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Q51 (IAS/2018) History & Culture › Modern India (Pre-1857) › Tribal and peasant revolts Official Key

After the Santhal Uprising subsided, what was/were the measure/measures taken by the colonial government ? 1. The territories called 'Santhal Paraganas' were created. 2. It became illegal for a Santhal to transfer land to a non-Santhal. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Result
Your answer:  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is option C (Both 1 and 2).

After the Santhal Revolt (1855-56), the Santhal Pargana was created, carving out 5,500 square miles from the districts of Bhagalpur and Birbhum.[1] This confirms that statement 1 is correct.

Regarding statement 2, although the rebellion was crushed, British administrators realised the need to honour local custom in order to maintain peace.[2] The British employed a unique policy in terms of land revenue administration in Santhal Parganas, and the Santhal Parganas Tenancy (Supplementary provisions) Act, 1949, is a codification of many extant rules/regulations as well as Santhal custom[3] that were established after the uprising. These protective measures included restrictions on land transfer to non-Santhals, making statement 2 also correct.

The colonial government recognized that moneylenders (dikus) were charging high rates of interest and taking over the land when debts remained unpaid[1], which had been a major cause of the uprising. Therefore, both administrative and legal measures were implemented to address Santhal grievances.

Sources
  1. [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 242 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART III > p. 242
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. After the Santhal Uprising subsided, what was/were the measure/measures taken by the colonial government ? 1. The territories called 'Sa…
At a glance
Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 5/10 · 0/10

Statement 1 is a direct lift from NCERT Themes Part III (Page 242). Statement 2 is an 'applied history' inference: the NCERT explicitly lists land alienation to 'dikus' (outsiders) as the cause; the administrative solution logically had to address this to restore order. This is a Cause-Effect question masquerading as a factual one.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Did the British colonial government create the Santhal Parganas as a distinct administrative territory after the Santhal Uprising (1855–56)?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 242 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART III > p. 242
Presence: 5/5
“The Santhals, however, soon found that the land they had brought under cultivation was slipping away from their hands. The state was levying heavy taxes on the land that the Santhals had cleared, moneylenders (dikus) were charging them high rates of interest and taking over the land when debts remained unpaid, and zamindars were asserting control over the Damin area. By the 1850s, the Santhals felt that the time had come to rebel against zamindars, moneylenders and the colonial state, in order to create an ideal world for themselves where they would rule. It was after the Santhal Revolt (1855-56 ) that the Santhal Pargana was created, carving out 5,500 square miles from the districts of Bhagalpur and Birbhum.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states that 'It was after the Santhal Revolt (1855-56) that the Santhal Pargana was created.'
  • Gives administrative detail: carved out 5,500 square miles from Bhagalpur and Birbhum, indicating a formal territorial creation.
Statement 2
After the Santhal Uprising (1855–56), did British colonial authorities make it illegal for Santhals to transfer land to non-Santhals?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 2. The Hoe and the Plough > p. 241
Strength: 5/5
“turbulent. The Santhals, by contrast, appeared to be ideal settlers, clearing forests and ploughing the land with vigour . The Santhals were given land and persuaded to settle in the foothills of Rajmahal. By 1832 a large area of land was demarcated as Damin-i-Koh. This was declared to be the land of the Santhals. They were to live within it, practise plough agriculture, and become settled peasants. The land grant to the Santhals stipulated that at least one-tenth of the area was to be cleared and cultivated within the first ten years. The territory was surveyed and mapped. Enclosed with boundary pillars, it was separated from both the world of the settled agriculturists of the plains and the Paharias of the hills.”
Why relevant

States that a large area (Damin-i-Koh) was declared to be 'the land of the Santhals' with a formal land grant and mapped boundaries.

How to extend

A student could check whether such formal designation was later accompanied by legal restrictions on sale/transfer in colonial records or subsequent tenancy/land acts for that territory.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 242 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART III > p. 242
Strength: 4/5
“The Santhals, however, soon found that the land they had brought under cultivation was slipping away from their hands. The state was levying heavy taxes on the land that the Santhals had cleared, moneylenders (dikus) were charging them high rates of interest and taking over the land when debts remained unpaid, and zamindars were asserting control over the Damin area. By the 1850s, the Santhals felt that the time had come to rebel against zamindars, moneylenders and the colonial state, in order to create an ideal world for themselves where they would rule. It was after the Santhal Revolt (1855-56 ) that the Santhal Pargana was created, carving out 5,500 square miles from the districts of Bhagalpur and Birbhum.”
Why relevant

Records that the Santhal Pargana was created after the revolt, carving out territory from existing districts.

