"Folklore of the Santal Parganas" is a notable work by Cecil Henry Bompas, an English missionary and ethnographer who dedicated his life to studying and documenting the culture and folklore of the Santal people. The book presents a collection of traditional stories, myths, legends, and customs of the Santal community in the Parganas region of present-day Jharkhand, India. Bompas spent several years living among the Santal people, immersing himself in their way of life and establishing close relationships with the community. He gained their trust and was able to record their rich oral traditions, preserving them for future generations. "Folklore of the Santal Parganas" serves as a comprehensive repository of Santal folklore, encompassing a wide range of subjects, including creation myths, heroic tales, supernatural beings, rituals, and social customs. Bompas' work not only highlights the cultural heritage of the Santal people but also provides valuable insights into their worldview, beliefs, and practices. His meticulous documentation of Santal folklore contributes to the broader field of ethnography and folklore studies, enabling a deeper understanding of the Santal community's traditions and their place within the larger tapestry of Indian folklore. "Folklore of the Santal Parganas" remains an important resource for scholars, researchers, and enthusiasts interested in Indian folklore, anthropology, and cultural studies.

"Folklore of the Santal Parganas" is a notable work by Cecil Henry Bompas, an English missionary and ethnographer who dedicated his life to studying and documenting the culture and folklore of the Santal people. The book presents a collection of traditional stories, myths, legends, and customs of the Santal community in the Parganas region of present-day Jharkhand, India. Bompas spent several years living among the Santal people, immersing himself in their way of life and establishing close relationships with the community. He gained their trust and was able to record their rich oral traditions, preserving them for future generations. "Folklore of the Santal Parganas" serves as a comprehensive repository of Santal folklore, encompassing a wide range of subjects, including creation myths, heroic tales, supernatural beings, rituals, and social customs. Bompas' work not only highlights the cultural heritage of the Santal people but also provides valuable insights into their worldview, beliefs, and practices. His meticulous documentation of Santal folklore contributes to the broader field of ethnography and folklore studies, enabling a deeper understanding of the Santal community's traditions and their place within the larger tapestry of Indian folklore. "Folklore of the Santal Parganas" remains an important resource for scholars, researchers, and enthusiasts interested in Indian folklore, anthropology, and cultural studies.

The book presents a new interpretation of the Santal Rebellion, the Hul 1855–1856, drawing on the colonial sources as well as Santal memories. It offers a critique of postcolonial approaches that overlook specifically tribal perspectives and see the Hul as a class-based peasant rebellion. The author analyses the Hul and its participants—the Santals and their opponents, both the colonial administration and the Bengalis. He also looks at the attempts of the Hul’s leaders, Sido and Kạnhu to reform the Santal religion. Offering a new, respectful reading of the Hul’s religious legitimation, the book argues that changes in Santal religion and ethics were responses to the colonial regime’s new and aggressive economic order. The Hul’s leaders, Sido and Kạnhu, demanded the introduction of just laws based on the universal principle of equality. This historical approach leads to a call for the inclusion of the voice of tribal and Adivasi minorities when formulating politics for their development in the 21st century. The book is relevant for researchers and students of social history, social reform, tribal and indigenous studies, postcolonial studies and South Asian studies.

Bibliography of works on the Santals, a tribal people of India.