Historical Tribal Uprisings & Leaders

Throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries, Indian tribal communities led fierce armed rebellions against British colonial oppression, draconian forest laws, and exploitation by non-tribal moneylenders (dikus). The Santhal Hool (1855–56), led by Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu, shook British rule in the Rajmahal Hills and led to the creation of the Santhal Pargana district. In the Chota Nagpur region, Birsa Munda spearheaded the 'Ulgulan' (The Great Tumult) in 1899–1900, which forced the colonial government to enact the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908 to protect tribal lands. Other landmark movements include Alluri Sitarama Raju's Rampa Rebellion (1922–24) in the Eastern Ghats and the Bastar rebellion (Bhumkal) of 1910.