gin of cultivation".
The Santhals who were encouraged to settle in the district were simple and hardy. Their words were a knot of tie. Thus they fell an easy prey to the unscrupulous hillmen and non-Santhal traders. Chaudhary, P.C. Roy writer of the new Gazatteer of Santhal Praganas held the view that " It was common practice for the hillmen to apply for grant of land on condition of cultivating it themselves but they frequently gave it to Santhals, in the hope of collecting rents from them. Baniyas and mahajans, made heavy exaction from the innocent Santhals and there was no check on them. The local administration was extremely corrupt. In the area where Santhals had settled in large numbers, the Naib Sazwals, assistants of the English superintendents, were greedy and oppressive". The police were equally corrupt. The Santhals were used to ready justice at no cost. But to add to their hardship they had to trek a long way, either to Jangipur in Murshidabad district or to Bhagalpur for justice as the civil and criminal courts were located there. If at all they could get the justice there, it proved too costly for them. To add to their injury the court staff and lawyers all pounced on them and exploited them to the maximum."
Besides, there was the 'Kamauti' system. The idea of it was repayment of a debt by physical labour. In practice, however the debtor worked in many cases for a generation or two and yet the loan, no matter how small, could not be repaid. The mahajans were crooked and took advantage of the meekness of Santhals. Disgruntled, thus the Santhals felt insecure and their discontent was sharpened as their co-tribesmen outside the clutches of mahajans and banias earned a handsome wages in the forests which were being cleared for the rail lines to be laid. These entire facts and circumstances led to the Santhal Hul or Rebellion of 1855.
The Santhals got leaders in Sido, Kanu, Chand and Bhairab all the four brothers of village
