‘ The “ Kels” of Chota-Nagpore. 165 
but supremacy was claimed by the Rajpoot Rajahs over the Ho tribes 
next to them, thus dividing the country and the people amongst four | 
Rajpoot chiefs, the Rajahs of Mohurbhunj and Porahat, Koer of 
Seraikilla, and Thakoor of Khursowan. 
It is true that the chiefs of Singbhoom, ancestors of the Rajahs of 
Porahat, Seraikilla and Thakoor of Khursowan, obtained great influ- 
ence over their wild neighbours. They were gradually induced to 
believe tales which gave to the founder of this family a miraculous 
birth in their country, and they accorded to him divine honors, whilst 
they repudiated the idea of his being their temporal chief. The 
oldest surviving member of the Porahat family tells me that no 
regular tribute was ever received from the Colehan, but they were 
treated and employed rather as friendly allies than as subjects, and at 
certain seasons presents of trifling value were received from them and 
presents given in return. 
When a division of the estate of the Singhoom chief occurred, the 
brothers each took, with the share assigned to him, a share in the good- 
will of the Hos. Thus the Seraikilla and Khursowan families claimed 
the allegiance of the tribes nearest to them. The claim of the 
Mohurbhunj Rajah sprang up as the Kols extended their cultivation, 
till it touched or ran over his boundary. But it is admitted that all 
recorded attempts of the Rajpoot chiefs to subdue them had been 
signally defeated. 
On the last occasion, the great grandfather of the present Maharajah 
of Chota-Nagpore, at the head of 20,000 of his own men co-operating 
with the forces of the Singbhoom Rajpoot chiefs, entered the Colehan. 
The Hos allowed him to do this; they then fell on his army in masses, 
and, routing it with immense slaughter, ignominiously expelled him, 
pursuing him into his own territory, and severely retaliating on the 
border villages of the Maharajah and his allies. 
It was no doubt in retaliation for these attacks on their independence 
that the Hos now became, as they were found to be when first brought 
to our notice (in 1819-20), the scourge of the inhabitants of the more 
civilized parts of Singbhoom and of all the surrounding districts. 
They shewed no mercy to the Braminical inhabitants of the villages 
they attacked and pillaged. <A long line of Bramin villages on the 
Bramin river in Gangpoor was laid waste by them and has remained 
