The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-18 00:00:00

THE SANTHAL INSURRECTION.

'The Calcutta Englishman prints a voluminous
collection/of correspondence from various parts of
the disturbed district, but the accounts are singu-
larly confused and uncertain, as was almost inevit-
able under the circumstances of its collation. The
letters abound in accounts of the destruction of
numerous villages, and it is likely that, owing to
multiplied accounts of events really the same, the
extent of the insurrection is exaggerated. The

following is an extract from au official letter from
Mr. Toogood, magistrate of Moorshedabad, dated
Moheshpore, 15th July, 1855 :
I reached with the troops the village of Pnlsa, said to
be distant about 12 miles from Cudumshar, yesterday,
at 5 p.m., but I am sorry to say the insurgents had lair.
We had a most difficult and fatiguing march throuh
rice-fields and water, to a considerable height, until w,
got upon the road made by the railway company for
the conveyance of materials required for its construction.
I went into several villages on the line of march, all of
which were burnt and plundered. The inhabitants had
fled ; those who could not succeed in doing so were
killed, amongst them women and children, their bodies
presenting a frightful spectacle of the atrocities commit-
ted by these murderers.
On arriving at the village of Pnlsa we found that the
whole of it bad been looted, and the bungalows built by
the railway engineers, who have made this a central
station, had been entirely destroyed, together with the
whole of their property. Correct information, ho wever,
having been received of the rioters having gone to Mo-
hoshpore, I requested Capt. Birch to proceed with all
baste to its protection. My requisition, notwithstanding
the long marches and dreadful weather, wa3 readily
complied with, and at midnight 29 elephants of the Na-
wab were loaded with about 200 sepoys, and we pro-
ceeded to this place, distant about six miles from Pulsa,
and arrived at dawn of day, and discdvered the rioters
posted on the banks of a large tank, numbering about
4,000 to 5,0)0 men. . .

Our approach was somewhat sudden, in consequence
of our emerging from a cluster of mangoe trees ; still,
from the advanced guard of the rioters who retreated
from this grove, it was evident they were prepared for
us, and on drawing near they fired at us a large number
of arrows and some muskets.

I, in consequence of this determined opposition pre-
sented to us, and the opposing disposition evinced by the
two leaders, by name, I believe, Scdu and Kanoo,
deemed it my duty to call upon Capt. Birch, when with-
in about 30 yards, to fire on the insurgents, which the
sepoys immediately did ; and though they advanced
upon us, still in about ten minutes the main portion of
them were driven from the banks of the tank.
Several other attacks were made on us from different
parts of the village, and a determined opposition evinced,
which was at last successfully overcome, and in the space
of VI hours we found ourselves masters of the village
and the large residence of Gopal Sing (the husband
of Janki Coomaroe), which is built of masonry ; and at
last we succeeded in driving the rioters across the river
into the jungle, which is very thick on all sides of us.
About 100 rioters are calculated to have been killed
in this encounter, and as many, if not more, wounded ' •
but Ifear the ringleaders are not to be numbered with
the dead. Five sepoys have alto been slightly wounded
with arrows unpoisoned.
A very large amount of property has fallen into our
hands, consisting of palkees, a buggy, brass and copper
utensils, silks, cloths, and miscellaneous property (in-
cluding the weapons of the insurgents), which as yet I
have not been able to collect, but it averaged at about
4,000 Rs. worth, besides Rs. 7,260 12 ans. in cash. 28
Santhals have been made prisoners.
I believe-that nevertheless they have still succeeded
in carrying away much property. It is reported that a
great quantity of cash was on two elephants of theirs,
which we were unable to capture. The jungle is so thick.,
extending for miles on all sides, that they easily managed
to conceal themselves from our sight.
The continued marching we have had without food,
shelter, or change of clothes for days, will render it
necessary for us to halt here till to-morrow, if not longer.
The village, by name Bhugnadihee, in which is their
Thacoor, is situate about 40 miles from this, and it will
be my object to lead the troops to that place as soon as
possible, in the hopes of at once quelling the rioters,
who have been told by their Thacoor that water will
only come out of our muskets.
I am impressed with the idea that it will be necessary
to keep a military force in this part of the country for
some Ceesiderable time, and I would earnestly reconl-
mend this measure to the notice of the Government,

