Question

What were the terms of the indigo contract between the british landlord and the indian peasants?

Answer 1

The terms between the British landlords and the Indian peasants were about the land profit obtained through the cultivation of indigo.

• The British landlords had forcefully and illegally taken the money from the poor peasants and therefore to provide justice, Gandhi demanded a 50% transfer of funds to pay these poor peasants.

• The British provided only 25% of the refund.

• These landlords entered into a long-term contract with the farmers.

• According to the contract, the British compelled the farmers to grow around 15% of crops as indigo. This led to providing the entire share of the indigo cultivation to the British.

Answer 2

The terms of the Indigo Contract between the British landlords and the Indian peasants were that the peasants had to plant about 15% of the land with Indigo and give up their whole produce to the British as rent.

When was the Indigo plantation started?

• Louis Bonnard, a Frenchman, started cultivating it in Taldanga and Goalpara in Bengal in 1777.
• The British developed many more Indigo plantations in the early 19th century.

Why was Indigo so important?

• It was a very profitable crop as the blue dye was high in demand in Europe. The dye became a status symbol.
• Many renowned artists were using this blue dye in religious paintings.

Hence, Indian peasants were forced into a contract where they had to plant Indigo on 15% of their land and surrender the full harvest to British landlords.