plz its urgent can someone tell me about bhumkal rebellion...
Answers
The Bhumkal Rebellion took place in the year 1910 in and around the present India state of Chhattisgarh. It is among the most vigorous and widespread rebellion in India. Thus it is one of the most important protest movement till date.
Out of the eighty four parganas of the district of Bastar, the Bhumkal Rebellion was spread in almost forty six of them. The origin of the Bhumkal Protest Movement was rooted in the previous rebellious movements that took place in this region. It was a movement based in the age-old struggle of the tribal people of Bastar to protect and preserve their tradition, culture and customs. This was linked to their demand of being allowed to retain their traditional way of life and livelihood. The revolt of the tribal people of Bastar was to reassert their rights on the forests and other natural resources of this area. It was so, because all their customs, culture and economic activity depended on their basic belief about the relation between man and nature.
The sudden dispossession of the forest land, when in 1908 they were declared as reserved forests, initiated the Bhumkal Rebellion.
Bastar has a lot of natural resources and is mainly inhabited by tribal people. Maria Gonds, Muria Gonds, Dhurwas, Bhatras, and Halbas are some of the main tribes. It is a princely state which came under the Indian Government after independence. It is one of the 16 districts which became a part of Chhatisgarh in 2000.
The Bhumkal rebellion took place in 1910. It was based on the age old struggle of the tribal people of Bastar. It was taken up to protect and preserve their tradition, culture and customs. It demanded that the people should be allowed to retain their traditional way of life and livelihood.
Several tribal villages were given on lease to thekedars due to the high revenue demands of the British. These thekedars adopted oppressive means to collect revenues. Besides there had been famines in 1900, 1907 and 1908 which made it more difficult for them to pay the revenues.
The ruling elites who had been displaced by the British were the leaders of this movement. Lal Kalendra Singh, Rani Subaran Singh, Kunwar Bahadur Singh and Gundadhur were some of the prominent leaders of the movement.
The Dhurwas of the Kanger forest took the initiative for the rebellion. Mango boughs, a lump of earth, chillies and arrows were circulated between villages. They were messages asking the villagers to rebel against the British.
The rebels looted bazaars, robbed and burnt houses of officials, traders, schools and police stations. They redistributed the grains. It took 3 months to suppress the rebellion.
The results of the rebellion:
The rebellion could not continue because it was not systematically and strategically planned, and enough investment was not done on arms. However due to it:
1. The forest reservation policy was suspended temporarily.
2. Rani Subaran and Kunwar Bahadur declared on 7th February that the British rule on Bastar had been abolished and Muria rule would be re-established.