How to extend

One could inspect administrative orders establishing the Pargana for clauses limiting alienation of land by Santhals to outsiders.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 2.2 The Santhals: Pioneer settlers > p. 240
Strength: 4/5
“On enquiry he discovered that the frontiers of cultivation here had been extended by the Santhals. They had moved into this area around 1800, displaced the hill folk who lived on these lower slopes, cleared the forests and settled the land. How did the Santhals reach the Rajmahal hills? The Santhals had begun to come into Bengal around the 1780s. Zamindars hired them to reclaim land and expand cultivation, and British officials invited them to settle in the Jangal Mahals. Having failed to subdue the Paharias and transform them into settled agriculturists, the British turned to the Santhals. The Paharias refused to cut forests, resisted touching the plough, and continued to be Fig.”
Why relevant

Explains that Santhals were invited to settle, given land, and that the territory was surveyed, demarcated and enclosed with boundary pillars.

How to extend

Survey and demarcation often precede special legal regimes; a student might examine land survey records or local regulations to see if transfer restrictions were recorded.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 18: Early Resistance to British Rule > Santhal Hool (rebellion) (1855-56) > p. 292
Strength: 4/5
“situation as tribal lands were leased out to non-Santhal zamindars and moneylenders. To this was added the oppression of the local police and the European officials engaged in railroad construction. This penetration of dikus (outsiders) completely destroyed their familiar world, and forced them into action to take possession of their lost territory. In July 1855, when their ultimatum to the zamindars and the government went unheeded, several thousand Santhals, armed with bows and arrows, started an open insurrection 'against the unholy trinity of their oppressors-the zamindars, the mahajans and the government.' At the battle of Maheshpur, many of the Manjis were dressed in red clothes.”
Why relevant

Notes that tribal lands were being leased out to non-Santhal zamindars, which was a specific grievance leading to the uprising.

How to extend

Given this grievance, a student could look for post-rebellion measures aimed at preventing leasing/alienation to non-Santhals as a remedy in official correspondence or legislation.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 6: People’s Resistance Against British Before 1857 > The Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) > p. 157
Strength: 3/5
“Continued oppression of the Santhals, an agricultural people, who had fled to settle in the plains of the Rajmahal hills (Bihar) led to the Santhal rebellion against the zamindars. The money-lenders who had the support of the police among others had joined the zamindars to subject the peasants to oppressive exactions and dispossession of lands. The rebellion turned into an anti-British movement. Under Sidhu and Kanhu, two brothers, the Santhals proclaimed an end to Company rule, and declared the area between Bhagalpur and Rajmahal as autonomous. The rebellion was suppressed by 1856.”
Why relevant

Describes dispossession of Santhal lands by moneylenders and zamindars with official support — the core problem behind the rebellion.

How to extend

A student might search for colonial policy responses to such dispossession (e.g., protective rules for tribal land) in the administrative reports after 1856.

Pattern takeaway: UPSC has moved beyond 'Who led the revolt?' to 'What was the institutional legacy of the revolt?'. Always check if a rebellion resulted in a specific Tenancy Act or a new administrative division.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter (Statement 1) + Logical Extension (Statement 2). Source: NCERT Themes in Indian History Part III, Chapter 9, Page 242.
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Colonial Response to Resistance. The syllabus isn't just the 'Event' (Rebellion), but the 'State's Reaction' (Administrative/Legal changes).
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Map other Rebellion-Outcome pairs: 1) Munda Rebellion → Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (1908); 2) Deccan Riots → Deccan Agriculturists Relief Act (1879); 3) Indigo Revolt → Indigo Commission (1860); 4) Pabna Revolt → Bengal Tenancy Act (1885).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Stop memorizing just leaders (Sidhu/Kanhu). Shift focus to the 'Aftermath'. Did the rebellion fail, or did it force the British to pass a specific Act or redraw a map? The 'Outcome' column is high-yield.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Santhal Rebellion (1855–56): causes and administrative outcome
💡 The insight

The statement links the 1855–56 uprising directly to the creation of Santhal Pargana; references describe the revolt and the territory carved out afterwards.

High-yield for UPSC: explains how tribal uprisings influenced colonial administrative responses and territorial reorganisation. Connects to topics on peasant/tribal resistance, colonial policy shifts, and post-rebellion administrative measures. Useful for answer-writing on causes, course, and consequences of rural/tribal revolts.

📚 Reading List :
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 242 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART III > p. 242
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 6: People’s Resistance Against British Before 1857 > The Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) > p. 157
🔗 Anchor: "Did the British colonial government create the Santhal Parganas as a distinct ad..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Damin-i-Koh and colonial land-settlement policy
💡 The insight

References describe earlier British demarcation (Damin-i-Koh) and formal settlement of Santhals, showing a pattern of colonial territorial engineering.

Important for framing questions on colonial land policies and tribal settlement schemes; links to revenue policy, forest clearance, and displacement issues. Helps explain continuity between pre-revolt land policies and post-revolt administrative changes.

📚 Reading List :
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 2. The Hoe and the Plough > p. 241
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 2.2 The Santhals: Pioneer settlers > p. 240
🔗 Anchor: "Did the British colonial government create the Santhal Parganas as a distinct ad..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Role of zamindars and moneylenders in tribal dispossession
💡 The insight

Sources attribute the Santhal uprising to exploitation by zamindars and moneylenders backed by colonial apparatus, a proximate cause for administrative response.