Aurungabad and Pulse, or Mohesbpore, appear to me
to require troops being stationed in them, even if it is
only to restore confidence to the inhabitants, and lead
them to return to their deserted homes—villages now
being completely deserted and laid waste for a space of
upwards of 40 miles.
The very valuable assistance afforded by the Nawab
I cannot speak of too highly. Had it not been for the
thirty elephants supplied us by his Highness, our expedi-
tion would, in consequence of the difficult and almost
impassable country we are in, have been attended with
very different and unsatisfactory results.
The following is an extract from another letter of
the same gentleman, written when he had reached
the object of his further march. It is dated July 25:
I left Coochpara at about 6 a.m. yesterday, with the
troops en route to Barheyte and Bhugnadihee. After we
had marched aboutlthree miles, we entered a pass through
the hills, which led into a large valley in which is situate
many Santhal villages. We had not proceeded above a
mile when we observed a body of Santhals, about 200
strong, emerge from some villages, and advance in an
easterly direction towards us. Capt. Middleton, Mr.
Taylor and myself rode forward, and three guns were
fired at us, and the rebels came on, under Karroo, with
naked swords, and bows and arrows. A company ad-
vanced under Lieut. Parlby to the attack; but, although
several shots were fired, not one of the rebels appeared
to be hit, and they retreated in good order to the hills,
and concealed themselves in the jungle.
I deemed it advisable to call upon Lieut. Parlby to
burn the villages from.which these rebels emerged, which
being done, we proceeded to Barheyte, and arrived at
about 1 p.m. We found the village totally deserted and
plundered. Mr. Pontet's bungalow had not been fired,
but there was not a vestige of anything remaining in it.
Here on the banks of a tank Captain Birch halted his
men, and Captain Middleton, Mr. Taylor, myself, and
a few of the Nizamut troops rode on to the village of
Bhugnadihee, about 1i miles distant, in a south-westerly ,
direction. We found the village totally deserted, and I
in the compound of Kanoo's house, under a large cover
made of wicker work, the Thacoor, which consisted of a
circle of mud about two feet in diameter, raised some
two inches, but connected with the adjacent earth,
and having in the centre another small circle about
three inches in diameter, and similarly raised about two
inches. In fact, the Thacoor was exactly like one of the
solid wooden cart wheels used by these hill people : it
was cracked in two places, and report says, that when
milk was poured on it from its fissures it spouted up, and
other phenomena were seen. Armagd the Thacoor were
the heads of goats and two buffaloes, which animals
were early that morning offered as an oblation to the
deity, after 'Which Kanoo led forth the men to attack us
in the valley. I have before mentioned leaving Sedu,
who was disabled, by his wrist being broken at the fight
at Moheshpore, to look after the Thacoor Baree, and
plunder ; but on hearing from some persons whom
Kanoo sent across the hills that we were marching on
Bhugnadihee, he deemed it prudent to decamp with as
much of the plunder as he could, and consequently little
has fallen into our hands, except four elephants (the pro-
perty of the Zemindars of Pakour and the late Mr. Hen-
shawe), some howdahe, palkees, two guns and one rifle
(English), some brass pots, European clothes, and grain.
All the gold and silver ornaments had been carried off.
I am happy to say that in the Thacoor Baree I found
a tin box, and in it several of the papers and documents
of the ringleaders, the seals of the Darogahs of Thannah
Digee, who was murdered, some orders of the magistrate
of Bbaugulpore, Sedu's written orders ; copies of some
of which I send for your perusal. They are chiefly writ-
ten in the Hindee language. Those only written in
Bengali are sent.
From inquiries made by me last night of the adjacent
villages, I have learnt the following particulars :—This
rebellion has been instigated by four brothers, residents
of the village of Bhugnadihee, by name Kanoo, Sedu,
Chand, andeßhyrub, all Manjhees, of whom Sedu and
Chand were at home, and the two others in the houses
of their father-in-law at Simulchap, Pergunnah not
known, in the district of Bhaugulpore, about ten miles
distant from the place. About two months ago Sedu
and Chand went about and told the Manjhees or Mun-
dies that a Thacoor had descended in their house,
and therefore all should bring a cupful of milk, and pre-
sent it as an offering. The villagers asked in what
form the Thacoor had appeared. They said in a flame
of fire. The two brothers also said that on Friday next
he would come again, and on that day all should be as-
sembled at their house. The villagers, in obedience to
the orders of Sedu and Kanoo, took milk every day to
their house, which was placed efore the Thacoor, and it
was reported that the milk used to rise up, and was thus
a proof of the Thacoor's presence. Sometimes, when a
man was doubted his cup of milk was declared to be of
a bluish colour, and he was then pronounced to be un-
