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Santhal rebellion
The Sonthal Rebellion, also known as the Santhal Rebellion, Santal Rebellion, or Santhal Hool, was a rebellion in present-day Jharkhand against the East India Company (EIC) and zamindari system by the Santals. It started on 30 June 1855, and on 10 November 1855, martial law was proclaimed by the East India Company which lasted until 3 January 1856, when martial law was suspended and the rebellion was eventually suppressed by the presidency armies.
The rebellion was led by the four sibling brothers, Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav who was the main leader of the Santhal Tribe and their two sisters Phoolo and Jhano, who were killed in the cause.
The rebellion of the Santhals began as a reaction to end the revenue system of the East India Company (EIC), usury practices, and the zamindari system in India; in the tribal belt of what was then known as the Bengal Presidency. It was a revolt against the oppression of the colonial rule propagated through a distorted revenue system, enforced by the local zamindars, the police and the courts of the legal system set up by the British East India Company.[full citation needed]
The Santals lived in a territory that stretched from Hazaribagh to Medinipur, spanning the Subarnarekha River, along with other Munda ethnolinguistic tribals, and they engaged on agriculture. Those areas were greatly affected by the 1770 Bengal famine, thus creating a need for virgin land.
In 1832, the EIC demarcated the Damin-i-koh region in present-day Jharkhand and encouraged the pre-existed Paharia tribe of the Rajmahal hills to clear forests and practice agriculture. However, the Paharia tribe declined the offer, leading the company to invite the Santals to settle in the region. Due to promises of land and economic amenities a large numbers of Santals came to settle from Dhalbhum, Manbhum, Hazaribagh, Midnapore, and other surrounding areas. Soon, their population increased significantly; for instance, within a 13-year timeframe, they grew from 3,000 in 1838 to 82,790 in 1851. The wave of migration started in the late 1790s and continued till the beginning of the rebellion, as The Illustrated London News reported on 23 February 1856 that around 120,000 Santals had settled in the area. This growth in the number of agriculturists resulted in a 22-fold increase in Company revenue from the area. Subsequently, Mahajans and Zamindars, acting as money lenders, tax collectors, and other intermediaries employed by the EIC, came to dominate the local economy, governance, and administration with the effect of Permanent Settlement Act of 1793. Many Santals became victims of corrupt money lending practices. They were lent money at exorbitant rates. When they were unable to repay the loan, their lands were forcibly taken and they were forced into bonded labour. Numerous petitions were made by disgruntled Santal leaders to the administration against these activities, but these were largely ignored. This sparked the Santals to mobilise against the intermediaries, eventually leading to a rebellion against the EIC and the establishment of self-governance.
In the lead up to the rebellion, the EIC recorded numerous instances of dacoits who were especially targeting Bengali zamindars. One was Bir Singh Manjhi, a Santal who led a gang of robbers and who claimed to have received support from a god who had whispered a secret mantra into his ear. Many other leaders like him promoted a mix of anti-state activity mixed with millenarian fervour, making the Santals ripe for rebellion. Simultaneously, a chieftain called Margo Raja began cultivating a network of secret disciples throughout the Damin-i-koh, aiming to unite all Santals into a single body. In addition, several calamitous portents arrived in the Damin-i-koh that frightened the Santals:
The tales of these various calamities made the Santals more fearful, and the rumours of them spread from village to village and made them alert for anyone promising to save them.
On 30 June 1855, two Santal brother, Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu, gathered about ten thousands of Santhal people, claiming that they had been visited by Thakur Bonga (the great spirit), who had instructed them to drive out outsiders—including mahajans, zamindars, and the British—and establish Santhal rule in the region. Kanhu, Sidhu, and their two brothers Chand and Bhairav each asumed the position of suba (leader), marking the start on the rebellion.
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Santhal rebellion
The Sonthal Rebellion, also known as the Santhal Rebellion, Santal Rebellion, or Santhal Hool, was a rebellion in present-day Jharkhand against the East India Company (EIC) and zamindari system by the Santals. It started on 30 June 1855, and on 10 November 1855, martial law was proclaimed by the East India Company which lasted until 3 January 1856, when martial law was suspended and the rebellion was eventually suppressed by the presidency armies.
The rebellion was led by the four sibling brothers, Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav who was the main leader of the Santhal Tribe and their two sisters Phoolo and Jhano, who were killed in the cause.
The rebellion of the Santhals began as a reaction to end the revenue system of the East India Company (EIC), usury practices, and the zamindari system in India; in the tribal belt of what was then known as the Bengal Presidency. It was a revolt against the oppression of the colonial rule propagated through a distorted revenue system, enforced by the local zamindars, the police and the courts of the legal system set up by the British East India Company.[full citation needed]
The Santals lived in a territory that stretched from Hazaribagh to Medinipur, spanning the Subarnarekha River, along with other Munda ethnolinguistic tribals, and they engaged on agriculture. Those areas were greatly affected by the 1770 Bengal famine, thus creating a need for virgin land.
In 1832, the EIC demarcated the Damin-i-koh region in present-day Jharkhand and encouraged the pre-existed Paharia tribe of the Rajmahal hills to clear forests and practice agriculture. However, the Paharia tribe declined the offer, leading the company to invite the Santals to settle in the region. Due to promises of land and economic amenities a large numbers of Santals came to settle from Dhalbhum, Manbhum, Hazaribagh, Midnapore, and other surrounding areas. Soon, their population increased significantly; for instance, within a 13-year timeframe, they grew from 3,000 in 1838 to 82,790 in 1851. The wave of migration started in the late 1790s and continued till the beginning of the rebellion, as The Illustrated London News reported on 23 February 1856 that around 120,000 Santals had settled in the area. This growth in the number of agriculturists resulted in a 22-fold increase in Company revenue from the area. Subsequently, Mahajans and Zamindars, acting as money lenders, tax collectors, and other intermediaries employed by the EIC, came to dominate the local economy, governance, and administration with the effect of Permanent Settlement Act of 1793. Many Santals became victims of corrupt money lending practices. They were lent money at exorbitant rates. When they were unable to repay the loan, their lands were forcibly taken and they were forced into bonded labour. Numerous petitions were made by disgruntled Santal leaders to the administration against these activities, but these were largely ignored. This sparked the Santals to mobilise against the intermediaries, eventually leading to a rebellion against the EIC and the establishment of self-governance.
In the lead up to the rebellion, the EIC recorded numerous instances of dacoits who were especially targeting Bengali zamindars. One was Bir Singh Manjhi, a Santal who led a gang of robbers and who claimed to have received support from a god who had whispered a secret mantra into his ear. Many other leaders like him promoted a mix of anti-state activity mixed with millenarian fervour, making the Santals ripe for rebellion. Simultaneously, a chieftain called Margo Raja began cultivating a network of secret disciples throughout the Damin-i-koh, aiming to unite all Santals into a single body. In addition, several calamitous portents arrived in the Damin-i-koh that frightened the Santals:
The tales of these various calamities made the Santals more fearful, and the rumours of them spread from village to village and made them alert for anyone promising to save them.
On 30 June 1855, two Santal brother, Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu, gathered about ten thousands of Santhal people, claiming that they had been visited by Thakur Bonga (the great spirit), who had instructed them to drive out outsiders—including mahajans, zamindars, and the British—and establish Santhal rule in the region. Kanhu, Sidhu, and their two brothers Chand and Bhairav each asumed the position of suba (leader), marking the start on the rebellion.