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

Consider the following statements regarding the administrative, legislative, and agrarian outcomes of 19th-century tribal and peasant uprisings in colonial India:

Statement I: The Kol Uprising (1831–1832) led by Buddho Bhagat was primarily triggered by the introduction of the Permanent Settlement of 1793 in Bengal and aimed to reinstate Mughal administrative revenue decrees.
Statement II: The Rampa Rebellion of 1879 in the Godavari agency area was largely driven by tribal resistance against the Abkari tax on toddy tapping and colonial restrictions on Podu (shifting) agriculture.
Statement III: The Ulgulan (Great Tumult) led by Birsa Munda compelled the British government to enact the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act of 1908, which restricted non-tribal land alienation and recognized Khuntkatti tenure rights.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. A
    Statements I and II only
  2. Statements II and III onlyAnswer
  3. C
    Statements I and III only
  4. D
    Statements I, II, and III

Answer

Statements II and III only are correct.
The combination declaring Statements II and III as correct is the right answer. The Rampa Rebellion of 1879 was fought against Abkari duties on toddy and forest restrictions on Podu cultivation. Furthermore, the Birsa Munda Ulgulan directly influenced the enactment of the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act of 1908, protecting Khuntkatti rights and outlawing Bethbegari. Statement I is false because the Kol revolt was aimed against thikadars and British land transfers in Chota Nagpur rather than restoring Mughal administrative decrees under Permanent Settlement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate Statement I regarding the Kol Uprising (1831–1832).
Statement I is incorrect.
The Kol Uprising in Chota Nagpur was caused by the large-scale transfer of tribal lands to non-tribal merchants, moneylenders (dikus), and thikadars under British rule, not by a desire to restore Mughal revenue decrees or the Bengal Permanent Settlement of 1793.
2
Evaluate Statement II regarding the Rampa Rebellion of 1879.
Statement II is correct.
The Rampa Rebellion in the Godavari agency region of present-day Andhra Pradesh was directed against the oppressions of the local Mansabdar, the Abkari tax imposed on toddy tapping, and British forest laws restricting Podu (slash-and-burn) farming.
3
Evaluate Statement III regarding the Munda Ulgulan and the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act of 1908.
Statement III is correct.
Birsa Munda's Ulgulan (1899–1900) challenged the destruction of the traditional Khuntkatti (joint landholding) system and forced labor (Bethbegari), directly prompting the colonial state to pass the landmark Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act of 1908.

Key Concept

Legislative outcomes and socio-economic drivers of 19th-century tribal resistance in India
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Topics

Revolt of 1857, Peasant Struggles, and Tribal Uprisings

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