Peasant Movements in India: Evolution, Causes, Phases and Impact

Peasant movements have played a significant role in shaping the history of India, especially in the fight against land rights and agricultural reforms. Starting from the pre-independence era, the Indian national movement and to modern times, these movements have brought the struggles of rural agrarian communities to the mainstream with issues such as demanding justice, fair treatment, and improved living conditions. In this article, we will explore these peasant movements and how they impacted the present socio-economic conditions of the country.

What were the Causes of Peasant Movements in India?

In the 18th and 9th centuries, the peasant movements included social struggles against the atrocities of the British colonial system. The handicrafts of the peasants were ruined. There were many more causes which resulted in the uprising of the peasant movement. Some of them are – 

1. Exploitation by Moneylenders – Peasants especially small and marginal farmers, often faced the exploitative and extortionate practices by moneylenders. High interest rates, lack of credit facilities, and harsh debt repayment pushed the peasants into the vicious cycle of poverty and indebtedness.

2. Land Reforms – One of the major concerns of peasants has been the unequal distribution of land. Large landholdings by a few wealthy landowners or institutions have left the majority of peasants landless or with meagre holdings. This disparity has led to the demand for land reforms and redistribution of land to benefit the rural class, resulting in the uprising of peasants.

3. Inequitable Resource Allocation – The lack of access to basic resources such as irrigation facilities, seeds, fertilizers and credit has hampered the growth and productivity of peasants. Movements have sought to challenge the unequal distribution of resources and demand government intervention to address these disparities.

4. Oppressive Agrarian Policies – Peasant uprisings had risen in response to oppressive agrarian policies, including unfair taxation, high land revenue rates and forced eviction from lands. These policies have marginalised the rural class and led to protests and demands for policy reform.

Also Read –  Salt Satyagraha Movement: Definition, Causes, Effects

Phases of Peasant Movements in India

There are two phases of the Peasant Movement that can be broadly classified as follows:

1. First Phase: It is the Peasant Movement before 1857.
2. Second Phase: It is the Peasant Movement after 1857.

List of Early Peasant Rebellion in the 18th and 19th Century (Pre-Gandhian phase)

Peasant Movements	Year	Details of the Movement
Sanyasi Revolt	1763-1800	1. This revolt took place in Bengal. 2. The Sanyasi Revolt was led by Maznoom Shah and supported by Bhawani Pathak and Devi Choudhurani. 3. The Sanyasi Revolt ignited a rebellion among landless peasants as it displaced the rich zamindars. 4. Sanyasi and Fakirs joined the Bengal Famine in 1770.
Narkelberia Uprising	1782-1831	1. Inspired by Mir Nithar Ali or Titu Mir. 2. It started in West Bengal 3. The rise was against landlords, mainly Hindus, who imposed a beard tax on the British indigo planters and the Faraizis. 4. The revolt later merged into the Wahabi Movement.
The Pagal Panthis	1825	1. A semi-religious group of Hajong and Garo tribes. 2. Founded by Karam Shah. 3. To fight the oppression of the zamindars
Faraizi Revolt	1838-1857	1. Founded by Haji Shariatullah and his son Dadu Miyan. 2. Started in Eastern Bengal. 3. The aim was to expel the English intruders from Bengal. 4. Later the Faraizi joined the Wahabi Movement.
Moplah Uprising or Mappila Rebellion in Malabar	1841-1920	1. Twenty- two rebellions took place between 1836- 1854. 2. Started in Moplah of Malabar (Kerala). 3. A hike in revenue demand and reduction of land size, coupled with the atrocities of officials resulted in the uprising.

The Peasant Movement of the 20th century were deeply influenced by the national freedom struggle. Peasants emerged as the main force in the agrarian movements, fighting for their own rights.f

List of Later Peasant Movements in the 20th Century ( Gandhian Phase)

Peasant Movements	Year	Details of the Movements
Indigo Revolt	1859-1860	Also Known as Neel Bidroho. Occurred in Bengal. Atrocities on indigo planters by forcing them to grow Indigo.
Bardoli Satyagraha	1926	Took place in Bardoli taluqa of Gujarat. Due to an increase in land revenue by 30 per cent. Later, Vallabhbhai Patel led the satyagraha.
Tebhaga Movement	1946-1947	Biggest guerrilla war of modern times.Affected 3,000 villages and 3 million populations.Against the oppressive rule of Deshmukhs, jagirdars, doors, etc
Telangana Movement	1946-1952	Biggest guerrilla war of modern times. Affected 3,000 villages and 3 million populations. Against the oppressive rule of Deshmukhs, jagirdars, doras, etc

Deccan Riots (1875), Pabna Movement (1873-1885), Champaran Movement (1917-1918), Kheda Satyagraha (1981), Eka Movement (1921), and Mappila Revolt (1921) are some of the other later Peasant Movements that took place after Bardoli Satyagraha.

