Kol uprising

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The Kol uprising, Kol rebellion, also known in British records as the Kol mutiny was a revolt of the adivasi Kol people of Chhota Nagpur during 1829-1839 as a reaction to economic exploitation brought on by the systems of land tenure and administration that had been introduced by the East India Company. The Kol people were joined by other communities including the Mundas, Oraons, Hos leading to some authors also calling it the Munda uprising.

The uprising was a reaction to the appointment of a Political Agent to the Government in South Bihar and recently ceded districts nearby around 1819. This resulted in many people moving into these areas which were the lands of numerous adivasi tribes. These tribes had no rulers and their lands were divided according to families that were bound by "parhas" or conferences. With the application of new land laws, the Kols were exploited by outsiders moving into the area and taking up agriculture and commercial activities that were alien to tribal culture. Many of the lands of the locals were taken away as securities for un-returned loans. The locals whose languages were unknown to the settlers were exploited and punished in a number of incidents. Another irritation was the taxation on the movement of products such as salt that were formerly freely moved. Corrupt official practices and lawlessness followed. The masses of common people, of whom the Kols were the largest in number, burnt the houses of the newly settled people in revenge.[1][2][3][4]

British historiography described the Kol uprising as banditry. In 1831, the Kol tribesmen of Chhota Nagpur, who were upset over exploitation by agents of the East India Company (EIC), rose in revolt against the EIC. The rebel kols were under the leadership of Buddhu Bhagat, Joa Bhagat, Madara Mahato and others. The Kols grew restive over the increasing encroachment on tribal territories by the non-tribals like Hindu, Muslim and Sikhs. The new non-tribal landlords resorted to forced labour, fines, and often confiscated their cattle. The Kol insurrection started in 1831 when the farm of two Sikh thikadar (contractors) was plundered and burnt. In 1832, there were clashes between the armed forces and the tribals Kols rebels. Professor Sunil Sen mentions that in a memorable guerilla campaign Bhundu Bhagat and his followers fought with primitive weapons such as bows and arrows.[5] The characteristic feature of the Kol rebellion was that the Kol tribesmen did not fight alone. Other tribesmen like the Hos, Oraons, and Mundas joined forces with them. The Kol did not hesitate to fight with traditional weapons against the Presidency armies, who fought with modern instruments of warfare.

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References[]

  1. ^ Jha, Jagdish Chandra (1958). "The Kol rising of Chotanagpur (1831-33)-its causes". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 21: 440–446. JSTOR 44145239.
  2. ^ Priyadarshi, Ashok (2011). "Tribal rebellions in north Orissa: a study on Kol uprising of Mayurbhanj State (1821-1836}". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 71: 696–705. JSTOR 44147538.
  3. ^ Sharma, K.L. (1976). "Jharkhand Movement in Bihar". Economic and Political Weekly. 11: 37–43. JSTOR 436431.
  4. ^ Griffiths, Walter G. (1946). The Kol Tribe of Central India. Calcutta: Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal.
  5. ^ Sunil Sen, Peasant Movement in India, pg.7
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