Question: ‘The Rajmahal Hills
were drenched with the blood of the fighting Santhal peasantry.’ in the lights
of this statement discuss about the major reasons of Santhal Uprising. Also
mention the reasons how these tribal uprisings happened and how these were
suppressed.
Model answer:r
The Santhal Insurrection (1855-56)!
- The Santhals are a group of
tribals largely concentrated in Bihar. They are mainly agriculturists. The
first peasant movement which took place in India dates back to Santhal
insurrection of 1855-56. This insurrection has reference to the
establishment of the Permanent Land Settlement of 1793.
- The settlement pattern
initiated by the British took away lands from the Santhals which they had
cultivated for centuries. The jamindars took land on auction from the
British government and gave it to the peasants who took it for
cultivation.
- TheSanthals:
Live in Daman-i-koh= area between Bhagalpur and Rajmahal
- Uprising
= ‘hool’ in Santhal language
This was one of the most massive revolt
- A determined attempt to
expel the outsiders — the dikus
- Proclaimed the complete
‘annihilation’ of the alien regime.
Social conditions which drove them to
insurrection
- Zamindars, police, revenue
& courts exercised a combined system of extortions, oppressive
exactions, forcible dispossession of property, abuse & personal
violence and a variety of petty tyrannies
- Usurious interest on loans
(50 – 500 %)
- False measures at the haul
and the market
- Wilful and uncharitable
trespass by the rich by means of their untethered cattle, tattoos, ponies
and even elephants, on the growing crops of the poorer race
How did the fire broke?
- By 1854, the tribal heads,
the majhis and parganites, had begun to meet and discuss the possibility
of revolting.
- Stray cases of the robbing
of zamindars and moneylenders began to occur.
- 30 June, 1855- tribal
leaders called an assembly of 6000 Santhals, representing 400 villages, at
Bhaganidihi.
- They decided to raise the
banner of revolt, get rid of the dikus once and for all, to usher in
Satyug- ‘The Reign of Truth,’ and ‘True Justice.’
Belief in the magic
They believed that their actions had the blessings of God. Sido and
Kanhu, the principal rebel leaders, claimed that Thakur (God) had communicated
with them and told them to take up arms and fight for independence.
Non tribal help
- Insurrection was helped by a
large number of non-tribal and poor dikus.
- Gwalas (milkmen) and others
helped the rebels with provisions and services;
- Lohars (blacksmiths)
accompanied the rebel bands, keeping their weapons in good shape.
Suppression:
- Government realized the
scale of the rebellion & organized a major military campaign
- Mobilized many regiments,
declared Martial Law, offered rewards of upto Rs. 10,000 for the capture
of various leaders
- The rebellion was crushed
ruthlessly
- More than 15,000 Santhals
were killed while tens of villages were destroyed.
- Sido was betrayed and
captured and killed in August 1855
- Kanhu was arrested by
accident at the tail-end of the rebellion in February 1866
- ‘The Rajmahal Hills were
drenched with the blood of the fighting Santhal peasantry.’
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