What is theRole of birsa munda
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Answer:
Birsa Munda - The revolt in Chhotanagpur ( 1899- 1900)
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Birsa Munda is named with great respect as one of the freedom fighters in the Indian's struggle for Independence against British colonialism. His achievements in the freedom struggle became even greater , considering he accomplished this before his 25th year.
Birsa's devotion to his people was such that he almost revered as God by his followers.
Birsa Munda was born in 1875, was the son of a poor father. He went from place to place to find jobs. As an adolescent , he had heard tales of munda uprisings of the past and saw leaders of the community urging the people to revolt.
Birsa went to the German mission school . here, he was transformed into a fighter.
one of the aims of his movement was to reform tribal society, urging the mundas to give up drinking liquor, clean their village , and stop believing in withchcraft. In 1895,he asked his followers to recover their golorious past.
The political aim of the birsa movement was to drive away missionaries, moneylenders, traders, Hindu landlords and the government and to establish Munda Raj. They were the cause of the misery of the mundas. The British government was taking away their lands and missionaries were criticising Munda culture.
In 1894, the failure of the monsoon caused widespread starvation's and epidemics . As leader of the mundas , he demanded the remission of Forest taxes. He was arrested in 1895. the British convicted him on charges of rioting and jailed him for two years..
when he was released in 1897, he established a kingdom under his leadership . His followers started attacking police stations, churches, raided the property of money lenders . However, the mundas were defeated by the British and Birsa Munda was again arrested. He died in Ranchi jail under mysterious circumstances..
The movement had two important repercussions :
» First, the British government had to pass laws so that the land of the tribals could not be easily taken away by the dikus.
» second, the tribal people had the courage to protest against injustice and the British government..