true to Thacoor, and the offering was refused. When
Friday came all the villagers went to see the Thacoor
at Sedu and Kanoo's house, and were told by the
brothers that the Thacoor had not come that day, but
would on the fifteenth day of the moon, which would be
about fifteen days hence. Sedu showed them two printed
books and two pieces of paper and a small knife, and
said these things were sent by the Thacoor, who had
said they should be King, that only one anna should he
paid for each oxen plough and two annas for a buffalo
plough, that their creditors should not be paid, and
that in future only one pica for rupee per annum should
be paid as interest; that the English were to be driven
out of the country, and water only would come out of
their guns, Sec. Before the fifteenth day of the moon
came Sedu began to collect all the Santhals together in
bis house at Bhugnadihee. They came with bows and
arrows, swords, axes, and drums. Sedu's other two bro-
thers, who were at Simulchap, also collected men and
joined him at Bhugnadihee, and the force amounted to
about 10,000 men. The Darogah of Dighee having re-
ceived information of all this went with about eight or
ten Burkundauzes to Pauchkattea, which is three miles
distant from Bhugnadihee, and was met there by about
500 Santhals under Sedu; he sent for the Darogah, and
asked him why he had not presented himself before, in
accordance with the perwannah which he had issued to
him. The Darogah replied that he was absent from
his Thannah. Sedu then ordered the Santhals to
surround the police, and with his own hands cut
off the head of the Darogah, and the Burkundauzes
were killed by his followers. He then proceeded to
murder all who would not follow him, and plunder and
burn their villages. Chand Manjee, it appears, remained
at home, whilst Sedu, Kanoo, and Bhyrub led the rebels.
At Moheshpore Sedu received a musket shot on the
wrist of his right hand, and Kanoo and Bhyrub received
a shot in the abdomen and back respectively, but none
of these wounds are of a serious nature. Sedu was car-
ried away from Moheshpore on a charpoy, after the flight
Moheshpore, and the four brothers returned the
Bhugnadihee with four elephants and a quantity of plun-
der, and have since remained at home. Yesterday,
hearing of the arrival of the troops, they sacrificed two
buffaloes and 10 goats, and Kanoo with 60 or 70 men
went forth to Rughonathpoor to fight the troops. About
12 o'clock in the day some of the Santhals carne running
back to Bhugnadihee, and said that Kanoo was shot and
had died. Sedu and the other two brothers hearing of
this fled to the hills, taking with them as much as they
could of the plundered property. The following men
were in the gang, and warrants for their a,ppreben,ion
have been issued—(Here followed a list of 35 per-
sons, with the names of their villages.) These villages
are under the charge of Mr. Pontet ; they belong to
the Thannabs of Ticree and Dighee, and Sedu and his
brothers 'are common sort of men, much in debt, and
never paid their creditors.
I have burnt the village of Bhugnadihee, and with it
the whole of the Thacoor Baree, and issued the enclosed
proclamation ; it is reported we are to be attacked with
a large force to-morrow, but I don't believe we shall be.
The four books which it is reported fell from heaven,
and in which- the orders of the Thacoor were written,
and which Looks were read every day at the Thacoor
Baree, are translations of the Gospels of St. John into
Bengalee and other languages ; they were found on the
Verandah of Sedu's house, where he used to sit and dic-
tate his orders, and close to the verandah was the Tha-
coor. The books were wrapped up in a white cloth, and
tied round with a piece of gold string.
On the 7th of August Mr. Secretary Grey com-
municated the following to the Calcutta Press :
Little information of importance has been received
from the disturbed districts for many days.
The Moorshedabad district is reported to be perfectly
cleared of the Santhals.

The accounts regarding the Beerbhoom districts are
conflicting. The most probable statement is that the
Santhals have retired from the south part of the district,
but that they are hovering about in large numbers in the
Pergunnahs north of the Mor, and threatening again to
cross that river to attack Nagore and other places. De-
tachments of troops are well posted for the defence of
the country, but it is not thought practicable by the
civil officers for the force now in that district to adopt at
present any material measures of offence against the in-
surgents. Brigadier Bird left Raneegunge yesterday
morning for Sooree with a reinforcement of troops and
three 3-pounder guns.
From the Bhaugulpore district there has been an ab-
sence of information during the last few days. But the
troops in that district are now in great force, and some
active operations may be looked for from the directions
of Bhaugulpore, Colgong, and Rajmahal, aided as the
troops are there by the accurate local knowledge of Capt.
Sherwill, Mr. Pontet, and Mr. Barnes, an indigo planter.
Mr. Bidwell has been directed to proceed to Rajmahal
as a special commissioner.
General Lloyd would, it is supposed, have reached
Rajmahal on the let or 2d inst.