According to their own traditions, Mr. Gait writes, [358] "The
Kurukh tribe originally lived in the Carnatic, whence they went up the
Nerbudda river and settled in Bihar on the banks of the Son. Driven out
by the Muhammadans, the tribe split into two divisions, one of which
followed the course of the Ganges and finally settled in the Rajmahal
hills: while the other went up the Son and occupied the north-western
portion of the Chota Nagpur plateau, where many of the villages they
occupy are still known by Mundari names. The latter were the ancestors
of the Oraons or Kurukhs, while the former were the progenitors of the
Male or Saonria as they often call themselves." Towards Lohardaga the
Oraons found themselves among the Mundas or Kols, who probably retired
by degrees and left them in possession of the country. "The Oraons,"
Father Dehon states, "are an exceedingly prolific tribe and soon become
the preponderant element, while the Mundas, being conservative and
averse to living among strangers, emigrate towards another jungle. The
Mundas hate zamindars, and whenever they can do so, prefer to live in
a retired corner in full possession of their small holding; and it
is not at all improbable that, as the zamindars took possession of
the newly-formed villages, they retired towards the east, while the
Oraons, being good beasts of burden and more accustomed to subjection,
remained." In view of the fine physique and martial character of
the Larka or Fighting Kols or Mundas, Dalton was sceptical of the
theory that they could ever have retired before the Oraons; but in
addition to the fact that many villages in which Oraons now live have
Mundari names, it may be noted that the headman of an Oraon village
is termed Munda and is considered to be descended from its founder,
while for the Pahan or priest of the village gods, the Oraons always
employ a Munda if available, and it is one of the Pahan's duties to
point out the boundary of the village in cases of dispute; this is a
function regularly assigned to the earliest residents, and seems to
be strong evidence that the Oraons found the Mundas settled in Chota
Nagpur when they arrived there. It is not necessary to suppose that
any conquest or forcible expropriation took place; and it is probable
that, as the country was opened up, the Mundas by preference retired
to the wilder forest tracts, just as in the Central Provinces the
Korkus and Baigas gave way to the Gonds, and the Gonds themselves
relinquished the open country to the Hindus. None of the writers quoted
notice the name Munda as applied to the headman of an Oraon village,
but it can hardly be doubted that it is connected with that of the
tribe; and it would be interesting also to know whether the Pahan or
village priest takes his name from the Pans or Gandas. Dalton says
that the Pans are domesticated as essential constituents of every
Ho or Kol village community, but does not allude to their presence
among the Oraons. The custom in the Central Provinces, by which in
Gond villages the village priest is always known as Baiga, because
in some localities members of the Baiga tribe are commonly employed
in the office, suggests the hypothesis of a similar usage here. In
villages first settled by Oraons, the population, Father Dehon states,
is divided into three _khunts_ or branches, named after the Munda,
Pahan and Mahto, the founders of the three branches being held to
have been sons of the first settler. Members of each branch belong
therefore to the same sept or _got_. Each _khunt_ has a share of the
village lands.