for demanding statehood for Junglemahal.[7]

See also

• Chhota Nagpur Division
• Jungle Terry

References

1. "Forest Tenures in the Jungle Mahals of South West Bengal" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
2. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Midnapore" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 419.
3. O’Malley, L.S.S., ICS, Bankura, Bengal District Gazetteers, pp. 21-41, 1995 reprint, Government of West Bengal
4. Browne, James (1788). India tracts: containing a description of the Jungle Terry districts, their revenues, trade, and government: with a plan for the improvement of them. Also an history of the origin and progress of the Sicks
5. "Bengal BJP MP seeks separate Junglemahal state, party distances itself from demand". NewIndianExpress. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
6. "BJP MP seeks separate Junglemahal state, party distances itself from demand". Retrieved 3 July 2021.
7. "Trinamool Leader Lodges Complaint Against BJP MPs For Demanding Separate Statehood". NDTV. Retrieved 3 July 2021.

Bibliography

• Das, Binod S. (1973). Civil Rebellion In The Frontier Bengal (1760-1805). Punthi Pustak. OCLC 1105009.

External links

• The Jungle and the Aroma of Meats: An Ecological Theme in Hindu Medicine

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