The Kol uprising, Kol rebellion, also known in British records as the Kol mutiny was a revolt of the tribal
Kol people of Chhota Nagpur that took place between 1831 and 1832.
It was due to economic exploitation brought on by the systems of land tenure and administration that had been introduced by the
East India Company. Tribal people of Chotanagpur including
Mundas,
Oraons,
Hos and
Bhumijs were called Kols.
They initially plunded and killed Sikh and muslims thikedars who collected taxes by different means. Later they also started to plunders and kill Hindus of nearby villages and burnt their houses.
The insurgency was suppresed by killing of the leaders, their followers and arrest of many leaders by Thomas Wilkinson.
Background
In 18th century,
Nagvanshi
Nagavanshi (IAST: Nāgavaṃśī) refers to any of the several Indian Kshatriya dynasties or ruling groups claiming descent from the mythical Nāgas. Along with Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi and Agnivanshi, the Nagavanshi clans form a part of the Ks ...
king Maninath Shah (1748-1762) consolidated his authority over the estates of
Bundu,
Silli, Barwe, Rahe,
Tamar and the chief of these estates were compelled to
acknowledge the Nagvanshi ruler as their Chief. These chief were known as Mankis of these area. During 19th century, some Mankis revolted after being disposed by Nagvanshi and appointment of Thikedars to collect taxes due to fulfill debt of Nagvanshi. These Mankis and their followers attacked the other Mankis of area, looted and burnt down houses of thikedars as well as plundered and destroyed villages of Hindus.
The uprising was a reaction to the appointment of a Political Agent to the Government in South Bihar and recently ceded districts nearby around 1819. This resulted in many people moving into these areas which were the lands of numerous aboriginal tribes. These tribes ruled by Munda-Manki system. With the application of new land laws, the
Kols
The Kol people referred to tribals of Chotanagpur in Eastern Parts of India. The Mundas, Oraons, Hos and Bhumijs were called Kols by British.
It also refers to some tribe and caste of south-east Uttar Pradesh. They are mostly landless and depend ...
were exploited by outsiders moving into the area and commercial activities. Another irritation was the taxation on the movement of products such as salt that were formerly freely moved. Corrupt official practices and lawlessness followed. When some Mankis disposed, Mankis and their followers plundered and burnt the houses of the newly settled people as well as nearby villages of hindus in revenge.
Insurgency
Harinath Shahi, the brother of Nagvanshi king
Jagannath Shah Deo
Jagannath Shah Deo was a Nagvanshi king in the 19th century. He succeeded Govind Nath Shah and ruled from 1822 to 1869 CE. During his reign, Kol uprising and Sepoy mutiny of 1857 happened. He was ally of British East India company. During h ...
granted lands to some Sikh horse traders and Muslim cloth merchant to collect taxes Sonpur Pargana due to debts.
The twelve villages belongs to Singrai Manki and Mohan Manki. Then the Manki disposed and their two sisters seduced by Sikhs and kept as concubine. The twelve villages of Byjunath Manki were given to Hussain Khan and he send the Manki to Police of Govindpur and send to jail in
Sherghati
Sherghati is a town in the Gaya district in Bihar (formally Magadha ), India. The Morhar River surrounds it. A meteorite that came from Mars fell here on 25 August 1865; it is now kept in a London museum and is known as the Shergotty meteorit ...
. The thikedars were collecting taxes by different means such as Abwabs, Salami etc. Then Munda of the region convened a meeting and started looting, burning houses, killings of Sikhs and muslims. The houses of Saifullah Khan, Muhammad Ali Naik, Zafar Ali Khan were looted and killed. Then they also started to plundering houses and killings of Hindus of nearby villages.
Then
Oraon
Oraon may refer to:
* Oraon people, an ethnic group of India
* Oraon language, a Dravidian language
Persons with the surname
* Dinesh Oraon, politician
* Kartik Oraon, politician
* Lalit Oraon, politician
* Laloo Oraon, politician
* Manoj Kum ...
and
Ho also joined in the insurgency in at attempt to destroy Sad (Sadan) or Hindus and Diku or foreigners. According to colonel
Edward Tuite Dalton, In every Paragana the villages in which Sads (Sadan/Hindus) resided
were destroyed and all Dikus (foreigners) who fell into the
hands of the insurgents were murdered. The Zamindars of Rahe,
Bundu,
Tamar, and Barwa, though neither Sads nor
Dikus, narrowly escaped with their lives, when those places
were all sacked and destroyed.
Then it spread to other area of
Ranchi district. They indulged in plunder and killings. They attacked non-tribal of the region, the
Sadan people. The situation continue for several months.
