A tribal chakravartin - ritual symbolism and the legitimation of the Santal rebellion 1855-1856 In Indian thought the concept of the just ruler, the chakravartin dates back to Buddhism. The wheel (the chakra) is one of the markers of Gautama Buddha and in the Hindu tradition where the throwing wheel is one of the weapons of the god Vishnu signifying his status as a universal god. The present paper will investigate how the wheel came to be a token included among several tokens utilised as means of legitimate the leadership of the Santal rebellion. The Hul as it is called, which broke out among the Santals in the Rajmehal Hills in 1855 and lasted until well in 1856. The Santals were considered as a tribe, and they had been included into the money economy which had expanded since the East India Company (EIC) had introduced aggressive increases in the land rent (tax) in 1793. So when Santals mowed towards the plains for work paid in money and kind, the morality encapsulated in Indian thought mowed the other way with the opening of new lands for the EIC. The paper will address the religious and ethical parts of the legitimation of the rebellion, and argue that the leaders tried to introduce a new morality among the Santals.