SERENGSIA Memorial known for great Kol Revolt 1831-32
The aboriginal settlers of Jharkhand, called Kol by the Britishers, have a remarkable contribution to the tribal and freedom movements of India. It was in the year 1765 that the grant of the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa (now spelt Odisha) was given to the East India Company by the last Mughal emperor, Shah Alam. Consequently, Jharkhand known as Chotanagpur during that period was a part of the Subah of Bihar and naturally came under the control of the British. However, the actual entry of the British in this area commenced from the year 1772, and as a result, the local rajas of Chotanagpur became tributary chiefs of this area. This new and forced setup of political apparatus brought a catastrophic change in the life of its inhabitants, specially, in life of the tribal people. This particular change in the land pattern was preluded without considering the culture of the people, which had different features from Bengal as well. As a matter of fact, a clear dissatisfaction prevailed in and around the Chotanagpur area against the new rule and the colonial rulers. From the last decade of eighteenth century, sporadic unrests were reported all over Chotanagpur. In this context, special mention may be given to the Kol revolt of 1831-32. It can be referred to as the first massive tribal unrest of Jharkhand in view of its nature and outcome. It continued for a long time but it also can be said that it was a war of united tribes against the contemporary rulers, which affected every part of the then Chotanagpur except the Santhal Pargana. This paper is designed to present chronological description of the Kol revolt, factors influencing it and the after-effects of the revolt.
Authors by Seema Mamta Minz & Prerna Choubay
Nice place
Respectful place to remember the tribal heroes who lost their lives during the independence struggle.
