The * Kols” of Chota-Nagpore. | 153 
The “‘ Kols” of Chota-Nagpore.—By Lt.-Col. BK. T. Daron, Commis- 
stoner of Chota-Nagpore. 
[Received 27th July, 1866.] 
The country called Chota (or properly Chuttia) Nagpore is the 
eastern portion of the extensive plateau of Central India on which are 
the sources of the Koel, the Soobunreka, the Damoodah and other 
less known Indian rivers. It extends into Sirgoojah and forms what is 
called the Oopur Ghat or highland of Juspore, and it is connected by 
a continuous chain of hills with the Vindhyan and Kymore ranges, 
from which flow affluents of the Ganges, and with the highlands of 
Omerkuntuck on which are the sources of the Nurbudda. That the 
population of this watershed is found to be, for the most part, a hetero- 
geneous collection of non-Arian tribes, is in itself a fair proof that these 
tribes were at one time the inhabitants of the plains who, driven from 
their original sites at different periods by Braminical invaders, gra- 
dually fell back, following converging lines of rivers in their retreat, 
till from different directions, nations, some bearing marks of common 
origin though separated for ages, others bearing no trace of such 
affinity, met at the sources of the streams, and formed new nationali- 
ties in the secure asylum they found there. 
The plateau averages more than 2,000 feet above the sea level ; it 
is on all sides somewhat difficult of access, and it is owing to the 
security thus given, that the primitive tribes, still found on it, retained 
for ages so much of their independence and idiosyncracy. After over- 
coming the,difficulties of the approach, these first settlers must have 
rejoiced at finding they had not merely reached the summit of a 
range of hills, but had ascended to a new country, well suited to their 
wants and out of reach of their enemies; and here they made their 
final stand. 
They found a genial climate at this elevation and a well-wooded un- 
dulating country, divided and diversified by interior ranges of hills 
uplifting the fertilizing streams, or breaking out in rocky excrescences, 
sometimes in vast semi-globular masses of granite, like sunken domes 
of gigantic temples, sometimes in huge fragments piled in most fan- 
