Peasant Movements: A Chronological Table
Modern History › Quick Reference for Revision · Topic 33.6
Peasant movements from Titu Mir's rising of the 1830s to the Telangana insurrection of 1946-51 are summarised here in time order, with leader, year, region, cause and result. The table covers the Pagal Panthis, Moplah risings, Indigo Revolt, Pabna, Deccan riots, Champaran, Kheda, Bardoli, Eka, Bakasht, Tebhaga and Telangana, and the laws that followed from several of them.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Quick Reference for Revision
At a Glance
- Earliest Titu Mir, 1830s, Bengal
- Gandhian Champaran 1917, Kheda 1918, Bardoli 1928
- Laws Bengal Tenancy Act 1885, Punjab Land Alienation Act 1900, Champaran Agrarian Act
- Last Telangana, 1946-51
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Quick Reference for Revision
Where Does It Fit?
This is the sixth topic of the category on quick reference for revision. The previous topic listed caste movements. This topic lists peasant movements in time order. The next and last topic lists Rammohan Roy Nationalist dailies…">newspapers and journals of the nationalist era. Previous topic: Caste Movements.
Which Peasant Movements Belong to the Nineteenth Century?
| Movement and leader | Year and region | Cause and result |
|---|---|---|
| Titu Mir’s Movement, Mir Nithar Ali, Titu Mir (1782-1831) | West Bengal | Against Hindu landlords who imposed a beard tax on the Faraizis |
| Pagal Panthis, led by Karam Shah and Tipu Shah, among the Hajong and Garo tribes | 1825-1835, Mymensingh | Against a rise in rents; suppressed with violence |
| Moplah Uprisings | 1836-1854, Malabar | Against rising revenue demand and smaller field size |
| Indigo Revolt, led by Digambar Biswas and Bishnu Biswas | 1859-60, Nadia district | Against terms imposed by European indigo planters; an Indigo Commission was set up in 1860 |
| Deccan Peasants’ Uprising of Maratha peasants | 1875, Kardeh and Poona, Maharashtra | Against Gujarati and Marwari moneylenders; the Deccan Agriculturists’ Relief Act of 1879 |
| Phadke’s Ramosi Uprising, led by Vasudev Balwant Phadke | 1877-1887, Maharashtra | Against the failure of famine relief |
| Pabna Agrarian Uprising, led by Ishan Chandra Roy, Shambhu Pal and Khoodi Mollah, backed by B.C. Chatterjee and R.C. Dutt | 1873, Pabna, East Bengal | Against zamindars who blocked occupancy rights; the Bengal Tenancy Act of 1885 |
| Punjab Peasants’ Revolt | 1890s, Punjab | Against the prospect of losing land; the Punjab Land Alienation Act of 1900 regulated sale and mortgage of land |
The early movements are explained in Early Peasant Movements: Indigo Revolt, Pabna Leagues and Deccan Riots.
Which Peasant Movements Belong to 1917-1951?
| Movement and leader | Year and region | Cause and result |
|---|---|---|
| Champaran Satyagraha, peasants of Champaran | 1917, Bihar | Against the tinkathia system of European indigo planters; the Champaran Agrarian Act abolished it |
| Kheda Satyagraha, led by Gandhi | 1918, Gujarat | For remission of land revenue after crop failure; the demands were finally met |
| Eka Movement, Pasi and Ahir peasants | 1921-22, Hardoi, Barabanki and Sitapur | Against rent hikes and against zamindar practices |
| Bardoli Satyagraha, Kunbi-Patidar peasants and untouchables, supported by the Mehta brothers and Vallabhbhai Patel | 1928, Surat, Gujarat | Against a 22 per cent rise in revenue by the Bombay government; the rise was brought down to 6.03 per cent |
| Bakasht Movement | 1936, Bihar | Against zamindars and moneylenders over bakasht land that tenants had cultivated |
| Tebhaga Movement, poor peasants, tenants and sharecroppers | 1946, Bengal | For two-thirds of the crop for the bargadars; a Bargadari law followed later |
| Telangana Insurrection | 1946-51, Hyderabad | Against the oppressive practices of landlords and officials of the Nizam |
These are covered in Later Peasant Movements: Kisan Sabha, Eka, Mappila Revolt and Bardoli Satyagraha and All India Kisan Sabha and Peasant Activity in the 1930s and 1940s. The Gandhian stage is also in Champaran Satyagraha, 1917 and Ahmedabad Mill Strike and Kheda Satyagraha, 1918.
How Should the Table Be Read?
