22, May 2026

SANTAL: AN ANCIENT COMMUNITY OF INDIA

VOLUME-10; ISSUE-5; MAY-2026

Author(s): Dr. Bholanath Saren

Authors Affiliations:

Resource Person, Department of Santali, Eastern Regional Language Centre, Bhubaneswar, India

DOIs:10.2017/IJRCS/202605011     |     Paper ID: IJRCS202605011


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India is a country of multiracial people. According to the 'People of India' project of the Anthropological Survey of India, there are an estimated 4,635 ethnic groups in India. Of these, 705 belong to tribal communities. Out of 705 tribals, one of them is a Santal. They are considered an ancient community in present-day India. Santals are the third-largest among tribals in terms of population. In India, the Santals, like other ethnic groups, have distinct social customs, cultures, and traditions. In which Santals are said to be different from other castes. At present, Santals are settled in almost all the states of India. The mother tongue of Santals is Santali. The Santali language is as old as the Santal caste. Santals are priests of nature. That is why they worship on hills, forests, trees, rocks, rivers, etc. The main occupation of the Santals is agriculture. They prefer to live in groups or villages together. Santals are people who live in the middle of society, and they live under the aegis of Manjhi. From time to time, the Santals have also sacrificed their lives for the country. Santal also revolted for the independence of India or against the British. At present, Santals are classified as Adivasi, Scheduled Tribe, and Janajati in government documents.

Santal, Santali, Literature, Culture, Tradition, Manjhi system, Festival, History.

Dr. Bholanath Saren (2026); SANTAL: AN ANCIENT COMMUNITY OF INDIA, International Journal of Research Culture Society,    ISSN(O): 2456-6683,  Volume – 10,   Issue –  5,  Available on – https://ijrcs.org/

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