Question map
Which amongst the following provided a common factor for tribal insurrection in India in the 19th Century ?
Explanation
The 19th-century tribal insurrections in India were primarily driven by the complete disruption of the traditional agrarian and social order of tribal communities [2]. The British colonial administration ended the relative isolation of tribal areas, introducing new land revenue systems and taxation on tribal products [2]. This transition from communal land ownership to individual ownership or zamindari systems allowed outsiders, including jagirdars, thikadars, and moneylenders, to grab ancestral lands [1]. These middlemen, often referred to as 'dikus', ensnared tribals in debt and reduced them to agricultural laborers or sharecroppers [2]. While factors like missionary influence and specific taxes existed, the overarching common factor across various revolts like the Santhal, Kol, and Munda uprisings was the systemic destruction of their old agrarian order and the loss of autonomy over their lands and forests [2].
Sources
- [2] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: The Colonial Era in India > Tribal uprisings > p. 106
- [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 18: Early Resistance to British Rule > Munda Rebellion > p. 292