Brief About Palamu District
Early History
The early history of PALAMU is not authentic but we have legends
about it. It is, however certain that kharwars, oraons and cheros,
the three aboriginal races practically ruled over the tract. The
kharwars claim to be suryavanshi Kshatriyas. They trace their
decent from Ajanagara or Ayodhya. Karusa was the sixth son of
Manu Vaivasata and he was assigned the eastern territory. The
descendants of Karusa were called Karusas who subsequently came
to be known as Karwars or kharwars. According to tradition they
were the rulers of Rohtasgarh. The kharawars point to the days
of the Pratapadhaval, one of the line of chiefs who ruled there
in the twelfth century A.D., during the time of their greatest
prosperity.
The cheros have been spoken in very high terms
in the Aitareya Aranyaka along with the Vangas and Magadhas. They
did not observe the Vedic sacrifices and still they are termed
as revered cheros ‘cheropadas. There is not much evidence to show
that the Cheros came to this region from Kumaun as some think.
The Mandas claim decent from Karusas. The Ramayana
records their flight to the south. Some say that these aboriginals
played the band at the time of Rama’s coronation at Ayodhya and
they were assigned this region in lieu of their meritorious services.
The Pandawas killed Jarasandha – an ally of the Mand . Naturally
in the Mahabharat war the Mandas sided with the kauravas and were
in the army of Bhisma. Sanjaya says that on the left wing of Bhisma
are the Karusas with the Mandas, Vikunja and Kundivarsa Satyiki
compares the Mandas with the demons and boasts that he would put
an end them just as Indra ended the demons . Arjuna is said to
have married a Naga princess from this region and Babhruvahana
was born of this lady.
Palamu an Introduction
The District of palamu lies between 23 degree
50’ and 24 degree 8’ north latitude and between 83 degree 55’
and 84 degree 30’ east longitude. It contains an area of 5043.8
square Kms. The administrative head quarter is Daltonganj situated
on koel river in 24 degree 3’ north and 84 degree 4’ east. Daltonganj
has taken its name after colonel Dalton, commissioner of Chhotangapur
in 1861. The distance between Daltonganj and Ranchi is 165 Km.
Old Palamu District is divided in three Districts.
(1) Palamau
(2) Garhwa
(3) LateharOrigin of name
The Origin of the name Palamu is doubtful. According to on account,
it is derived from the Hindi word palana, to lee and means “a
place of refuse”. Another suggestions is that the name is combination
of Pala meaning “ forst” and mu the patois is root for “dead “
the whole word meaning “dead from frost”, parts of the District
being liable during the winter months to severe frosts . Both
these explanations however must be regarded as purely speculative.
Another suggestion is that Palamau is a Dravidian name, that it
may be a corruption of Pall– amm –u , Pall meaning “tooth “ amm
(which when combined with another main assumes the form am) meaning
“water”. While a is kind of genitive or possessive case meaning
“village”, “ Country “ ,”fortress “etc. In support of this theory,
it may be mentioned that the name is spelt Palamau is the vernacular
and was originally applied to the village which was the seat of
the chero chiefs, and in which theirs forts were built.
BOUNDRIESThe district is bainded north by the river Son which
separates it from the districts of Rohtas, and by the district
Aurangabad (Bihar), on the east by the district of Chatra and
Hazaribagh, on the south by the district Latehar on the west by
the district Garhwa and Chhatisgarh state.
