Dumka

Dumka, now the headquarters of Dumka district and the Santhal Pargana division of Jharkhand, has a history strongly linked to Adivasi culture, especially the Santhal community. For centuries, this region was covered with forests and small tribal villages, where Santhals, Paharias and other groups lived through farming, hunting and forest-based livelihoods, largely outside direct control of big kingdoms in the plains.

In the British period, Dumka gained importance when the colonial administration carved out the Santhal Parganas as a separate tract after the famous Santhal Hul (rebellion) of 1855–56, which was a major uprising against exploitative landlords and British revenue policies. Dumka grew as an administrative and judicial centre, with offices, courts, churches and schools being established to manage this sensitive tribal area more directly.

Through the 20th century, Dumka remained a relatively quiet town, but a focal point for missionary activity, education, and tribal politics. After Independence it continued as a district HQ in Bihar, and when Jharkhand was formed in 2000, Dumka gained further prominence as the sub-capital / divisional headquarters for Santhal Pargana. Today, its identity blends government offices, educational institutions and markets with strong tribal cultural presence, nearby pilgrimage sites like Basukinath, and a landscape of forests and small farms.