Useful for answering 'causes of revolts' questions; ties social-economic exploitation to political outcomes and administrative reactions. Helps integrate social history with administrative changes in essays and selective questions.

📚 Reading List :
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 242 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART III > p. 242
  • Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: The Colonial Era in India > Tribal uprisings > p. 106
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 6: People’s Resistance Against British Before 1857 > The Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) > p. 157
🔗 Anchor: "Did the British colonial government create the Santhal Parganas as a distinct ad..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Santhal Pargana as a post-revolt administrative measure
💡 The insight

The references state that after the Santhal revolt the Santhal Pargana was created, indicating an administrative response by the colonial state to the uprising.

High-yield for questions on colonial administrative reforms and tribal policy: explains how rebellions produced territorial/administrative changes. Links to land policy, tribal autonomy, and British strategies of pacification. Learn by mapping uprisings to consequent administrative acts and comparing similar responses (e.g., settlements or special districts).

📚 Reading List :
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 242 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART III > p. 242
🔗 Anchor: "After the Santhal Uprising (1855–56), did British colonial authorities make it i..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Damin-i-Koh and land grants to Santhals
💡 The insight

Sources describe Damin-i-Koh being declared 'land of the Santhals' with specific grant conditions, showing pre-revolt land arrangements.

Important for questions on colonial land policies and tribal settlement schemes: shows how the British demarcated and regulated tribal lands (conditions like cultivation quotas). Connects to broader themes of forest policy, settlement incentives, and causes of dispossession. Study by noting terms of grants and their implications for ownership and alienation.

📚 Reading List :
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 2. The Hoe and the Plough > p. 241
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 2.2 The Santhals: Pioneer settlers > p. 240
🔗 Anchor: "After the Santhal Uprising (1855–56), did British colonial authorities make it i..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Causes of Santhal Rebellion: dispossession by zamindars and moneylenders (dikus)
💡 The insight

Multiple references link the rebellion to Santhals losing lands to zamindars and moneylenders with colonial support—central to understanding why they revolted.

Crucial for exam answers on causes of tribal uprisings and colonial rural distress: ties economic exploitation, revenue regime and social change to popular resistance. Helps frame analytical answers comparing causes across uprisings. Prepare by cataloguing economic and administrative drivers in each major revolt.

📚 Reading List :
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 242 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART III > p. 242
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 18: Early Resistance to British Rule > Santhal Hool (rebellion) (1855-56) > p. 292
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 6: People’s Resistance Against British Before 1857 > The Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) > p. 157
🔗 Anchor: "After the Santhal Uprising (1855–56), did British colonial authorities make it i..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

The 'Damin-i-Koh' Grant Conditions (NCERT p. 241). Before the revolt, Santhals were given land with a specific stipulation: they had to clear and cultivate at least one-tenth of the area within the first ten years. This specific quota is a potential future statement.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

Use 'Grievance-Redressal Logic'. The NCERT states the rebellion was caused by 'dikus' (outsiders) taking land. For the uprising to 'subside' via government measures, the measure MUST address the root cause. Therefore, banning land transfer to non-Santhals (Statement 2) is the only logically consistent administrative response.

🔗 Mains Connection

Mains GS2 (Tribal Rights/Schedule V): The restriction on land transfer in Santhal Parganas is the historical ancestor of the 'Land Transfer Prohibition' clauses in the Fifth Schedule and the PESA Act. Use this to argue for the historical continuity of protecting tribal land rights.

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

CAPF · 2016 · Q91 Relevance score: 1.64

Consider the following statements about the Santhal Hool of 1855-56: 1. The Santhals were in a desperate situation as tribal lands were leased out 2. The Santhal rebels were treated very leniently by British officials 3. Santhal inhabited areas eventually constituted into separate administrative units called Santhal parganas 4. The Santhal rebellion was the only major rebellion in mid 19th century India Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

CDS-I · 2007 · Q26 Relevance score: -0.80

The Santhal rebellion of 1855-56 resulted in the creation of a separate geographical entity known as Santhal Parganas for the tribals. Who were the leaders associated with the rebellion ?

IAS · 1994 · Q74 Relevance score: -3.53

Which one of the following upheavals took place in Bengal immediately after the Revolt of 1857 ?

CDS-I · 2015 · Q73 Relevance score: -4.67

Which of the following is/are the characteristics) of the Sannyasi and Fakir uprisings ? 1. These uprisings refer to a series of skirmishes between the English East India Company and a group of sannyasis and fakirs. 2. One reason for the uprising was the ban on free movement of the sannyasis along pilgrimage routes. 3. In the course of the uprisings in 1773, Warren Hastings issued a proclamation banishing all sannyasis from Bengal and Bihar. 4. Are contemporaneous with the Non-Cooperation Movement. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

NDA-II · 2010 · Q17 Relevance score: -4.74

Rajmohan Gandhi’s book ‘A Tale of Two Revolts’ (2009) deals with the