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The Santhals are a tribal community inhabiting large parts of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. After the Battle of Plassey in 1757 CE, the control of Bengal passed to the British East India Company. A large chunk of the area inhabited by Santhals came under British rule. Soon the British began to clear the forests in order to grow cash crops such as jute, poppy and indigo.
This was followed by the introduction of the famous ‘Permanent Settlement’ or the Zamindari System by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 CE.
The local landlords occupied the Santhal lands and exploited them. Santhals were rendered landless bonded labourers in their own homes.
The tribals engaged in commercial activity by the barter system. When currency was introduced, they began to rely on the moneylenders who exploited them and reduced them to abject poverty.
On 30th June, 1855, two Santhal brothers Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu organised 10,000 Santhals and proclaimed a rebellion against the British. The Murmu brothers’ sisters Phulo and Jhano also played an active part in the rebellion.
The landlords supported the government whereas the local people including the milkmen and the blacksmiths supported the Santhals.
They were able to capture large parts of land including the Rajmahal Hills, Bhagalpur district and Birbhum. The Santhal army dismantled the railway and postal communications.
Surely, the Santhal revolt was very effective for a while but it could not succeed against the absolute powerful British. The British fire power was no match for the tribal methods of warfare composed of spears and arrows. About 15000 Santhal villagers including the Murmu brothers were killed and their villages destroyed.
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