Indigo Revolt 1859-60
This movement was not against the British rule or their revenue systems
Region: Bengal
Causes: Indigo plantation was done in oppressive manner – all indigo planters were European
- Best land
- Fraudulent contracts – forced to take meagre advance and enter in the contracts
- Price lower than market price
- Cheating in payments
- Enforcement through armed lathiyals– and other crimes. e.g. kidnapping, burning of houses, attacks etc.
- Biased magistrates
Characteristics
- Initially peaceful means – petitions, demonstrations
- Strikes – Rejected to take advance and enter in contracts, sow indigo
- Against threat of eviction and rent enhancement – denied to follow – used social boycott weapon
- When attacked by lathiyals – took armed recourse
- Also attacked police whenever they came in support of forcing planters
- Took legal recourse for enforcement of their rights
- Intelligentsia of Bengal – provided powerful campaign support to cause
- Missionaries also extended support
- organization, cooperation and discipline;
- Hindu-Muslim Unity
Outcomes
- Planters gave up to united efforts of peasants
- Appointment of Indigo Commission – ryots were free to sow any crop and disputes to be settled by legal means