Peasants

Question 1

What kind of plight (Suffering) did the peasants experience?

Answer 1

• High tax
• Agricultural disasters like flood or drought
• Fall in production would put peasants in danger of losing their land
• Forced to work as landless laborers
• Forced to take loans at high interest rates from moneylenders who exploited them in times of crisis
• The British met their requirements with the commercial crops at the cost of Indian industries

Question 2

Describe the peasants revolted of the nineteenth century with examples.

Answer 2

• Not organized
• Eg. Occurrences of sporadic resistance in Champaran (NW Bihar) since 1860 along with a strong disturbance in 1867-1868

Question 3

Describe the change in nature of peasant revolts in the twentieth century with examples.

Answer 3

• 1920-21 opposed rise in revenue by zamindars and taluqdars in districts of Pratapgarh, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur and Faizabad districts of UP. Supported by local associations. 1920, formation of Oudh Kisangani Sabha under the leadership of Jawarhar Lal Nehru and local leader, Ram Chandra, to protect peasant rights.
• Resistance in rise of revenue with some success in Tanjore 1923-24.
• Costal Andhra, foundation of first Ryot’s association by NG Ranga in 1923 and 1927. Powerful Kisan movement in Krishna- Godavari Delta under leadership of T Prakasam and Konda Venkatappaiah.
• Uttar Pradesh, Kisangani movement resulted in demand for abolition of the zamindari system.
• Bihar provincial Kisan Sabha was established by Swami Sahajananda in 1929.
• Bombay government in Bardoli was forced to temporality abandon the revenue revision in 1927 due to the no-revenue campaign led by Sardar Vallabhbai Patel against the revenue hike of 22%.
• Also in Kheda, revenue remained same as 1890 due to peasant’s resistance against its rise.

Question 4

Write a note on the leadership provided by Kisan Sabhas.

Answer 4

• Organized in every district by 1930s
• Most owned allegiance to Congress while some formed links with other political parties
• Held mass meetings and peasant marches against the injustice of zamindars, moneylenders and the government.
• Peasant movements became part of the national movement and most sabhas supported the Congress for getting their grievances redressed
• Most became non- violent under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.

Question 5

What were the impacts of the colonial agrarian policy?

Answer 5

• Land became a sale-able property
• The deadline to pay taxes compelled peasants and landholders to mortgage or dispose their property
• To make up for unpaid taxes by the peasants, the government put their land for sale. This made them landless laborers .