Santhal rebellion

The Santhal rebellion (sometimes referred to as the Sonthal rebellion), commonly known as Santhal Hool, was a native rebellion in present-day Jharkhand, in eastern India against both the British colonial authority and zamindari system by the Santhal people. It started on June 30, 1855 and on November 10, 1855 martial law was proclaimed which lasted until January 3, 1856 when martial law was suspended and the movement was brutally ended by troops loyal to the British. The rebellion was led by the four Murmu Brothers - Sido, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav.

The uprising of the Santhals began as a tribal reaction to and despotic British revenue system, usury practices, and the zamindari system in India; in the tribal belt of what was then known as the Bengal Presidency. It was a revolt against the oppression of the colonial rule propagated through a distorted revenue system, enforced by the local zamindars, the police and the courts of the legal system set up by the British.

Before the British advent in India, Santhals resided in the hilly districts of Manbhum, Barabhum, Chhotanagpur, Palamau, and Birbhum. They lived an agrarian lifestyle, by clearing forest patches, cultivation and hunting for subsistence. But as the agents of the new colonial rule claimed their rights on the lands, the Santhals retreated to the hills of Rajmahal. After a brief period, the British operatives with their native underlings i.e. the local landlords lay claim on this new land as well. Zamindars and the money lenders allured them by goods lent to them on loans, through corrupt practices of the money lenders, the loan grew to prohibitive proportions, for repaying which entire family had to work as bonded labourers. This dispossession turned the Santhals into rebels and finally they took an oath to launch an attack on the ruling authority, i.e. the British.

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