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Major Causes of Civil Uprising
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- Changes in economy, administration and land revenue system.
- Erstwhile Zamindars and Poligars were angered due to the loss of their lands and wanted to take revenge from government officials, money lenders etc.
- The disappearance of traditional patrons like princes, zamindars and colonial industrial policies led to the ruin of artisans and handicrafts.
- Priests, pandits and maulvis lost their traditional patrons.
- British rulers were always seen as alien to the land. They treated common people with disdain
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Sanyasi Revolt (1763-1800) [Bihar & Bengal]
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- It was a revolt by the Sannyasis and Sadhus in Bengal.
- Support: They were joined by a large number of dispossessed small zamindars, disbanded soldiers, and rural poor.
- Fakir Rebellion: It was characterised by equal participation of Hindus and Muslims. It is also known as the Fakir Rebellion.
- They raided Company factories and the treasuries and fought the Company’s forces.
- Causes: The 1770 Bengal famine and harsh British economic policies.
- Leaders: Majnum Shah, Chirag Ali, Musa Shah, Bhawani Pathak, Debi Chaudharani.
- Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote the books Anandamath(1882) and Devi Chaudharani(1884) based on the Sanyasi Revolt.
- Warren Hastings played an important role in suppressing this movement.
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Revolt of Moamarias (1769-99) [Assam]
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- Challenging Ahom Rule: Moamarias were low-caste peasants who followed the teachings of Aniruddhadeva, rose up against the Ahom Kings of Assam and weakened their hold on power.
- The Moamarias made Bhatiapar their headquarters.
- Darrang Rebellion of 1792: The King of Darrang (Krishnanarayan), assisted by his band of Burkandazes (the demobilised soldiers of the Muslim armies and zamindars), revolted against the weak Ahom kingdom.
- Ahom Kings’ Downfall: Ahom Kings had to request help from the British to fight the rebellion but fell to the Burmese invasion and finally came under British rule.
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Poligars’s Revolt (1795–1805) [Tamil Nadu]
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- The Poligars revolted when the Nawab of Arcot gave the management and control of Tinneveli and the Carnatic Provinces to the East India Company.
- This led to resentment among the poligars who had, for long, considered themselves independent sovereign authorities within their respective territories.
- The poligars of North Arcot rose in rebellion when they were deprived of their right to collect the kaval fees. (Kaval or ‘watch’ was a hereditary village police office in Tamil Nadu).
- The movement occurred in two Phases:
- First Phase: It was led by Kattaboman Nayakan.
- Second Phase: It was more violent and was led by Oomanthurai.
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Paika Rebellion (1817) [Odisha]
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- The Role of Paikas: Paikas were the hereditary traditional landed militia (foot soldiers) of Odisha who rendered martial services and policing functions in return for rent-free land (Nishkar Jagirs).
- It was also known as the Khurda Rebellion (the dethronement of the Raja of Khurda had greatly reduced the power and prestige of the Paiks).
- Causes
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- Walter Ewer Commission: Recommended that the rent-free lands of Paikas be taken over by the British. This led to Paikas taking up arms in support of zamindars and peasants.
- Rise in the price of salt, abolition of Cowrie currency, payment of taxes in silver and extortionist land revenue policies.
- Leaders: Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar, Mukunda Deva, and Dinabandhu Santra.
- Used Guerrilla Warfare to fight the British.
- The rebellion was brutally repressed by 1818. Priests at the Puri temple who had sheltered Jagabandhu were caught and hanged.
- The Paika Rebellion succeeded in getting large remissions of arrears, reductions in assessments, a new settlement on fixed tenure etc.
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Ahom Revolt (1828)[Assam]
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- Resistance against British Annexation: The British did not withdraw from Assam after the First Burma War (1824-26), and tried to incorporate Ahom territories, causing resentment among people, which led to a rebellion.
- British Conciliatory Policy: The Britishers followed a conciliatory policy, and upper Assam was handed over to Maharaja Purandar Singh (Ahom King).
- Leaders: Gomdhar Konwar (Ahom Prince), Maharaja Purandhar Singh, Narendra Gadadhar Singh, among others.
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Wahabi Movement (1830–61) [Bihar, Bengal, North West Frontier Province, Punjab]
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- Revivalist Movement: It was an Islamist revivalist movement that advocated complete adherence to Sharia.
- This movement was led by Syed Ahmed of Rai Bareilly, who was inspired by the teachings of Abdul Wahab (Saudi Arabia) and Shah Walilullah (Delhi).
- Titu Mir led the movement in the Bengal region.
- Call for a Return to Pure Islam: Syed Ahmed condemned the Western influence on Islam and advocated a return to pure Islam and society.
- Centers of Influence: Sithana (north-western tribal belt) was chosen as a base for operations.
- Patna was an important centre, with missions across Hyderabad, Madras, Bengal, the United Provinces, and Bombay.
- Jihad: A jihad was declared against the Sikh kingdom of Punjab.
- Following its annexation by the East India Company in 1849, the Wahabis directed their attacks solely against the English rule in India.
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Kuka Movement (1840–72) [Punjab]
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- Combating Caste Discrimination: The Kuka Movement was founded in 1840 by Bhagat JawaharMal (also called Sian Saheb) in western Punjab as a Socio-religious movement working against caste discrimination, promoting intermarriages, widow remarriages etc.
- Transformation of Movement: After the British took Punjab, the movement transformed from a religious purification campaign to a political campaign.
- Kukas wanted to remove the British and restore Sikh rule over Punjab.
- They advocated the boycott of English laws, education and products.
- So, the concepts of Swadeshi and non-cooperation were propagated by the Kukas much earlier.
- Suppression Movement: The British crushed the movement between 1863 and 1872. Baba Ram Singh, founder of the Namdhari Sect and a major leader of the movement, was deported to Rangoon in 1872.
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