


55. The Etymology of ‘ Ranchi.’’ 
By Mavtavi ‘ABpvu’L WaAti. 
A few years ago, the Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi 
found it impossible to trace the origin of the word Raiichi, 
the administrative headquarters of the District of the same 
name, and of the Chota Nagpur Division. The following story, 
in reference to the origin of the word, was told me by. certain 
Kols of Rafichi :— 
Many years ago, when the Oraofs were driven out from 
Rohtas Garh and ‘migrated to Chota Nagpur, certain members 
of the tribe settled in a place now called Raiichi. This place. 
is close to the beautiful hillock called Pahar?, which overlooks 
the town of Rafichi. One day in summer, an Oraof farmer of the 
village went to till his land, which was on the foot of the hillock. 
As the Oraof was about to commence tilling the land, a deo 
(demon) inthe form of a human being appeared, and addressed 
the farmer thus :—‘‘ This is my land which you can not 
till.” The farmer at first got frightened, but soon took cour- 
age, and began to plough the land, saying, ‘‘ This is my land, 
I can not stop ploughing.’’ ‘The demon tried to obstruct the 
farmer, but the latter became enraged and beat the demon 
with his archi or stick. In the Kol language the stick with 
which a cultivator drives his plough-oxen is called an archi 
(sometimes pronounced alchi). The demon being severely 
hit, began to cry loudly archi, archi, archi and ared. 
The farmer told the incident to = co-villagers. From this 
fact the village was named Archi or Rchi. The transition 
from Archi to Rachi, and latterly to Raich, was gradual but 
inevitable. The first vowel ain archi being short was dropped, 
and a fresh vowel was substituted after r by the aliens to 
assist them in pects the word. 
The above fable, in my opinion, if cleared from the mist 
of superstition, shows distinctly the fact that might was then, 
as it is now, the arbiter of the right. Was the déo, or the man 
in the shape of a demon, one of the Mundas who, as it is said, 
preceded the Oraofis in their migration to Chota Nagpur pla. 
teau, and whose land the latter was going forcibly to cultivate ? 
If fancy can picture the correct situation, the fable clearly 
demonstrates the fact that, however peaceful m ight be the 
settlement of the nha they dispossessed by force the Mundas 
of their land. This fable see suggests that agrarian disputes, 
now so rampant, was ae unknown in the hazy past, when one 
aboriginal people came in contact with the other. It is incon- 
