a district of British India, in the Chota-Nagpur division of Bengal. It was formed out of Lohardaga, in 1894, and takes its name from a former state or chiefship. The administrative headquarters are at Daltonganj: pop. (1901), 5 8 37. It consists of the lower spurs of the Chota-Nagpur plateau, sloping north to the valley of the Son. Area 4914 sq. m.; pop. (1901), 619,600, showing an increase of 3.8% in the decade; average density, 126 persons per sq. m., being the lowest in all Bengal. Palamau suffered severely from drought in 1897. A branch of the East Indian railway from the Son valley to the valuable coalfield near Daltonganj was opened in 1902. The only articles of export are jungle produce, such as lac and tussur silk. The forests are unprofitable.
See Palamau District Gazetteer (Calcutta, 1907).