This thesis was written before I conducted any fieldwork and is therefore based solely on secondary sources. It seeks to answer why and how the “Birsa Ulgulan” of 1899-1900 evolved into a millennial phenomenon, unlike other insurrections among the Hos, Mundas, and Santhals of Chota Nagpur in the 19th century. The investigation focuses on the different roles played by Lutheran and Christian missions and the British government. It analyzes the various phases of the Ulgulan as a rite of passage aimed at establishing a new social structure by reenacting its mythological past and highlighting the revolutionary character of its liminal phase. This approach treats myth and history as inseparable sides of the same coin.