The Jaina Bhagavati-Sutra of the 5th century AD mentions that Purulia was one of the sixteen mahajanapadas and was a part of the kingdom known as Vajra-bhumi in ancient times.

[3][4][5][6] 106 districts spanning 10 states across India, described as being part of the left wing extremism activities, constitutes the Red corridor.

In West Bengal the districts of Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia and Birbhum are part of the Red corridor.

[8] Certain reports also included the Manbazar I and Joypur CD blocks and some times indicted the whole of Purulia district.

[9] The Lalgarh movement, which started attracting attention after the failed assassination attempt on Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, then chief minister of West Bengal, in the Salboni area of the Paschim Medinipur district, on 2 November 2008 and the police action that followed, had also spread over to these areas.

Although the epi-centre of the movement was Lalgarh, it was spread across 19 police stations in three adjoining districts – Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia, all thickly forested and near the border with Jharkhand.

[17] According to the 2011 Census of India the Manbazar I CD block had a total population of 154,071, of which 144,550 were rural and 9,521 were urban.

[18] Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in the Manbazar I CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Jitujori (4,339).

[18] Other villages in the Manbazar I CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Kenda (3,803), Bhalubasa (2,789), Bamni (2,481), Majhihira (2,104), Jangidiri (1,151), Kamta (1,783), Chandra (1,172), Payrachali (1,668), Barmesya (1,169) and Ramnagar (1,103).

[18] See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate Primary Census Abstract Data

[21] Others include Addi Bassi, Marang Boro, Santal, Saranath, Sari Dharma, Sarna, Alchchi, Bidin, Sant, Saevdharm, Seran, Saran, Sarin, Kheria,[22] and other religious communities.

It includes factory, mining, plantation, transport and office workers, those engaged in business and commerce, teachers, entertainment artistes and so on.

[29] There are 219 inhabited villages in the Manbazar I CD block, as per the District Census Handbook, Puruliya, 2011.

175 villages (79.91%) have telephones (including landlines, public call offices and mobile phones).

[30] In 2013–14, persons engaged in agriculture in the Manbazar I CD block could be classified as follows: bargadars 0.25%, patta (document) holders 3.78%, small farmers (possessing land between 1 and 2 hectares) 6.16%, marginal farmers (possessing land up to 1 hectare) 30.46% and agricultural labourers 59.35%.

[36] The ruins of a 12th/13th century Buudheswara Shiva and other temples lie at Budhpur, under Manbazar police station, 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Manbazar town on the road to Hura, on the north bank of the Kangsabati River (locally known as Kasai).

[37] In 2014, the Manbazar I CD block had 1 rural hospital and 2 primary health centres, with total 54 beds and 9 doctors.