The Paharias, as the name indicates, are a hill tribe settled in the hilly ranges of the Rajmahal Hills and the neighboring region in the Santhal Parganas, Racially, Linguistically, and culturally they are close to the Birhors. Through by name and life style the Birhors are closer to the Paharias. Both the Birhors and the Paharias belong to the Austro-Asiatic sub-family of the Austric family of languages. They are of the Dravidian origin, like the Mundas, Oraons and other members of the Austro-Asiatic sub-family.

The Paharias are divided into three groups, Sauria, Kumhar Bhag and Mal Paharias. The Mal Paharias are concentrated in Amrapara block. The Saurias are concentrated mainly in the Damin-i-koh region called the Rajmahal hills. They claim to be the original Paharias, as they still preserve their culture, tradition, and language. They consider the Mal Paharias as thieves,
following social codes different then the tribal codes. The earliest inhabitants of whom any record has been made, in the district of Santhal
Parganas, appears to be of Males now called Saurias, Megasthenese called them Mallis, i.e. peoples living in the hills. Mali is the Dravidian word for hill, while Malli means man, which is very similar to the word Horo, Hor of Ho, i.e. man, in Mundari, Santhali and Ho respectively.

It has been also felt that Saurias are believed to be Sauri, later believed to be Savaras of Ores. Through Hiuan-Tsian, a Chinese traveller, in 645 CE mentions a kingdom situated around the present Rajmahal area, called Kankjol, 18 miles south of Rajmahal, authentic history of Saurias is found only from the 15 century CE. In the year 1592 Rajmahal became the capital of Bengal. Later on the capital moved to Dhaka. Successive rulers kept shifting the capital between Dhaka and Rajmahal. In 1763 the British fought the Paharias and defeated them. But the Khetauris assisted the British in their fight against the then existing rulers. Pleased with this the British gave them barren hilly lands as a token of reward, after appointing them as Mansubhdars (local agents). But the years of exploitation by subsequent rulers and their agents the Saurias were estranged again. They became savage. Nobody could pass through the Ganges on the Southern bank after sunset. Jungle laws prevailed.
Officers like Captain Brook, Cleveland, and others however gained the friendship of the Paharias and tried to settle them, in vain, in the foothills of the Rajmahal. Their successors were not as kind to the Saurias. So their plight went form bad to worse. The situation made them live on the hills and they became suspicious of the persons living in the plains. They continued
living in the hills over the ages and adopted a nomadic culture, which later on became their trait.
They still live on the very unproductive lands and struggle for social justice and economic independence. They have become very timid.

The other communities and traders living around have taken advantage of their
helplessness, simplicity and truthfulness, resulting in the over exploitation and rapid marginalisation of the Paharias. This has almost led them to extinction. Though they are one of the first settlers of the Rajmahal hills, their present economic, educational and social situation is so precarious that they are on the verge of extinction. Culturally too they are being edged out by the dominant Santhals in the region.