As an analytical point, the table shows three phases. In the first, up to 1900, the causes were local: rent, revenue, indigo contracts and moneylenders, and the response of the government was commissions and tenancy laws. In the second, from 1917 to 1928, Gandhi and Patel used satyagraha for revenue and planter grievances. In the third, from 1936, the movements were organised by Kisan Sabhas and parties of the left and ended in the armed struggle of Telangana. Several of the laws listed, the Bengal Tenancy Act, the Deccan Agriculturists’ Relief Act and the Punjab Land Alienation Act, show that the colonial state acted after unrest and not before it. The wider rural problems are in Ruralisation and the Impoverishment of the Peasantry and Intermediaries, Absentee Landlordism and the Ruin of Old Zamindars.
A few details in older lists should be handled with care. The leaders of the Pabna uprising are usually given as Ishan Chandra Roy, Shambhu Pal and Khoodi Mollah. The Deccan Agriculturists’ Relief Act is of 1879, and the Bardoli Satyagraha belongs to 1928, though a local campaign in 1926 preceded it.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Leaders and years Matching questions are frequent
- Laws passed Each major revolt led to a law
- Phases Local, Gandhian and left-led
What Came Next?
The next topic is the last in the subject and lists newspapers and journals of the nationalist era. Next topic: Newspapers and Journals of the Nationalist Era.
Key People and Terms
- Tinkathia system Planters’ obligation to grow indigo on three kathas in twenty
- Deccan Agriculturists’ Relief Act 1879 law on peasants’ debts
- Punjab Land Alienation Act 1900 law limiting land transfer
- Bengal Tenancy Act 1885 law on occupancy rights
- Bargadar Sharecropper in Bengal
- Bakasht land Land held by landlords that tenants cultivated
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Indigo 1859-60; Pabna 1873; Deccan 1875.
- Champaran 1917; Kheda 1918; Bardoli 1928.
- Eka 1921-22; Bakasht 1936.
- Bardoli revenue cut to 6.03 per cent.
- Telangana 1946-51.
Do Not Confuse With
- Champaran and Kheda Indigo planters versus revenue remission
- Pabna and Indigo Revolt 1873 occupancy rights versus 1859-60 planters
- Eka and Mappila Awadh rents versus Malabar tenancy and religion
Memory Hook
Beard tax, indigo, moneylenders, planters, revenue, rents, and the sharecroppers’ third.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about causes and results of peasant movements. These points add depth.
- Causes Rent, revenue, debt
- Laws State response
- Phases Local, Gandhian, left-led
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Trace the main peasant movements in British India and the laws passed in response to them.”
How to Answer
- 1830-1900 Local risings.
- Laws Tenancy and debt laws.
- 1917-28 Satyagrahas.
- Conclude 1936 to 1951.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the cause of the Champaran Satyagraha?
In 1917 the peasants of Champaran in Bihar rose against the tinkathia system imposed by European indigo planters, and Gandhi's intervention led to the Champaran Agrarian Act, which abolished the system and gave relief to the peasants.
Which law followed the Pabna uprising?
The Pabna Agrarian Uprising of 1873 in East Bengal, against zamindars who blocked occupancy rights, was followed by the Bengal Tenancy Act of 1885, which protected the occupancy rights of tenants against eviction and set limits on enhancement of rents.
What was the result of the Bardoli Satyagraha?
The Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928, led by Vallabhbhai Patel for the Kunbi-Patidar peasants against a 22 per cent rise in revenue by the Bombay government, ended with the rise being reduced to 6.03 per cent.
Which Act followed the Deccan Riots of 1875?
The Deccan Agriculturists' Relief Act of 1879 followed the riots of 1875 in which Maratha peasants attacked Gujarati and Marwari moneylenders, and it limited the power of moneylenders over the land of peasants in debt.
What was the Telangana insurrection?
It was a peasant armed struggle of 1946 to 1951 in the princely state of Hyderabad, against oppressive practices of landlords and officials of the Nizam, led by the communists, and it ended after the Indian army took over the state.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Champaran Agrarian Act abolished the tinkathia system.
The satyagraha was in 1917.
2 The Bengal Tenancy Act of 1885 followed the Pabna uprising.
It dealt with occupancy rights.
3 The Bardoli Satyagraha took place in Bihar.
It took place in Surat district, Gujarat.
4 The Eka Movement was in Hardoi, Barabanki and Sitapur.
It was in 1921-22.
5 The Punjab Land Alienation Act was passed in 1900.
It regulated sale and mortgage of land.
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