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An Indigo dyefactory in Bengal, 1867
The Indigo revolt was a peasant movement and subsequent uprising of indigofarmers against the indigo planters that arose in Bengal in 1859. The back stage of the revolt goes back half a century[1]when the indigo plantation act was established. After the courageous fight by the Sepoy for independence in 1857 in February-March 1859 the farmers refused to sow a single seedling of indigo plant. The strength of the farmers' resolutions were dramatically stronger than anticipated from a community victimized by brutal treatment for about half a century. Most importantly it was a revolt of both the major religious groups of farmers in Bengal, notably a farmer Haji Molla of Nischindipur said that he would "rather beg than sow indigo".[2]The farmers were in no possession of any types of arms, it was totally a nonviolent resistance.[3]
Contents[hide]- 1 Causes of the revolt
- 2 The revolt
- 3 The effect on the British rulers in India
- 4 Cultural effects
- 5 See also
- 6 References
Indigo planting in Bengal dated back to 1777. Louis Bonardwas probably the first indigo planter. With expansion of British power in the Nawabate of Bengal, indigo planting became more and more commercially profitable due to the demand for Blue Dye in Europe. It was introduced in large parts of Burdwan, Bankura, Birbhum, Murshidabad, etc. The indigo planters left no stones unturned to make money. They mercilessly pursued the peasants to plant indigo instead of food crops. They provided loans, called dadon at a very high interest. Once a farmer took such loans he remained in debt for whole of his life before passing it to his successors. The price paid by the planters was meagre,only 2.5% of the market price. So the farmers could make no profit by growing indigo. The farmers were totally unprotected from the brutal indigo planters, who resorted to mortgage or destruction of their property if they were unwilling to obey them. Government rules favoured the planters. By an act in 1833, the planters were granted a free hand in oppression. Even the zamindars, money lenders and other influential persons sided with the planters. Out of the severe oppression unleashed on them the farmers resorted to revolt.
The Bengali middle class supported the peasants whole-heartedly. Harish Chandra Mukhopadhyay thoroughly described the plight of the poor peasants in his newspaper The Hindu Patriot. However every such contribution was overshadowed by Dinabandhu Mitra, who gave a perfect account of the situation by writing a play named "Nildorpon", which rowed a huge controversy.
The revolt [edit]The revolt started from Nadia where Bishnucharan Biswas and Digambar Biswas first took up arms against the planters. It spread like wildfire in Murshidabad, Birbhum, Burdwan, Pabna, Khulna, Narail, etc. Indigo planters were put into public trial and executed. The indigo depots were burned down. Many planters fled to avoid being caught. The zamindars were also targets of the revolting peasants.
The revolt was ruthlessly suppressed. Large forces of police and military backed by the British Government and the zamindars mercilessly slaughtered a number of peasants. In spite of this the revolt was fairly popular, involving almost the whole of Bengal. The Biswas brothers of Nadia, Kader Molla of Pabna, Rafique Mondal of Malda were popular leaders. Even some of the zamindars supported the revolt, the most important of whom was Ramratan Mullick of Narail. The company is also facing competition from the Netherlands & France in International Market.
The effect on the British rulers in India [edit]The historian Jogesh Chandra Bagal describes the revolt as a non-violentrevolution and gives this as a reason why the indigo revolt was a success compared to the Sepoy Revolt.R.C. Majumdarin "History of Bengal"[4]goes so far as to call it a forerunner of the non-violent passive resistance later successfully adopted by Gandhi. The revolt had a strong effect on the government, which immediately appoint the "Indigo Commission" in 1860.[5]In the commission report, E. W. L. Tower noted that "not a chest of Indigo reached England without being stained with human blood". Evidently it was a major triumph of the peasants to incite such emotion in the Europeans' minds even though the statement might have been an overstatement.
Cultural effects [edit]Dinabandhu Mitra's 1859 play Nil Darpan is based on the revolution. It was translated into English by Michael Madhusudan Dutta and published by Rev. James Long. It attracted much attention in England, where the people were stunned at the savagery of their countrymen. The British Government sent Rev. Long to a mock trial and punished him with imprisonment and fine. Kaliprasanna Sinha paid the fine for him.
The play is the first play to be staged commercially in the National Theatre in Kolkata.
See also [edit]References [edit]- ^ Nildarpan (play by Mitra) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
- ^ Social Scientist. v 5, no. 60 (July 1977) p. 14.
- ^ Social Scientist. v 5, no. 60 (July 1977) p. 14.
- ^Majumdar, R. C. The Government in 1860 enacted the Indigo Act, according to which no planter could be forced to cultivate indigo against his will. The History of Bengal ISBN 81-7646-237-3
- ^ Social Scientist. v 5, no. 60 (July 1977) p. 14.
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Why was India considered of british colonies during imperialism?
Because the British took over India
What were the goods exported from India during british rule?
items which were exported during british rule
Which were the two historical buildings constructed during British rule in India?
Victoria memorial and gateway to India were the two historical buildings constructed during British rule in India
Is I in the phonetic alphabet India or Indigo?
In the International Phonetic Alphabet, it is India, however UK Police do use Indigo.
What is the name of a leader in India during British Imperialism?
Ghandi
What is nij cultivation?
nij cultivation was the process of growing indigo in which the british forced India to grow it. a)In this system of cultivation the planters produced indigo in the lands that he controlled directly. b)He either bought the land or rented it from the zamindars. c)Under nij cultivation the cultivator grew indigo by employing hired laborers.
What were the 2 major resources India had for the british?
The British East India Company, which monopolized trade in India, traded mainly in cotton, silk, indigo dye, saltpetre, tea, and opium
What is the story of Neel Darpan?
"Neel Darpan" is a play written by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1860, which highlighted the cruel exploitation and oppression of indigo farmers by British indigo planters in colonial India. The play depicts the sufferings of indigo farmers due to forced indigo cultivation and the use of 'Neel' (indigo) as a metaphor for the British colonial rule in India. The play played a significant role in raising awareness about the plight of these farmers and contributed to the indigo revolt.
What was the reason for the chambaran movement?
Prior to the British involvement in India, local people had owned all of the land, on which they grew crops such as sugar cane. They made enough money out of their land to live off, and to feed their families. However, when the British came to India, they forced the people of Champaran to grow the Indigo plant, as it could be used to make an expensive dye (indigo dye), which would bring a lot of profit. The British claimed ownership of the land in Champaran, and took all of the indigo crops produced by the farmers in order to sell them. As a result, the local people, who were previously comfortable, had nothing.
Why was India considered of british colonies during imperialism?
Because the British took over India
Who traded with India during british rule?
The British, primarily.
What were the goods exported from India during british rule?
items which were exported during british rule
Who controlled India during imperialism?
India was once a british colony(:
Is Slumdog Millionaire a film about India but not produced by an Indian company?
It was a British production.
Which were the two historical buildings constructed during British rule in India?
Victoria memorial and gateway to India were the two historical buildings constructed during British rule in India
Who wrote the famous drama Neel Darpan which depicted the agony of the indigo cultivators and the brutality of the planters?
Dinabandhu Mitra, a Bengali playwright, wrote the famous drama Neel Darpan in 1860s. The play highlighted the exploitation of indigo cultivators by British planters in India during colonial rule.
Where does indigo come from?
Indigo is a natural dye that comes from the leaves of the indigo plant, scientifically known as Indigofera tinctoria or from some varieties of the woad plant (Isatis tinctoria). It has been used for centuries to produce a deep blue color in textiles.
