Stone-age
On the basis of tools unearthed the original inhabitants appear to be the Mon-khmers and the Mundas.
Early History
The earlier inhabitants of the present-day district of whom there is same record, it appears, were the Paharias (for example, the Maler and Sauria Paharias). TheGreek traveler Megasthenes identified these people as Mallis. He referred to the Sauria Paharias as savars of Orisa.
Medieval History
Due to inaccessibility of the area caused by the cliffs of the Rajmahal Hills, it was a place of strategic economic importance, with a fort at Teliagarhi.
After the 1539 victory of Sher Shah Suri at Chousa, the area fell into the hands of the Afghans, but it was soon lost to the Mughals under Akbar when Hussain Quli Khan was made viceroy of Bengal.
British Period: The English representative, Dr. Gabriel Bokgliton, procured a farman from Shah Jahan.
1742-1751: The area of Dumka close to Rajmahal witnessed frequent inroads by the Marathas under Raghoji Bhosle and Peshwa Balaji Rao.
1745: Raghoji Bhosle entered Rajmahal via the hills and jungles of Santal Pargana. The early stay of the English was spent in subduing the Paharias.
1769: Dumka remained a Ghatwali police post under Birbhum District of Bengal.
1775: Dumka was transferred to Bhagalpur Division.
1865: Dumka was made an independent district after being carved out of Bhagalpur.
1872: Dumka was made headquarters of the whole district of Santal Pargana.
1889: Paul Olaf Bodding started his service in India (Dumka/Benagaria) after Lars Olsen Skrefsrud, and Bodding created the first alphabet for the
