The earliest signs of human habitation in the area are at
Dihar—by about 1000 BC
chalcolithic people had settled on the north bank of the
Dwarakeswar. Bankura district was inhabited by various indigenous tribes in later pre-historic times as well as
Aryanised or assimilated with the people and culture of the
Indo-Aryan group, who prevailed in northern India, substantially later than rest of Bengal. These developments took place over many centuries through both conflict and cordiality. The district was part of
Rarh in ancient times. In the old
Jain book
Acaranga Sutra (around 4th century) there is mention of
Sumha and Ladha (Rarh?) and there too the reference is to an area inhabited by uncivilised and barbaric people. In the fourth century,
Susunia edicts record in
Prakrit and
Sanskrit that Chandravarman, son of Simhavarman, was the ruler of Pushkarana (modern
Pakhanna in Bankura district). According to the inscription on the
Allahabad pillar, Chandravarman was defeated by
Samudragupta and the area became a part of the
Gupta Empire. The area was for many years part of
Dandabhukti and
Bardhamanbhukti. Many historians opine that assimilation with Indo-Aryans took place first in northern and eastern Bengal and then in western Bengal. This has also been the broad course of the spread of Buddhism and Jainism in Bengal. There is ample evidence of pre-eminence of Indo-Aryan religion and culture in West Bengal from around the sixth century. The area around Bishnupur was called
Mallabhum. At its farthest extent Bishnupur kingdom stretched from
Damin-i-koh in
Santhal Parganas to
Midnapore and included parts of
Bardhaman and
Chota Nagpur. Smaller kingdoms of aboriginal tribes, such as
Dhalbhum,
Tungbhum,
Samantabhum and Varahabhumi or Varabhumi were gradually subdued and overshadowed by the Malla kings of Bishnupur. Bishnupur was ceded to the British with the rest of Burdwan chakla in 1760. The Marathas had laid the country waste and
famine of 1770 completed the misery of the kingdom. A large section of the population was swept away, cultivation fell, and lawlessness spread. The once powerful king had been reduced to the status of a mere
zamindar. In 1787, Bishnupur was united with
Birbhum to form a separate administrative unit, the headquarters was shifted to
Suri, and a rebellious situation prevailed. Bankura continued to be one district with Birbhum till 1793, when it was transferred to the Burdwan collectorate. In 1879, the district acquired its present shape with the thanas of Khatra and Raipur and the outpost of Simplapal being transferred from Manbhum, and the thanas of Sonamukhi, Kotulpur and Indas being retransferred from Burdwan. Addition of those areas into Bankura district increased to with 1,116,411 inhabitants in 1901. However, it was known for sometime as West Burdwan and in 1881 came to be known as Bankura district. ==Geography==