Tribal, Peasant, and civil Uprisings

• Tribal, Peasant, and Civil Movements are a part of social movements against British atrocities in the 18th and 19th centuries of the British Colonial Period. These movements had the sole purpose of restoring the earlier forms of rule and social relations. These rebellious movements prepared the ground for various other uprisings across the country.

Introduction

• In pre-colonial India, there were numerous popular protests against the Mughal rulers, primarily driven by the imposition of high land revenue demands by the state and the harsh conduct of tax-collecting officials. 
• However, the advent of British rule in India and its policies had a significantly more detrimental effect on Indian peasants and tribes. Three pivotal factors contributing to uprisings and rebellions were:
•  The promotion of British-manufactured goods in Indian markets resulted in the destruction of Indian handloom and handicraft industries.
• The expansion of British revenue administration into tribal territories led to the loss of tribal people's control over agricultural and forest land.
• Persistent exploitation in rural society, coupled with the growth of intermediary revenue collectors, tenants, and moneylenders.

Tribal Uprisings in India

•  The rapid transformations implemented by the British in the economy, government, and land revenue structure served as the main catalysts for tribal uprisings during the 18th and 19th centuries.
•  Tribal communities had traditionally operated under a system of communal land ownership, which was supplanted by the introduction of the concept of exclusive ownership.
•  The influx of non-tribals into ancestral tribal lands brought about the establishment of settled agriculture, leading to the dispossession of land and subsequent suffering for the indigenous people.

Chaur Uprising (1766-1772, 1795, 1816)

•  The Chuar Rebellion unfolded in the southwest region of West Bengal's Bankura district between 1798 and 1799, primarily in response to the exploitative land revenue policies of the British colonizers.

•  In June 1798, approximately 1500 Chuars revolted, setting fire to the market and kachahri of the Raipur region. English reinforcements faced resistance from local rebels, and even zamindars housing the Chuars in their mud forts refused to cooperate with British authorities.

• Witnessing widespread chaos in the district, the British Collector called for a restructuring of the police establishment to prevent the region from descending into anarchy.

Paharias Rebellion (1778)

•  The Paharias, a tribal group in the Rajmahal Hills of Santhal Pargana, maintained virtual independence before British rule in India. The expansion of settled agriculture by the British reduced the area of underwoods and pastures, sparking friction between hill inhabitants and settled cultivators.
• In response, the Paharias began raiding established settlements more frequently. In the 1770s, the British launched a brutal campaign against the Paharias, hunting them down and resorting to violence.

•  In the 1780s, the British adopted a pacification strategy, offering annual allowances to Paharia leaders in exchange for ensuring proper behavior among their troops.
• However, not all Paharias accepted this policy. Some retreated deep into the mountains, away from enemy troops, to continue the struggle against outsiders and uphold their independence.

Tamar Revolts (1789-1832)

• Between 1789 and 1832, the tribal people of Tamar in Jharkhand and Bengal rose in rebellion over seven times against the British, protesting the government's flawed land allocation system.
•  Bhola Nath Sahay of Tamar led these revolts. The Oraons, Mundas, Hos, or Kols, each with their distinct social and cultural identity, joined the insurgents under the leadership of Ganga Narain Singh, a member of the Banbhum Raj family. 
• The tribals targeted Dikus in every village, resorting to arson and plunder. However, the government quelled the movement in 1832-33.

Khasi Uprising (1829-1832)

• The British sought to occupy the hilly region between Garo and Jaintia hills to construct a road connecting the Brahmaputra valley with Sylhet, passing through the Khasi domain. 

Kol Rebellion (1831-32)

• The Kol Rebellion, occurring between 1831 and 1832, was a revolt by the Kol tribal people of Chhota Nagpur (Jharkhand). It arose due to economic exploitation resulting from the land tenure and administration systems introduced by the East India Company. The tribal people, including Mundas, Oraons, Hos, and Bhumijs collectively known as Kols, initially targeted Sikh and Muslim thekedars who collected taxes through various means. Later, they extended their actions to plundering, killing Hindus in nearby villages, and burning their houses. 

Ahom Revolt (1828-1833)

• Despite their promise to withdraw from Assam after the First Burma War (1824-26), the British attempted to annex Ahom territories into the company's dominion. 

