38 SOCIAL SCIENTIST overtone caused a certain amount of panic amongst the local zamindars and non-tribal tenants. In an assessment of the developing situation towards the end of April 1920 the authorities stated: It is yery important that this Tanabhagat movement should be stamped out. The Superintendent of Police of today has received a report which indicates that the movement is spreading. . . Unless the followers are made to realize that their so-called leaders are not Bhagwans (gods) and incapable of being punished, I fear a serious spread of the movement.9 They of course took preventive action to maintain law and order. Jatra was arrested on April 23, 1914, on the charge of carrying on propaganda that endangered peace, and sentenced to imprisonment. On his release on June 2,1915, he was heartily welcomed by his followers, but he would not burn his fingers again and faded out. A succession of 'gurusf followed. A woman, Litho Oraon, declared herself a goddess and preached along the same lines as Jatra did. The Tanabhagat movement spread like wildfire among the Oraon population of Ranchi, Palamau (Chandwa) and Hazaribagh. Some Mundas and Kharias also joined hands, but the movement remained predominentfy Oraon in its social composition. Litho Oraon too was charged, like Jatra, with being a lunatic, but was, like him, found fit enough to stand trial. On her release she too faded into oblivion. In November 1915, Mangor Oraon proclaimed himself a god and suffered the same fate. The movement slumbered until March 1919 when it showed unusual maturity under the leadership of Sibu Oraon and Maya Oraon. Sibu, a boy of 20 years, solemnly declared in 1919 that he was destined to become the leader of the Oraons, that the raj would shortly return to the Qraon and that a great change in the order of things would take place after the Holi festival. In this new order, zamindars, traders, government and the Christians would have no place: It is no longer the raj of the zamindars. The earth belongs to the pious men. Nobody should give any rent or chowkidari tax. The banias (traders) must not attend bazars. They rob the men. •Maruaries, may your doth be burnt to ashes; Musalmans, may you perish. The vagabonds and the prostitutes will perish. Brahmans, Rajputs, rajas and zamindars had nothing to eat when th6y came here but now they have become so powerful as to beat the Oraons and Mundas. Christians are the lowest class. God says so.10 Change in Precepts Collecting about 700 to 800 followers, the leaders proceeded to Satpahari (Chandwa) where they expected the advent of a deity, a saviour. They practised austerities for a month until their provisions ran out. Sibu, the leader, came down to Hesalong (Burma), killed a