What was the impact of the Peasant Movement?

Following are some of the impacts that happened after these peasant movements.

• These movements raised awareness for independence among the population, even though the intention of these movements was to not end the authority of the Britishers.
• Peasants had consciousness of legal rights and were able to defend themselves.
• In the phase of the Non-Cooperation Movement, many Kisan Sabhas were organised to campaign for peasants.
• The Unity of peasants was seen to fight against the same issue.
• Many other movements were inspired by these peasant movements.
• Gandhi’s philosophy of Nonviolence gave the revolutionaries a sense of empowerment.
• Patriotism grew as a result of these movements.
• Many policy reforms also took place compelling the government to improve agricultural productivity.
• Farmer Organisations were formed in support of these peasant movements.
• Certain land reforms also took place to support the liveliness of farmers.

Peasant Movements have been instrumental in addressing the deep-rooted issues of land inequality, exploitation and agrarian policies. These uprisings were able to unify and address the farmers of their rights, shaping the agrarian policies and empowering peasants to shape the socio-economic conditions of the future India.

Also Read: Popular Struggles and Movements

 Which Was the Longest Peasant Movement in India?

The longest peasant movement in India is the Tebhaga Movement. The movement was started in 1946 and continued into different forms till the 1950s. The demand of this Bengal movement was to reduce the landlord’s share of the produce from half to one-third. The movement was led by the All India Kisan Sabha and backed by the Communist Party of India. In the end, the movement failed to achieve its goals. However, it has a lasting impact on agrarian reform debates. The movement inspired peasant movement across India, and recognized the requirement for tenancy reforms.

What Were the Two Famous Peasant Movements in 1946?

The two most famous peasant movements in the 1946 were the following:

1. Tebhaga Movement in Bengal- The aim of this movement was to give two-thirds of the harvest to sharecroppers. 
2. Telangana Rebellion in Hyderabad- This movement feudal landlords and the Nizam’s rule. The aim of this movement was to redistribute land redistribution.

Both of these movements were supported by the communist party of India. These movements laid the foundation for the future reforms and political mobilisation. It is important to note that the Telangana Rebellion continued even after India attained independence. It only stopped when the movement was suppressed in 1951.

Which was the First Armed Peasant Movement in India?

The first armed peasant movement in India was the Sanyasi Rebellion (late 18th century, around 1770). This movement is considered as the first main armed uprising. It consisted of Hindu ascetics and peasants. They were rebelling against the British colonial policies and heavy taxation. The movement was based in Bengal and was started after the Great Bengal Famine. This movement was popularised in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel “Anandamath.”.

What was the Most Famous Peasant Revolt?

The Indigo Revolt (Neel Bidroha) of 1859–60 is the most famous peasant revolt of India. The revolt was a mass uprising by farmers against the British planters. The farmers were forced to grow indigo under exploitative terms. The revolt was able to gain support, and indian intellectuals and newspapers paid attention to the same. Dinabandhu Mitra’s play “Nil Darpan” also played an important role in raising awareness.

Eventually, the Indigo Revolt led to an official enquiry and reforms . This was a non violent movement, and a symbolic one in colonial history.

To learn what is Indigo revolt, watch this video. It will summarise the revolt in 3 minutes for you.

Who Won the Peasant Revolt?

Most of the peasant movements in India were violently suppressed by feudal forces or the colonial rulers. However, there were movements in India that became a success. For example,the Indigo Revolt and the Tebhaga Movements were able to result in policy changes and people were able to gain moral victories.

Another example is the Indigo revolt. The Indigo revolt led to the end of indigo cultivation in India due to public resistance and government action.

Also Read: India’s Journey to Independence from 1857 to 1947

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