Santhal revolution of 1855–56

 (Continued from yesterday, Op-Ed Page)

The intentions of the movement were announced to be against the Mahajans, Zaminders, and all riches, not against the government.” On the 7th of July, the Daroga of Thana Dighi, or Burio Bazar, went out with his escort to inquire about the assemblage; he was promptly dispatched by Seedoo, nine persons were killed by the Santhals, and the police party fled. The rebellion, thus commenced with bloodshed, spread rapidly with many frightful atrocities. The whole country rose. The insurgents were armed with bows and poisoned arrows, axes, swords, and a few guns only.” The main purpose of the March to Calcutta was to meet the Governor General and lodge complaints about injustice and atrocities. But it was not to be. Of course, it must be admitted that the Santhals started the maiden mass procession.

On their way to Calcutta, the marchers met Kenaram Bhakat of Amrapara. He, along with Mahesh Daroga, conspired to arrest Gorbhu Majhi and Harma Majhi and take them as prisoners. Sidu, Kanu, and thousands of Santhals confronted Kenaram and asked him to release them. Being intoxicated with power, Kenaram and Mahesh Daroga could not realise the danger in front of them. Harma Majhi, Gorbhu Majhi, and Champai were made free as directed by Sidu and Kanu, but till then Mahesh Daroga’s pride and wickedness did not subside. Without considering the consequences, Mahesh Daroga came forward to arrest Sidu and Kanu on the charge of obstructing government duty. It ignited the fire slowly burning in the hearts of the Santhals, and it exploded. All of a sudden, Gorbhu Majhi snatched an axe from someone’s hand and attacked Kenaram Bhakat like a wounded lion. Kenaram was killed. After that, they fell upon Mahesh Daroga, and he was also killed. In this way, they killed 19 people one by one. Thus began a chapter of bloody battles. The commissioner of Bhagalpur described the massacre in this way: “Mahesh Lal Datta, Daroga of Thana Dighee, reached that place on the 7th of July, 1855, with his party. But he was soon killed by Sidhu along with a few others (19 in all).”

With this, Sidu and Kanu declared, ‘Hool has begun. Send Sal branches everywhere. There is no Daroga, no officer, and no government. Now begins the rule of the Santhals.’

After this incident, the warring people killed the Zaminders and Mahajans one by one. They attacked Barhat and set the houses of the Mahajans, Neelkuthi, and Reshamkuthi ablaze. The Santhals working as slaves in the houses of the Mahajans and businessmen were freed. Barhat was occupied by them. Sidu and Kanu were recognised by all as their leaders. After the fall of Barhat, Sidu and Kanu realised that now they would have to fight against the British army and police. At that time, work on constructing rail lines was going on. The Santhal youths engaged in the construction works were also called, and preparations for the armed struggle started in full swing. They used bows and arrows, axes, and swords as weapons. The call for war against Zaminders, Mahajans, and British rulers reverberated throughout all the places from Bengal to Bihar. Thousands of Santhals started attacking these places. It was announced that the company’s rule had come to an end and an independent Santhal State had been established. Fearing for their lives, many Zaminders and Mahajans sought shelter before Sidu and Kanu.

Mr. H. Richardson, Magistrate of Bhagalpur, at first did not believe that such a revolt took place. Nobody could imagine that such a simple and innocent community would resort to armed struggle. Gradually, the rebellion assumed gigantic proportions. In 1856 a British writer wrote in Calcutta Review - “In England, perhaps there was never any movement which in its origin can likened to the Santhal revolt.”

The rebels marched towards Bhagalpur through Rajmahal. Their aim was to release the Santhal prisoners from Bhagalpur jail. Upon hearing this news, the new commissioner of Bhagalpur, C.F. Brown, deployed armed police at each check post and ordered Major F.W. Barrows to protect Bhagalpur and Rajmahal. It was also directed to send soldiers from Danapur, Beerbhum, Bankura, Chotnagpur, Singbhum, Hazaribagh, Munger, and Poornea. Everyday revolt started in a new place. The number of rebels also swelled. In order to quell the rebellion, 500 cavalry soldiers, 40 elephants, and two cannons were dispatched from Murshidabad alone. Not only the Santhals but also the homeless, landless people, labourers, and farmers joined this rebellion in the hope of getting free from the clutches of British rule and exploitation. Bengali sons were composed to unite the working-class people.

The rebellion spread to the borders of Bhagalpur, Murshidabad, and Beerbhum. Divided into several groups, the Santhal rebels attacked different places, and a reign of terror was let loose. The rebels marched towards Pakur, Sangrampur, and Mansingpur.

On July 16, 1855, Major Barrows reached Pialpur with a huge army to teach the Santhals a lesson. There was a mountain pass near Pialpur. At noon, Major Barrows and the army proceeded to attack a Santhal camp across the pass. The Santhal rebels noticed their movement. As they approached, the Santhals attacked them with arrows from behind the bushes. The British soldiers replied with cannons and guns. The British army thought that the guns would scatter them. But instead, the rebels jumped upon the well-trained British soldiers, and the battle continued for more than five hours. Many British soldiers were either killed or wounded. Major Barrows was forced to retreat to Bhagalpur.

After this victory, the Santhal rebels became dauntless. They started killing and looting in various places. At last, in October, the rebels confronted the British army at Sangrampur. Thousands of Santhal rebels were killed in this battle. They could not fight against the sophisticated weapons of the British soldiers. Though they retreated, stray battles continued until February 1856. In the second week of February, 1856, the British army captured Sidu, and he was gunned down. In the third week of the same month, Kanu was arrested in Beerbhum district, and he was hanged later. With their deaths, the Santhal revolt also came to an end. Although the fire of the Santhal revolt was extinguished, its impact continued for a long time. Crores of Indians were inspired by the uncompromising attitude of the Santhals to wage a relentless struggle for independence against the British. Unfortunately, a proper evaluation of the Santhal revolt has yet to be done. If properly evaluated, the Santhal revolt will always remain a perennial source of inspiration for the struggle against all kinds of injustice, atrocities, and exploitation. ( Concluded)