Dhalbhum

This article is about the medieval historical region. For 1 its namesake administrative subdivision, see Dhalbhum subdivision. For 2 the community development block, see Dhalbhumgarh block. For 3 its namesake village, see Dhalbhumgarh.
Dhalbhum in a 1909 map of The Imperial Gazetteer of India
Dhalbhum under Medinipur administration, 1776

Dhalbhum was the name given to parganas Supur and Ambikanagar in the Khatra area of present Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal. In the course of time, Dhalbhum kingdom was spread over a much wider area, across the western part of adjoining Midnapore district and the eastern and south-eastern parts of Singhbhum district in present-day Jharkhand.

History

According to Colonel Dalton and H.H. Risley, the Dhal zamindar family of Dhalbhum was the members of the primitive Bhumij race, who was selected by the other Bhumij chiefs as their feudal ruler. The zamindars later became Hinduised, and adopted the title 'Dhal' or 'Dhabal Deo'. The family is related to the families of Bishnupur, Raipur, Shyamsundarpur and others. They ruled for about 700 years. A branch of the same family ruled in Chikligarh or Jamboni.

Rankini Devi is established as the family goddess of the Dhalbhum rulers. It is said that human sacrifice was offered to the goddess every year,