Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s6.6.7

c48.s6.6.7

There have been a good many converts to Christianity from the tribe of late years, and, indeed, most of the information available about the language and religion of the tribe is derived from Danish and other Missionaries working amongst them: In their own worship and in the periodical great sacrifices the Santāl relies upon the Naiki, or priest of his own community. Akin to the Santāl is a small tribe called Māhilī, which, judging from the names of its subdivisions, must have split off from the main body on taking to work, such as carrying loads and making baskets, deemed degrading by the Santāl. It seems, too, that the Muṇḍā contributed a section to the Māhilī. The latter are now found chiefly in Mānbhūm and the Rānci district of the plateau, with a few scattered amongst their kinsfolk elsewhere. Their religion has been described as a mixture of “Animism half-forgotten and Brāhmanism half-understood”. Sacrifices are offered to the god of the mountain and to the snake and then consumed by those who make the offering. One subdivision only has advanced well into the religion of the plains, and employs Brāhmans and abjures the food dear to the rest. The Binjhiā and Birjiā have usually been considered to be one tribe, but at the last Census it was considered better to tabulate them separately.