174 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [June, 



communication to discuss the prospects of success which mining might 

 n ave at the present day. 



In this country where there are no reliable records, even such 

 evidence as has been given in support of the Seraks having been 

 the ancient copper miners is not usually obtainable. In Singhbhum 

 there are in operation at the present day extensive potstone mines, 

 and gold-washing is carried on by certain of the lower races. The 

 unknown discoverers of these productions must be relegated to that 

 class of mythical individuals who, in all countries, have pointed out the 

 specific virtues of many drugs, and the particular properties of many 

 natural productions. 



All the published ethnological papers having reference to Singh- 

 bhum or the adjoining districts refer to the prevalence of a belief 

 amongst the Hos and Bhumiz that their country was formerly in 

 possession of the Seraks. 



Major Tickell says "Singhbhum passed into the hands of the Sura- 

 waks, a race of Bengali Brahmins (?) now almost extinct but then 

 numerous and opulent, whose original country is said to have been 

 Sikrbhiim and Pachete * * * the oppressions of the Surawaks ended 

 in their total expulsion from the Kolehan." 



Col. Dalton has described several Jain temples and Buddhist emblems 

 in subsequently Hinduized temples which are found in Manbhum. 

 He considers it " probable that these shrines mark the course taken 

 in his travels by the great saint Vira." It may be that Vira did not 

 visit Singhbhum, hence the absence of temples. Or, on the other 

 hand the Yatis, or clerical Jains, may not have extended beyond the 

 ranges of hills which bound Manbhum on the south, the more adven- 

 turous Seraks, or lay Jains, having alone penetrated the jungles where 

 they were rewarded with the discovery of copper, upon the workirig 

 of which they must have spent all their time and energy, as with the 

 exception of the tanks above mentioned, the mines furnish the sole 

 evidence of their occupation of that part of the country. It is scarcely 

 conceivable that the Hos, when they drove out the Seraks, could have 

 utterly destroyed all trace of buildings. Col. Dalton* estimates that 

 the Jains were driven out by the Hos more than 2,000 years ago. 



Without the least desire to stretch or force an analogy, one cannot 

 * J. A. S. B, Vol. XXXV. Part II. p. 164. 



