A land of their own

The establishment of the Kolhan Government Estate is arguably the decisive moment in the history of the Hos, now a 1,200,000 strong scheduled tribe in Jharkhand. Independent at the start, between 1818 and 1842 the Hos had twenty-five odd years to reconsider their ties with the outside world and the modern state. As far as their aim was to continue to live their life without foreign interference, they did so with remarkable success. 00This is not just another political or socio-economic history of just another tribe. It goes way beyond that. This is history as people lived it in the jungles of Jharkhand with intrigues, deception, bravery, despair - and love. Their own words give their story a rare immediacy.