Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardRevolt of 1857, Peasant Struggles, and Tribal Uprisings

With reference to the 19th-century tribal uprisings and peasant struggles in colonial India, consider the following statements:

1. The Santhal Rebellion (1855–1856) resulted in the colonial administration enacting Act XXXVII of 1855 to create a non-regulation district known as the Santhal Parganas.
2. The Munda Ulgulan led by Birsa Munda targeted not only zamindars and British officials but also Christian missionaries as part of establishing Munda Raj.
3. The Pabna Agrarian Leagues of the 1870s were primarily aimed at the violent armed overthrow of British colonial sovereignty.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 onlyAnswer
  2. B
    2 and 3 only
  3. C
    1 and 3 only
  4. D
    1, 2 and 3

Answer

1 and 2 only
The option selecting 1 and 2 only is correct because the Santhal Rebellion led directly to the creation of the Santhal Parganas via Act XXXVII of 1855, and Birsa Munda's Ulgulan targeted Christian missionaries alongside British rulers and landlords. Statement 3 is false because the Pabna movement pursued legal resistance against zamindars rather than an armed anti-imperialist revolution.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Statement 1 regarding the Santhal Rebellion and Act XXXVII of 1855.
Statement 1 is correct. The intensity of the Santhal Hul (1855��56) forced the British East India Company to alter its administrative framework and pass Act XXXVII of 1855, creating the non-regulation district of Santhal Parganas to safeguard tribal lands from alienation.
Administrative concessions were directly triggered by the Santhal resistance against diku exploitation.
2
Evaluate Statement 2 regarding Birsa Munda's Ulgulan movement.
Statement 2 is correct. Birsa Munda's socio-religious and political revivalist movement (1899–1900) aimed to eliminate all external oppressors (dikus), which included money-lenders, British officials, Hindu landlords, and Christian missionaries who criticized traditional tribal customs.
Birsa Munda sought complete tribal autonomy ('Munda Raj') free from all foreign influence.
3
Evaluate Statement 3 regarding the nature and objectives of the Pabna Peasant Uprisings.
Statement 3 is incorrect. The Pabna Agrarian Leagues formed in East Bengal during the 1870s fought against illegal zamindari exactions, enhanced rents, and evictions. They favored legal agitation, rent-strikes, and courts, declaring their desire to be 'ryots of Her Majesty the Queen' rather than attempting an anti-imperialist armed revolution.
The movement operated within the colonial legal apparatus using provisions of the Bengal Rent Act of 1859.

Key Concept

Distinctive political goals, leadership targets, and legislative outcomes of 19th-century Indian tribal uprisings and peasant movements.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Revolt of 1857, Peasant Struggles, and Tribal Uprisings

More questions from this topic