Q. Discuss in brief about agrarian movements in Pre‐independent India.
Agrarian Movements in Pre-Independent
India
Agrarian
movements in pre-independent India were a significant part of the larger
struggle against British colonial rule and the exploitative feudal system.
These movements were driven by the oppressive land revenue policies imposed by
the British, the exploitation of peasants by landlords (zamindars),
moneylenders, and colonial authorities, and the overall economic distress faced
by the rural population. The agrarian crisis in colonial India was deeply
rooted in the British land revenue systems such as the Permanent
Settlement of 1793, the Ryotwari System, and the Mahalwari System,
which aimed at maximizing revenue extraction rather than improving agricultural
productivity or the welfare of peasants. The peasants were often left with very
little for subsistence after paying exorbitant land taxes and debts to
moneylenders, leading to chronic poverty, indebtedness, and social unrest. As a
response, various peasant uprisings and agrarian movements emerged across
different regions of India throughout the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.
One
of the earliest agrarian uprisings was the Sanyasi and Fakir Rebellion (1763–1800)
in Bengal, where displaced and impoverished peasants, along with ascetic
groups, revolted against British revenue policies and the devastation caused by
the Bengal famine of 1770. Similarly, the Rangpur Dhing (1783) was a
significant peasant rebellion against the harsh taxation imposed by British
revenue collectors. The Poligar Rebellion (1799–1805) in South India
was also a notable anti-British agrarian movement where local chieftains
(poligars) led the peasants against the British East India Company's oppressive
revenue demands. The Bhil Rebellion (1817–1819) and the Kol
Uprising (1831–1832) in Central and Eastern India were manifestations of
tribal and agrarian discontent against British land policies and encroachments
on tribal land rights.
The Indigo
Rebellion (1859–1860) in Bengal was one of the most famous agrarian
movements in pre-independent India. Indigo planters, backed by the British
administration, forced peasants to cultivate indigo under highly exploitative
terms. When peasants refused to grow indigo, they faced brutal repression. The
peasants organized protests and boycotts, and the rebellion eventually forced
the British government to appoint the Indigo Commission in 1860, which
recognized the grievances of the peasants and recommended reforms. The Pabna
Agrarian Unrest (1873–1876) in Bengal was another significant movement
where peasants resisted the zamindars’ attempts to increase rents and impose
illegal cesses. The peasants formed agrarian leagues and organized peaceful
protests to demand legal protection from oppressive landlords.
The Deccan
Riots (1875) in the Bombay Presidency were a direct response to the
crushing burden of debt and high revenue demands. The Ryots (peasants) attacked
moneylenders and burned debt records, seeking relief from the exploitative debt
system. The British government responded by passing the Deccan
Agriculturists' Relief Act (1879), which sought to protect peasants from
moneylenders’ exploitation. The Mappila Rebellions (1836–1921) in the
Malabar region of Kerala were another series of agrarian revolts that combined
religious and economic discontent. The Mappila peasants, predominantly Muslim
tenants, rebelled against Hindu landlords and British authorities, protesting
against high rents and land alienation.
The
early 20th century saw the rise of more organized and politically conscious
agrarian movements influenced by the Indian National Congress and other
nationalist groups. The Champaran Satyagraha (1917) led by Mahatma
Gandhi was a landmark agrarian movement where indigo cultivators in Bihar
protested against the Tinkathia system that forced them to grow indigo under
harsh terms. Gandhi's intervention resulted in the abolition of the Tinkathia
system and marked the beginning of his role in India's nationalist movement.
The Kheda Satyagraha (1918) in Gujarat was another major peasant
movement led by Gandhi, where peasants resisted the British demand for land
revenue despite crop failures and famine conditions. The success of this
movement reinforced the idea of non-violent resistance (satyagraha) as a
powerful tool for agrarian and political struggles.
The Bardoli
Satyagraha (1928) led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was another
successful agrarian movement where peasants in Gujarat resisted an unjust increase
in land revenue rates. The peasants organized mass protests and boycotts, and
Patel’s leadership ensured that the British government eventually rolled back
the increased taxes. The success of the Bardoli movement earned Patel the title
of "Sardar" (leader). The Tebhaga Movement (1946–1947)
in Bengal was a radical agrarian movement led by the Kisan Sabha (Peasants'
Association), where sharecroppers (bargadars) demanded a two-thirds share of
the produce instead of the traditional one-half share retained by landlords.
The movement was marked by militant resistance and organized political action,
reflecting the growing influence of communist and socialist ideologies among
Indian peasants.
The Telangana
Rebellion (1946–1951) was one of the largest and most radical agrarian
movements in pre-independent and early post-independent India. Led by the
Communist Party of India, the movement involved peasants and landless laborers
in the princely state of Hyderabad who rose against the feudal zamindari system
and the oppressive rule of the Nizam. The peasants seized land, redistributed
resources, and established village-level self-governance structures. Although
the rebellion was eventually crushed by Indian military action after
independence, it had a profound impact on the land reform policies of
independent India.
Throughout
the pre-independence period, agrarian movements played a crucial role in
exposing the exploitative nature of British colonialism and the feudal land
ownership structures that perpetuated rural poverty and inequality. These
movements highlighted the deep economic distress faced by Indian peasants and
the need for structural reforms in the agrarian sector. The success and
failures of these movements shaped the political consciousness of Indian peasants
and contributed to the broader nationalist struggle for independence. The
legacy of these movements influenced post-independence agrarian reforms,
including the abolition of the zamindari system, land redistribution, and the
establishment of cooperative farming structures. The agrarian movements of
pre-independent India were thus not only a fight for economic justice but also
an integral part of India's larger quest for political freedom and social
equality.
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