Santhals

Santhals

Santhali people at a dance Saontal
Total population
6,850,000–6,950,000
Regions with significant populations
Jharkhand	2,410,509
West Bengal	2,280,540
Bihar	367,612
Odisha	629,782
Nepal	42,698
Jhapa District	23,172
Morang District	16,387
Assam	800,000-900,000
Bangladesh	271,485 (in 2012)
Languages
Santhali
Religion
Sari Dharam  • Sarnaism  • Hinduism  • Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Mundas  • Hos  • Kols  • other Mon-Khmer people

42,698

The Santhal (Hindi: सांथाल, Bengali: সাঁওতাল, translit. shāñotāl, Nepali: सतार/सन्थाल, translit. satār/santhāl ) are a tribe of people indigenous to Terai of Nepal and India, who live mainly in Nepal and the Indian States of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam (part of the Tea Tribes). There is also a significant Santhal minority in neighboring Bangladesh, and a small population in Nepal. They are one of the largest tribal communities in India. The Santhal mostly speak Santali, a member of the Munda language family.

The Reverend J. Phillips published 'An Introduction to the Santal Language' in 1852, printed at the Calcutta School – Book Society's Press.

Lars Olsen Skrefsrud, a Norwegian missionary and a language researcher, published 'A Grammar of Santhali Language' in 1873.

Paul Olaf Bodding (born Gjøvik, Norway on 2 November 1865, died Odense, Denmark on 25 September 1938) was a Norwegian missionary, linguist and folklorist. He served in India for 44 years (1889–1933), and operated mainly from the town Dumka in the Santhal Parganas-district. Bodding created the first alphabet and wrote the first grammar for the Santhali-speaking native people in eastern India. In 1914 he also completed the translation of the Bible into the Santhali Language.