Peasant movements : Part II Continued..

One such lesser known movement took place in 1855-56 in undivided Bengal. L. Natarajan noted in his work on the Santhal Insurrection in 1855-56 that seeing the good opportunity of trade and economic benefits, the moira (sweet makers) and the bania (traders) encroached in the tribal belts in the districts of Burdwan and Birbhum and Bhojpuri and Bhatia families from Shahbad, Chaprah, Betah and Arrah. The local mahajans or moneylenders and traders were forcefully buying the agricultural produce from the tribal at lower price than the market price. The Santal land were being taken away and women and children were forcefully abducted. The local tribal people were not allowed to sell their agricultural produce in the local markets. The moneylenders and traders considered the tribal people to be timid and that they will not fight for their rights against these groups of exploiters. However, in due course of time the problem increased when the government officials had physically assaulted the tribal people instead of taking any action against the mahajans and moneylenders. Finally, the intolerance led to a violent struggle between the tribal people and the local traders and moneylenders and also the government officials. In this insurrection, the Santals used guerrilla tactics and assembled battalion to put up a strong fight against the moneylenders and traders. According to Natarajan 10,000 Santals had assembled and put up a fight against the illegal encroachment of land and also forceful exploitation led by the upper economic classes. In this fight for existence, the Santals were helped by the non-Santal lower caste members belonging to groups of telis (oil pressers), goalas (milkmen), the luhars (blacksmiths) and many others who acts as spies to bring information for the Santal leaders. According to Natarajan, this was one of the earliest forms of peasant struggle which was fought by the tribal people without the help of arms and ammunitions and also lacked in effective leadership. However, he stated that this movement has led the stepping stone for many other peasant movements which took place in the later years.

By this time the Permanent Zamindary Settlement act was passed which increased the power for exploitation in the hands of the big landlords and the moneylenders. The Permanent Zamindary Settlement act was passed in 1793. In brief, it can be said that, this settlement gave a permanent authority of the landlords and moneylenders over their land. The act made the zamindars the Permanent proprietors of the land owned by them and this land could not be distributed. It can only be passed on to the next generation or to the sons of the zamindars. As a result of this tenure system and also with the increasing intensification of the land revenue system the zamindars started exploiting those belonging to the lower class categories having small pieces of land. Before the British could expand its authority over the Indian economy, the land revenue system had a flexible nature. The amount of tax to be paid by the peasants working on the lands of the big landowners had to pay a tax according to the total produce during a particular season. In other words, if the production was bad then the peasants had to pay less taxes and if the produce was good then the peasants could pay more in form of taxes.

However, after the Company took over the land revenue system in India, they had fixed on the taxes which the peasants had to pay to the zamindars and the zamindars in turn paid to the Company. Even if during one season there was huge loss or less produce the peasants were forced to pay the fixed rent. If the peasants could not pay the fixed rent or the tax then their land was taken away by the zamindars and these peasants were made bonded labourers throughout their life. Similarly the moneylenders also made use of the poor economic condition of the small peasants. In times of crisis, the moneylenders provided loans with huge rates of interest. The small peasants and agricultural labourers often could not pay off these loans. As a result, the moneylenders used to take away their land in their possession which would pass on to the sons. In this way, the small peasants belonging to the lower castes and also the tribal people were exploited as a result of the intensification of the revenue system, commercialisation of agriculture and also due to fixing of fixed land revenue.