Question

In the early 19th century, Buchanan travelled through the Rajmahal Hills. The hill folks living there were:

• A. Paharias
• B. Santhals
• C. Gonds
• D. Bhils

Hint:

The Paharias' resistance to colonial forest laws, which disrupted their shifting cultivation, highlights their struggle to maintain traditional livelihoods.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The Paharias were indigenous communities living in the Rajmahal Hills of Bihar, as documented by Francis Buchanan during his surveys in the early 19th century. The Paharias were known for their unique lifestyle, which included shifting cultivation and a strong resistance to external control. Buchanan’s ethnographic work helped the British better understand the local tribes and their customs. The Paharias, like other hill communities, resisted colonial efforts to impose restrictions on their traditional practices.