• Eventually, the company ceded upper Assam to Maharaja Purandar Singh Narendra, and part of the kingdom was returned to the Assamese king.

Khond Uprising (1837-56)

• The Khonds, residing in vast hill tracts stretching from Tamil Nadu to Bengal and covering the Central provinces, initiated uprisings from 1837 to 1856 against British rule. 
• The main issues included the government's attempt to suppress human sacrifice (Mariah), the introduction of new taxes, and the influx of zamindars and sahukars causing misery to the tribals.
• Chakra Bisoi, also known as the Young Raja, led the movement. Chakra Bisoi disappeared in 1855, leading to the gradual decline of the movement. Another significant leader of the revolt was Radhakrishna Dandasena.

Santhal Rebellion (1855-1856)

• The Santhal Rebellion of 1855-56 exhibited some of the most intense tribal passions and open denunciation of British rule. Covering the districts of Birbhum, Singhbhum, Bankura, Hazaribagh, Bhagalpur, and Munger in Orissa (Odisha) and Bihar, the rebellion was primarily triggered by economic causes.
•  The moneylenders and colonial administrators exploited the Santhals, with outsider merchants charging exorbitant interest rates on loans and engaging in other forms of exploitation, often leading to the seizure of tribal lands. The tribals, under the leadership of two Santhal brothers, Siddhu and Kanhu, turned against the British Government.
• Over ten thousand Santhals gathered at Orta in June 1855 in response to a divine order instructing them to break free from their oppressors' control, seize the country, and establish their own government. The rebels disrupted postal and railway communications between Bhagalpur and Rajmahal, declaring the end of the company's rule and the beginning of the Santhal regime. They targeted the residences of moneylenders, zamindars, white planters, railway engineers, and British officials.
• The open conflict with the British persisted until February 1856, when the rebel leaders were finally captured, and the movement was suppressed through significant repression. The British Government also established Santhal Pargana in the Santhal areas, making it illegal for Santhals to sell land to non-Santhals.

Damin-i-koh

• The British designated the nearby area of Rajmahal hills as Damin-i-koh, a large demarcated land declared for the Santhals.

Manipur Revolt (1891)

• A robust Naga Movement led by Manipur's charismatic leader Rongmei Jadonang aimed at establishing an independent Naga dominion. He was detained and executed by hanging in 1931. Subsequently, a 17-year-old girl named Gaidinliu assumed control of the movement, giving it a national tone and linking it to the Civil Disobedience Movement. Pandit Nehru honored her with the title Rani.

Bhil Uprising (1818-1900)

• In Southern Rajasthan, the Bhils were incited to action by a Reform Movement led by Govind Guru, a bonded laborer. By 1913, it evolved into an attempt to establish a Bhil Raj. The British managed to suppress the uprising only after facing considerable resistance.

Munda Uprising (1899-1900)

• The Ulgulan led by Birsa Munda in the region south of Ranchi in 1899-1900 stands out as the most prominent tribal rebellion.
• Agrarian disorders rooted in feudal, zamindari, or individual tenures served as the catalyst for the religious-political movement spearheaded by Birsa.
• In March 1879, Mundas, under the leadership of Birsa Munda, asserted their claim to Chhota Nagpur.
• The Mundas envisioned an ideal and just society free from both internal strife and exploitation by European powers. Women actively participated in the movement.

Birsa Munda

• Born into a poor Munda tribal family in 1874-75, Birsa passed the lower primary examination at the German Mission of Buzru. He later pursued further studies in Chaibasa under the influence of Anand Paure.
• Embracing Vaishnavism, he advocated for the prohibition of cow slaughter. Birsa evolved into a prophetic figure, declaring himself a God or Bhagwan. He preached his ideals among the Mundas, and thousands became his followers, known as Birsaites.
• Mobilizing against the British Government and foreigners, Birsa aimed to establish the Birsa Munda Raj. Captured by British forces, he died in jail on 9th January 1900.

Bastar Rebellion (1910)

• The Adivasi people of the princely state of Bastar in Central India initiated the Bastar Rebellion, also known as the Bhumkal Movement (earthquake), against the British Raj in 1910.
• Led primarily by tribal leader Gunda Dhur and Lal Narendra Singh, a Diwan, and the kin