Question

Characteristics of tribal uprisings in british india

Answer 1

The rebellions normally began at a point where to tribals felt so oppressed that they felt they had no alternative but to fight.


[A]The colonial administration recognized tribal chiefs as Zamindars and introduced a new system of land revenue and taxation of tribal product. It encouraged the influx of Christian missionaries especially in Bengal and Assam and thus created serious threat to the tribal religion and culture.

[B]It introduced a large number of outsider middleman among the tribals. They increasingly took possession of tribal lands and trapped the tribal in debt-web and this brought the tribal people within the fold on the colonial economy and exploitation. The large scale influx of non-tribal region also created serious threat to the tribal identity.

[C]It tightened the control of forest zones for revenue purpose from 1867 onwards and this shattered the very basis of tribal economy. The oppression and extortion by policemen and other petty officials aggravated the tribal distress. The system of begar (unpaid forced labour) was intensified and expanded.