Porahat

Porahat was the seat of the senior branch of the Singh rulers of Singhbhum. Its estate lay in a country of forests and hills inhabited by Ho and Bhuiyan communities. The neighbouring houses of Seraikela and Kharsawan descended from the Porahat family, but relations among chiefs and villages were shaped by local alliances as well as rival claims.

In 1773 the East India Company sought to prevent the Raja of Porahat from encouraging salt transport through Singhbhum, which threatened its revenue. In 1818 Raja Ghanshyam Singh Deo accepted British allegiance while seeking recognition over neighbouring chiefs and help against the Ho. The Ho resisted, and in 1831 joined the wider Kol uprising. Company military action in 1836–37 brought parts of the region under direct administration, reducing the area controlled by the Porahat ruler.