Chanku Mahato
{{Short description|British India freedom fighter (1816–1856)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Chanku Mahato
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1816|02|09}}
| birth_place = Rangamatia, Godda District, British India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1856|05|15|1816|02|09}}
| death_place = Bank of Kajhiya river
Rajkachari, Godda
| death_cause = Execution by hanging
| known_for = Leader of Kudmi Mahatos in Santhal Rebellion
}}
Chanku Mahato (9 February 1816 – 15 May 1856) was a freedom fighter of British India hailing from Kudmi Mahato community.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f5Gn4gKRntkC&q=chanku+mahato |title=Religion and Society |date=1994 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Māhāta |first=Paśupati Prasāda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uXhuAAAAMAAJ&q=chanku+mahato |title=Sanskritization Vs Nirbakization |date=2000 |publisher=Sujan Publications |isbn=978-81-85549-29-3 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Kumar Suresh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qBhWAAAAYAAJ&q=chanku+mahato |title=People of India: West Bengal |date=1992 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |isbn=978-81-7046-300-9 |language=en}} Born in Rangamatia village of Godda district in British India, he was one of the leaders of Santhal rebellion, who mobilized Mahatos to fight against the atrocities of Britishers.{{Cite web |title=जानिए, कौन थे झारखंड के गोड्डा निवासी चानकू महतो, जिन्हें अंग्रेजों ने कझिया नदी के किनारे लटका दिया था फांसी पर |url=https://m.jagran.com/jharkhand/ranchi-contribution-of-chanku-mahto-resident-of-godda-district-of-jharkhand-in-the-indian-independence-movement-anonymous-freedom-fighter-history-of-jharkhand-azadi-ka-amrit-mahotsav-jagran-special-22502743.html |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=m.jagran.com |language=hi}}{{Cite web |title=शहीद चानकु महतो की जयंती पर प्रतिमा का अनावरण |url=https://www.jagran.com/jharkhand/godda-unveiling-of-the-statue-of-martyr-chanku-mahato-on-his-birth-anniversary-22453065.html |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=Dainik Jagran |language=hi}}{{Cite book |last=Mahto |first=Shailendra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QgEoEAAAQBAJ&dq=%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%81+%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8B&pg=PT53 |title=Jharkhand Mein Vidroh Ka Itihas |date=2021-01-01 |publisher=Prabhat Prakashan |isbn=978-93-90366-63-7 |language=hi}}
Overview
Chanku Mahato organised various movement to fight against Britishers during the Santhal rebellion. Ranabir Samaddar argues that apart from Santhals, other aboriginal inhabitants of the region like Mahatos, Kamars, Bagdis, Bagals and others also participated in the rebellion.{{Cite book |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctttsttm |title=Texts of Power: Emerging Disciplines in Colonial Bengal |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |editor=Partha Chatterjee|year=1995 |isbn=978-0-8166-2686-1 |edition= |location=Minneapolis, London |pages=191 |jstor=10.5749/j.ctttsttm }} The Mahatos were participated under leadership of Chanku Mahato.{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Kumar Suresh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UhAwAQAAIAAJ |title=People of India: Bihar, including Jharkhand (2 pts) |date=2008 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |isbn=978-81-7046-303-0 |pages=584|language=en}} The folklore related to Santhal rebellion is like:{{Cite book |last1=Mishra |first1=Asha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ul6fWJQOfzwC&dq=chanku+mahato&pg=PA48 |title=Tribal Movements in Jharkhand, 1857-2007 |last2=Paty |first2=Chittaranjan Kumar |date=2010 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-8069-686-2 |language=en}}
... Sidhu Kanu khurkhurir upare, Chand-Vairab lahare lahare; Chanku Mahato, Rama Gope lahare lahare, Challu Jolha lahare lahare.
His slogan was:
... Aapon mati, Aapon dana, Pet kati nihi debo khajna.
He was arrested by Britishers and hanged to death in Godda near Kajhiya river bank on May 15, 1856.{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Kumar Suresh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UhAwAQAAIAAJ |title=People of India: Bihar, including Jharkhand (2 pts) |date=2008 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |isbn=978-81-7046-303-0 |pages=584 |language=en}}