7.5 Indigo Rebellion 1859-1860

Indigo Rebellion 1859-1860

2020-04-27 15:11:12

The Indigo revolt took place from 1859-60

  • led by Digambar Biswas and Bishnu Biswas against forcing the peasant to grown Indigo corps.
  • peasants learnt to use the legal machinery and Bengali intelligentsia played imp role in it propagation.
  • Indigo commission issued a notificaiton in Nov 1860.
  • Planters forced meagre amounts as advance and enter into fraudulent contracts. Price paid for the plant was less than the market price.
  • It was done on the best land of the raiyats.
  • Planters with the help of his lathiyals attacked peasants, flogged them, kidnapped women and children to force them to cultivate indigo.
  • The immediate cause was the misreading of the government order and allowing them to retain possession of their land and sow whatever they wished in them.
  • They did not wanted to grow indigo under duress from the Planters.
  • Govindpur in Nadia district of Bengal was the 1st to rise. They formed a counter band under Bishnu and Digambar Biswas against the Lathiyals.
  • It soon spread to other parts, peasants stopped taking advances.
  • Planters and Zamindars threatened with eviction from their lands and increased rents. The Ryots went on a rent strike against this.
  • Later they learnt how to use legal machinery and social boycotts against oppression.
  • Indigo plantation was virtually wiped by the end of 1860 from Bengal.

Reasons for Success

  • Hindu Muslim unity
  • Cooperation, organisation and discipline of the ryots.
  • Intelligentsia helped the ryots in their cause. Harish Chandra Mukherjee published regular reports in Hindo Patriot (started by Madhusudan Ray).
  • Newspapers like The Bengalee gave it wide coverage
  • Din Bandhu Mitras play Neel Darpan (1858-1859) was based on this.
  • Missionaries also supported the cause of the ryots.
  • Indigo Commission was established in 1860 and the gov in Nov that year said that the planters would no longer be coerced to plant indigo.

Areas of Indigo Revolt MAL DA RAJ SHAH' / MURS IDABA7' KARIMBUR B (R BHUM MEHERPUR MUCHADA NADIA B U RD WAN KRISHNAGAR BURDWAN BANGAON SARA SAT 'SIRAJGANJ • p A BNA e PABNA MAGURA JESSORE DACCA DACCA NARAIL u, h JESSORE % l, (BAKARGANJ BAKARGANJ 24 PARGANAS 3 Districts Effected by Indigo Revolt in Bengal

PYQs

Indigo Rebellion (1859-60)

  1. "The Indigo Revolt of 1859-60 holds a very significant place in our history of national
    liberation movement. For the first time in the history of our anti-colonial struggle, its two
    independent currents-- spontaneous peasant resistance and constitutional agitation in
    defence of peasantry -- came into mutual contact." Critically examine. [2015, 10m]