Kolhan division is one of the five divisions in the state of Jharkhand. The division comprises three districts: East Singhbhum, Seraikela Kharsawan district, and West Singhbhum. The three districts were earlier a part of South Chotanagpur division.
History
The administrative history of the Kolhan division dates back to 1837, when Captain Thomas Wilkinson of the British administration promulgated the
Kolhan Government Estate following the
Kol uprising. The name
Kolhan is derived from
Kol—a colonial
exonym used for tribal communities—and
han, meaning “people” or “human” in the Ho language. The estate was established to bring the Ho-concentrated regions (formerly referred to as Kol) under direct and exclusive colonial governance. Over time, it formed the basis of the Singhbhum district through the amalgamation of neighbouring tribal regions to its east. After India’s independence, the area was reorganized for administrative convenience. With the formation of the state of
Jharkhand in 2000, the region composing West Singhbhum, Saraikela Kharsawan and East Singhbhum was constituted as a separate administrative division named
Kolhan Division.
Languages
