PEASANT MOVEMENTS (1857–1947)
PEASANTRY UNDER COLONIALISM
The impoverishment of Indian peasantry was a direct result of the transformation of agrarian structure under colonial rule. The major causes included:
- Colonial economic policies
- Ruin of handicrafts leading to overcrowding of land
- New land revenue systems
- Colonial administrative and judicial systems
The peasants suffered from:
- High rents
- Illegal levies
- Arbitrary evictions
- Unpaid labour
In zamindari areas, exploitation came mainly from zamindars, while in Ryotwari areas, the government itself imposed heavy land revenue demands.The peasants often depended on moneylenders who charged exorbitant rates of interest. Many peasants mortgaged their:
- Land
- Cattle
- Agricultural assets
Gradually, cultivators were reduced to:
- Tenants-at-will
- Sharecroppers
- Landless labourers
Peasant resistance often took forms such as:
- Robbery
- Dacoity
- Social banditry
Over time, peasants realised that the colonial state was the root cause of their exploitation.
EARLY PEASANT MOVEMENTS
INDIGO REVOLT (1859–60)
The Indigo Revolt took place in Bengal against European indigo planters.The planters forced peasants to cultivate indigo instead of profitable crops like rice. Peasants were compelled through:
- Fraudulent contracts
- Advance payments
- Physical intimidation
Methods used by planters included:
- Kidnapping
- Illegal confinement
- Flogging
- Attacks on women and children
- Burning of houses
- Seizure of cattle
The revolt was led by:
- Digambar Biswas
- Bishnu Biswas
of Nadia district.The peasants:
- Refused to cultivate indigo
- Organised resistance against planters and lathiyals
- Went on rent strikes
- Used legal methods and court cases
Role of Bengali Intelligentsia
The Bengali intelligentsia supported the movement through:
- Newspaper campaigns
- Mass meetings
- Legal support
- Memoranda on peasant grievances
Outcome
The Government appointed an Indigo Commission.In November 1860, the Government declared:
- Ryots could not be forced to grow indigo
By the end of 1860:
- Indigo cultivation declined sharply in Bengal
PABNA AGRARIAN LEAGUES
During the 1870s and 1880s, agrarian unrest spread in Eastern Bengal due to oppressive zamindari practices.The zamindars:
- Enhanced rents beyond legal limits
- Prevented occupancy rights under Act X of 1859
- Used evictions, seizure of crops and cattle, and costly litigation
The peasants of Yusufshahi Pargana formed agrarian leagues.
Nature of Movement
The peasants:
- Organised rent strikes
- Refused enhanced rents
- Challenged zamindars in courts
- Raised funds for legal battles
The movement was largely:
- Non-violent
- Based on legal resistance
Outcome
The Government promised legislation for tenant protection.In 1885:
- Bengal Tenancy Act was passed
Leaders Supporting Movement
- Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
- R.C. Dutt
- Surendranath Banerjea
DECCAN RIOTS
The Deccan peasants suffered under:
- Heavy taxation in Ryotwari areas
- Exploitation by outsider moneylenders (Marwaris and Gujaratis)
The conditions worsened because of:
- Fall in cotton prices after American Civil War
- Increase in land revenue by 50% in 1867
- Bad harvests
Nature of Movement
In 1874:
- Peasants launched a social boycott against moneylenders
The peasants:
- Refused to buy from their shops
- Refused to cultivate their lands
- Denied them social services
Soon, the movement turned violent:
- Houses and shops attacked
- Debt bonds burnt publicly
Outcome
The Government suppressed the movement.In 1879:
- Deccan Agriculturists Relief Act was passed
The nationalist intelligentsia of Maharashtra supported the peasants.
