The Kols consider themselves to be the descendants of Sahara Mata, a member of the Savaras of epic fame; she is known as the "mother of the Kol." The Kols of the Jabalpur-Katni area (of Madhya Pradesh) believe that they were earlier in Mewar (Rajasthan) and occupied its hills. They have Inherited a martial character and believe that only with the help of the Kol and the Bhil peoples could Rana Pratap fight the Moguls. Nevertheless, while history has recorded the role of the Bhils, the Kols are not mentioned.
The Kols are an example of a tribe that has changed considerably over time. The earliest references relate to larger, generic conglomerates on the fringe of a Sanskritic culture and civilization. Their mention in the ethnography of the British imperial period was not very specific. Today the great Kols have disappeared, but their name clings to a small tribal Population, which in 1946 was described as being very close to becoming a caste and to being Hinduized. Neither possibility has entirely materialized. The Kols have survived as a Community, with an identity of their own and an adaptability that was underestimated by early ethnographers.