They also destroyed Mahamaya temple which was built by
Nagvanshi
Nagavanshi (IAST: Nāgavaṃśī) refers to any of the several Indian Kshatriya dynasties or ruling groups claiming descent from the mythical Nāgas. Along with Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi and Agnivanshi, the Nagavanshi clans form a part of the Ks ...
king
Gajghat Rai
Gajghat Rai was Nagvanshi king in 9th century. He succeeded Gajdant Rai.
According to Sanskrit inscription in Hapamuni village in Gumla district, he constructed Mahamaya temple in Vikram samvat 965 (908 CE) with the son of King Mohan Rai. He hand ...
and killed the wife and children of the caretaker of temple Barju Ram. He has described the incident in nagpuri peom.
British historiography described the Kol uprising as
banditry. In 1831, the Kol tribesmen of
Chhota Nagpur, who were upset over exploitation by agents of the
East India Company (EIC), rose in revolt against the EIC. The Kols rebels under the leadership of
Budhu Bhagat
Budhu Bhagat was an Indian freedom fighter. He had led guerrilla warfare against East India Company, British. He was leader of Kol rebellion and Larka rebellion in 1831—32 in Chota Nagpur Tributary States, Chhotanagpur.
Biography
He was born on ...
, Joa Bhagat, Jhindrai Manki, Madara Mahato, Buli Mahato and others. The Kols grew restive over the increasing encroachment on tribal territories by the non-tribals like
Hindus,
Muslims and
Sikhs
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
. The new non-tribal landlords resorted to forced labour, fines, and often confiscated their cattle. The Kol insurrection started in 1831 when the farm of two Sikh ''thikadar'' (contractors) was plundered and burnt. In 1832, there were clashes between the armed forces and the tribals Kols rebels.
Kharwar and
Chero also joined in the uprisings.
Professor Sunil Sen mentions that in a memorable guerilla campaign
Budhu Bhagat
Budhu Bhagat was an Indian freedom fighter. He had led guerrilla warfare against East India Company, British. He was leader of Kol rebellion and Larka rebellion in 1831—32 in Chota Nagpur Tributary States, Chhotanagpur.
Biography
He was born on ...
and his followers fought with primitive weapons such as
bows and arrows.
[ Sunil Sen, ''Peasant Movement in India'', pg.7 ] According to British,
Kols people restored in indiscriminately attacking Hindus, Muslim and other foreigner people, plundered and burnt their houses.
Thomas Wilkinson supressed the activity.
He killed many leaders of insurgency and their followers. In 14 February 1932, he killed Bhagat Singh, a munda leader, his seven sons and his 150 followers in village of Sillagaon. Captain Wilkinson encamped in
Tamar. He summoned the chief of Bundu, Tamar who were Munda as well as king of Chotanagpur and dicided to kept away Lakra Kol (Hos) from the region. The
Rautia
The Rautia is a caste found in the states of Jharkhand, Chhatishgarh and Odisha in India. They were agriculturalist, estate holder and militia under Nagvanshi kings of Chotanagpur.
History and origin
According to their traditions, the communi ...
of the Sundari, Khunti, Torpa and other places conferred title of Baraik to Thomas Wilkinson. Then Wilkinson went to
Porahat and made some Hos friend and succeeded in capturing the leader of the kol insurgency Dasai Manki in 1936. Katey
and Binji Rai captured when they were enjoying dinner party, then they were taken to Kolkata in chain.
Aftermath
After the insurgency, British created division of
South-West Frontier
Chota Nagpur Division, also known as the South-West Frontier, was an administrative division of British India. It included most of the present-day state of Jharkhand as well as adjacent portions of West Bengal, Orissa, and Chhattisgarh.
History ...
with its headquarter at
Lohardaga which was later shifted to Kishunpur now
Ranchi
Ranchi (, ) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Odisha, western West Bengal and the eastern area ...
and established police station in different areas.
According to British report, the insurgency was result of disposition of some Mankis and their mistreatment at the hands of thikedars as well as the different rents imposition by Company on masses of whom majority were poor with half savage mentality.
See also
*
Santhal rebellion
*
Budhu Bhagat
Budhu Bhagat was an Indian freedom fighter. He had led guerrilla warfare against East India Company, British. He was leader of Kol rebellion and Larka rebellion in 1831—32 in Chota Nagpur Tributary States, Chhotanagpur.
Biography
He was born on ...
References
{{reflist, 30em
History of Jharkhand
Rebellions in India
Conflicts in 1831
Conflicts in 1832
1831 in British India
1832 in British India
Conflicts in 1833
1833 in British India