CHANGED NATURE OF PEASANT MOVEMENTS AFTER 1857
MAIN FEATURES
- Peasants emerged as the main force
- Demands became largely economic
- Movements targeted:
- Planters
- Zamindars
- Moneylenders
- Objectives remained limited and localised
- Colonialism was not directly challenged
- Territorial spread was limited
- No long-term organisation existed
- Peasants increasingly used legal rights and courts
WEAKNESSES
- Lack of understanding of colonialism
- Absence of a broader political ideology
- No alternative social or political programme
- Movements remained within old social framework
LATER PEASANT MOVEMENTS
KISAN SABHA MOVEMENT
In Awadh, taluqdars regained their lands after 1857, strengthening landlord domination.The peasants suffered from:
- High rents
- Bedakhali (evictions)
- Illegal levies
- Begar
Formation
The United Provinces Kisan Sabha was formed in February 1918 by:
- Gauri Shankar Mishra
- Indra Narayan Dwivedi
Supported by:
Other leaders:
- Jhinguri Singh
- Durgapal Singh
- Baba Ramchandra
Awadh Kisan Sabha (1920)
The peasants demanded:
- Refusal to till bedakhali land
- Refusal of hari and begar
- Panchayat settlement of disputes
The movement later turned militant in districts like:
- Rai Bareilly
- Faizabad
- Sultanpur
Decline
The movement declined because of:
- Government repression
- Passing of Awadh Rent (Amendment) Act
EKA MOVEMENT
Started in northern districts of UP:
Main Issues
- High rents
- Oppression by thikadars
- Share-rents
Features
The peasants vowed:
- To pay only recorded rent
- Not to leave land when evicted
- Not to perform forced labour
- To obey panchayat decisions
Leadership came from:
- Madari Pasi
- Low-caste leaders
- Small zamindars
Outcome
The movement ended by March 1922 due to severe repression.
MAPPILA REVOLT
The Mappilas were Muslim tenants in Malabar where landlords were mainly Hindus.
Causes
- Lack of security of tenure
- High rents
- Renewal fees
- Oppressive exactions
The movement merged with:
- Khilafat Movement
- Non-Cooperation Movement
Course of Revolt
In August 1921:
- Arrest of Ali Musaliar triggered rebellion
Targets initially included:
- Courts
- Police stations
- Treasuries
- Landlords
Later:
- The movement acquired communal overtones
Outcome
By December 1921:
- The revolt was suppressed
BARDOLI SATYAGRAHA
Started in Surat district due to:
- 30% increase in land revenue
Leadership
Led by:
Women gave him the title:
Nature of Movement
The peasants:
- Refused enhanced revenue payment
- Organised camps (chhavanis)
- Used social boycott
Special emphasis was placed on:
Outcome
A committee recommended:
- Revenue increase should be only 6.03%
The movement became a major success of non-violent peasant mobilisation.
ALL INDIA KISAN SABHA (AIKS)
Founded in:
Leaders
| Position | Leader |
|---|
| President | Swami Sahjanand Saraswati |
| General Secretary | N.G. Ranga |
A Kisan Manifesto was issued.The Congress agrarian programme of 1937 elections was influenced by AIKS.
PEASANT MOVEMENTS UNDER CONGRESS MINISTRIES (1937–39)
This period marked the high point of peasant mobilisation.Main methods:
- Kisan conferences
- Village mobilisation
- Protest campaigns
PEASANT ACTIVITY IN PROVINCES
KERALA
- Karshak Sanghams organised peasants
- Main issue:
- Amendment of Malabar Tenancy Act (1929)
ANDHRA
- Anti-zamindari struggles intensified
- Summer schools of economics and politics organised
Leaders included:
- P.C. Joshi
- Ajoy Ghosh
- R.D. Bhardwaj
BIHAR
Led by:
- Sahjanand Saraswati
- Karyanand Sharma
- Rahul Sankritayan
In 1935:
- Anti-zamindari slogan adopted
PUNJAB
Main issues:
- Land revenue settlement
- Canal water rates
- Feudal levies
Peasants successfully secured concessions.
POST-WAR PEASANT MOVEMENTS
TEBHAGA MOVEMENT
Started in Bengal in 1946 under Bengal Provincial Kisan Sabha.
Main Demand
Sharecroppers demanded:
- Two-thirds share (Tebhaga) instead of one-half
Slogan
Features
- Organised mainly by communist cadres
- Strong participation by:
Decline
The movement weakened because of:
- Bargardari Bill
- Repression
- Communal riots
TELANGANA MOVEMENT
The largest peasant guerrilla struggle in modern Indian history.Affected:
- 3000 villages
- 3 million people
Causes
- Feudal exploitation
- Forced labour (vethi)
- Illegal exactions
- Lack of civil liberties
Leadership
Led by:
- Communist guerrillas
- Andhra Mahasabha
Areas
Spread across:
Achievements
- End of vethi
- Increase in agricultural wages
- Restoration of seized lands
- Irrigation improvements
- Better condition of women
The movement weakened after Indian security forces entered Hyderabad.
BALANCE SHEET OF PEASANT MOVEMENTS
POSITIVE IMPACT
- Prepared atmosphere for post-independence agrarian reforms
- Weakened zamindari power
- Strengthened nationalist ideology among peasants
- Increased peasant political awareness
- Contributed to abolition of zamindari after independence
LIMITATIONS
- Regional nature
- Lack of sustained organisation
- Weak ideological unity
- Limited understanding of colonialism in early phases