Tribal movement in rajasthan

Tribal movement in rajasthan 1881 -1947

1. Tribal Movements in Rajasthan by NIDHI YAD AV M.A 2 nd yr

2. Introduction A tribal society is a group of people who are socially , economically and technologically backward and different from complex society , having same culture in every groups. Some important tribes in india – Baiga in m.p , Bhils in m.p , Rajasthan , Gujarat and Maharashtra , Naga and Kuki in Manipur Khasi , Garo and Kuki in Mizoram etc.

3. Beginning of tribal movements in india After 1757 (battle of plassey ) B ritish came to the power and got political and administrative rights in entire country. British began to interefere in the region of tribes for the purpose of exploiting the tribal natural resources and lands were occupied by traders , moneylanders , Zamindaras by advancing them loans. Some forests were declared as reserved ones where only authorized contractors were allowed to cut the timber and the forest dwellers were kept isolated deliberately within their habitat without any effort to ameliorate their economic and educational standards.

4. Nature of tribal movements Tribal communities consciousness was strong. Not only agrarian but also forest based . some Movements were ethnic in nature because were only directed against their exploiters. Some scholers – R.S Desai and Guha considered as peasant movement but K.S singh criticised because of tribe’s social and political org. , social isolation from mainstream and their leadership pattern.

5. Tribals in Rajasthan There are two major tribes in Rajasthan – Mer tribe Meena tribe Bhil tribe Garasiya tribe -

6. Mer revolt (1818 – 1821) Causes of revolt – Although Mer tribe was under Mewar , Marwar and Ajmer but they had never political and administrative control over Mer tribe. At first British brought Mer tribe under their administrative contol in order to expansion of british rule. High revenue collection was also major cause. Treaty between Ajmer British superintendent F. Wilder attacked and Jhaak and other villages of marwaar , part of their consiperacy . Same policy against mers was followed in Mewar . Out break of revolt- as a reaction of above mentioned policy of British govt. against , Mer tribes revolted at different places in 1820 and tried to dissolve various Police Chaukis and Thanas . To suppress this revolt , combined forces of Mewar and Marwar attacked over Mers and finally they succeed to suppress them in 1821.

7. Bhil revolt (1818- 1860) Bhil majority areas- Dungarpur , Baanswara , Pratapgargh and Sirohi etc. leadership - Bhil was a peaceful tribal community of Rajasthan, were not disturbed by Rajput chiefs . In contrast Minas, bhils remained isolated from mainstream to some extent , were subsisting on shifting cultivation , hunting and forest products and were leading a self sufficient economy. Bhils never came under the state control of Rajputs and since the time immemorial , they had their own socio- political system and their tracts were devided into various Pals or settlements and each Pal had a hereditary headman known as Gameti . causes - Changes made by british govt. in administrative system provoked the Bhils to revolt against the semi – feudal and semi- colonial order in Rajasthan. Under influence of British rule , outsiders( revenue officials, moneylenders , contractors and traders) came who caused various forms of suffering among Bhils . As well as the british legal conception of absolute private property eroded the traditions of joint owenership which sharpened the conflicts within the tribal societies. With the treaty of 1818 , the native forces were dissolved . As well as Bhils were employed in the forces of state but with dissolution of native forces ,they became unemployed and all external and internal affairs were handed over to British .

8. Resident colonel James Tod tried to bring the Bhils under his control to establish the states’s athourity upon them. The Bhils used to collect rakhwali tax(watch tam) from the neighbouring villeges of their settlements and bolai tax (safety tax) on the passage of goods and travellers but col. Tod snatched these rights.This was the immediate cause of revolt. By the 1818 they declared their freedom and stood against the state. Although colonel Tod made efforts to pursue the Bhils for peaceful surrender but Bhils refused to yield peacefully . So in jan , 1823 , the british and state troops were sent to suppress them but could not achieve permanently peace. Between 1809- 1828 , Bhils of Gujarat were in rebel. Making some new arrangement to suppress, on 9 th june ,1836, the maharwals of banswara assured the british to suppress the Bhils through his own strict efforts and the administration of Bhil tracts was taken over by the british and an assistant political agent was appointed . Under his command, a bhil corp was raised in which mewar govt. contributed Rs . 50,000 annually and two cantonments were established at Kherwara and Kotra within the Bhil tracts.

9. In 1844 , Bhils revolt again took place in Baanswara state.but revolt was crushed by 1850. Bhil revolt(1861-1900) – ( leadership – guru govind giri and Motilal Tejawat ) due to suppressive policy of govt., Bhil tribe revolts took place at many different places like- In 1861 – Udaipur In 1872 - 74- Bhils of Baanswara again rebelled because of an agreement between British and Baanswara state in 1868 in which the British got exclusive powers to curb the Bhils . As well as british enhanced the amount of Brar tax which the bhils paid to the state. So in 1872- 73 Dalla , a Bhil chief of Sodalpur revolted against the Maharawal of Banswara on the issue of Berar(tribute). These rebellious activities extended up to the sailana and Jhabua states of central india . Later , it spread in many areas- Barapal , Tidi and Padona and put 24 demands and asked not to interfere in their social and religious matters, withdraw Barar tax , stop census work. Finally on 25 th april , 1881 an agreement was concluded with Bhils . according to it – the state officials agreed to remit half the Barar tax , not to trouble the Bhils by census operations . but it did not bring complete peace. In march 1882, the bhils of Bhorai and Nathara Pals again revolted and besieged the house of Dayalal choubiya . To crush this revolt Mama Amah singh and Mehta Govind singh were sent by Maharana .

10. Thus the tribal movement continued from 1818- 1900.

11. Mina revolt(1851- 60) In 1851, minas of Jahajpur Pargana of Udaipur revolted against british to show their anger. They accepted only the authority of Maharana of Mewar . The revolting minas not only looted the revenue officials and Mahajans of Jahajpur but also plundered the adjoining areas of british province of Ajmer and Merwar . So on the complaint of british , Mehta Ajitsingh was appointed as newly Hakim with the task of suppression of revolting Minas who was accompanied by jagirdars of Shahpura , Banera , Bijoliya , Jahajpur and Mangalgarh and others. At the instance of the agent to governor general in rajputana , Jaipur , tonk and bundi sealed their border so that they (minas) could not take the help. In april , 1854, the Udaipur forces attacked the villages of choti and badi luhari which were the villeges of mina leaders. In these rebellious activities , 57 sepoys of state forces died. In feb , 1855, a cantonment was set up at Deoly on the junction of Jaipur, Ajmer, Bundi’s border to combat with the Minas in future. In 1860. Minas again revolted in Jahajpur . Forces under chandrasingh attacked over the village of Gadoli and Luhari pargana in which large no. of Minas were arrested and six were gunned down with canon.thus Minas were controlled.

12. Conclusion In 19 th century, tribal movements of Rajasthan and other parts of india had shared common features. They (movements) had impact on society regarding social reforms. On one hand, british govt. announced some concessions to the Bhils and on other hand, they established the network of millitry and civil control upon the Bhil tracts. These also played a positive role in the great civil revolt of 1857. These movements became the a source of inspiration to civilized indiansto fight for independence of india .

13. Bibliography Sharma, Brajkishor , peasant and tribal movements in Rajasthan, Rajasthan Hindi Grantha Academy, Jaipur, 2001. Sharma,Krishna Gopal, History and culture of Rajasthan, centre for Rajasthan studies ,Jaipur,2014. Ojha , J.K, History of Rajasthan, Literary circle , Jaipur,2014. www.historydiscussion.net>.