Question map
Which of the following statements about the Deccan Riots of 1875 is/are true? 1. The Deccan Riots resulted in protection for peasants through the Deccan Agriculturalists Relief Act of 1879. 2. The riots did not spread to the whole of Maharashtra because of prompt suppression by the British. 3. The British were unable to contain the riots and they spread throughout Maharashtra. 4. The cotton boom in the Deccan that had been caused by the artificial demand generated by the American Civil War caused the impoverishment of the peasants. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
The Deccan Riots of 1875 were a significant peasant uprising against moneylenders in the Bombay Deccan. Statement 1 is true as the British government passed the Deccan Agriculturalists Relief Act in 1879 to protect peasants from moneylenders' exploitation [2]. Statement 2 is true because the British government successfully repressed the movement through prompt police and military action, preventing it from engulfing the entire Maharashtra region [3]. Consequently, Statement 3 is false as the riots were contained to specific districts like Poona, Ahmednagar, and Satara [1]. Statement 4 is true; the American Civil War (1861-1865) created a cotton boom that led to easy credit, but the subsequent post-war price crash left peasants heavily indebted and impoverished [6]. Thus, statements 1, 2, and 4 are correct.
Sources
- [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 31: Peasant Movements 1857-1947 > Deccan Riots > p. 577
- [2] https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:5e072387-d56c-496a-a90a-2ee2f31c29dd/files/mfe229cfec2246772480c08cefbe0f8c9
- [3] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > On that day in Supa > p. 246
- [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 31: Peasant Movements 1857-1947 > Deccan Riots > p. 576
- [5] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > p. 251
- [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Riots