Religion.—Absolute Paganism, or Paganism with the minimum amount of Brahminical influences.
Languages or dialects.—Numerous. All unwritten, and but partially known. Even when mutually unintelligible, evidently connected with each other. Evidently, also, connected with the Tamuls. Proportion of Sanskrit at the minimum.
Vocabularies.—1. Kol. 2. Larka-Kol. 3. Sontal. 4. Soar. 5. Bhumij. 6. Mandala. 7. Rajmahal. 8. Goandi.
Divisions.—A. Northern Pulindas. B. Eastern Pulindas. C. Central Pulindas.
Distribution.—A. The Ganges on the confines of Bahar and Bengal, in the mountain-range between Baghulpur and Rajmahal.
B. Orissa, the Northern Circars, and the Eastern part of Gundwana—Kóls, Khonds, and Soárs.
C. Western Gundwana—Goands.
RAJMAHALI.
Locality.—Mountains in the neighbourhood of Rajmahal, on the confines of Orissa and Bengal.
Physical appearance.—Average height about five feet three inches. "A flat nose seems the characteristic feature, but it is not so flat as that of the Cafirs of Africa, nor are their lips so thick, though generally thicker than the inhabitants of the plain." "Fairer than the Bengalese; have broad faces, small eyes, and flattish or rather turned-up noses; but the Malay, or Chinese character of their features, from whom they are said to be descended, is lost in a great degree on closer inspection."—Asiatic Researches.