Question

in not more than 70 words ,describe the indigo revolt and their outcomes in Bengal?

Answer 1

The Indigo revolt (or Nil vidroha) was a peasant movement and subsequent uprising of indigo farmers against the indigo planters that arose in Bengal in 1859.

Cause lead to revolt - Indigo planting in Bengal dated back to 1777. With expansion of British power in the Nawabs of Bengal, indigo planting became more and more commercially profitable because of the demand for blue dye in Europe. It was introduced in large parts of Burdwan, Bankura, Birbhum, North 24 Parganas, and Jessore (present Bangladesh). The indigo planters persuaded the peasants to plant indigo instead of food crops. They provided loans, called dadon, at a very high interest. Once a farmer took such loans he remained in debt for his whole life before passing it to his successors. The price paid by the planters was meagre, only 2.5% of the market price. The farmers could make no profit growing indigo.

Answer 2

The Indigo revolt was a peasant movement in the state of Bengal. The indigo farmers revolted against the atrocities of the indigo planters which were mainly Europeans. The indigo farmers according to the contract signed with the planters, grew indigo crop on extremely fertile piece of their land. They were paid extremely low prices for their crop. Hence, the indigo farmers rose in revolt against the indigo planters. In March 1859, the farmers refused to sow a single seedling of the indigo plant. Gradually, it spread to several districts in Bengal. The revolt of the indigo planters forced the government to appoint the “Indigo Commission “in 1860. In the Commission report, E.W.L Tower noted that that “not a chest of indigo reached England without being stained with human blood”. The Indigo commission was appointed which held the planters guilty, and criticized them for the coercive methods they used with indigo cultivators. The company asked ryots (farmers) to fulfill their existing contracts but also told them that they could refuse to produce indigo in future. This was a big relief for the peasants and gradually the plantations of Indigo came to an end in Bengal.