Discuss why the government showed sympathy towards the indigo cultivators and the Indigo commission gave verdict in therr favour?
Answers
In March 1859, thousands of ryots in Bengal refused to grow indigo and protested violently against indigo planters; many farmers declared that they would rather beg than grow indigo for the Company.
The ryots also got support of the local zamindars and village headman in their rebellion, because the landlords were also unhappy with the increasing power of the British indigo planters.
The indigo peasants thought that the British government might help them in their struggle against the indigo planters, and the British government was already worried about another rebellion breaking out in India (after the Revolt of 1857 that resulted in the deaths of many British and Indian men, women, and children).
As the rebellion spread, intellectuals from Calcutta rushed to the indigo districts and wrote of the misery of the ryots, the tyranny of the planters, and the horrors of the indigo system.
Worried by the rebellion, the government brought in the military to protect the planters from assault and set up the Indigo Commission to enquire into the system of indigo production.
The Commission found that the planters were guilty, criticised them for the forceful methods they used with indigo cultivators, and finally declared that indigo production was not profitable for the ryots. So although the Commission asked the ryots to fulfil their existing contracts, it also told them that they could refuse to produce indigo in the future.