Question

Describe the rebellion which took place in the Kingdom of Bastar in 1910. How was it suppressed? What were its consequences?

Answer 1

Hint: -This rebellion was also referred to as the Bhumkal Rebellion of 1910.
-It is believed that a person named Gunda Dhur, from the village Nethanar was the one who led this rebellion.

Complete answer: -The British Government had passed a number of forest policies which bothered the people of Bastar. The people were prohibited from practising shifting cultivation. The people were also deprived of the opportunity to hunt and gather forest products for themselves. In the year 1905, the British Government also imposed a law to reserve 2/3 of the total forest area in Bastar.
-The people of Bastar had already been suffering from increased land revenues and were also struck by terrible droughts from 1899 to 1900 and then in 1908 and 1909. Thus, the reservation of the forest area was the trigger that provoked the people into rebellion. -Though it not clear, as to how many people or who all were the leaders of the rebellion, people have always been crediting Gunda Dhur, of Nethanar as the most important person in the rebellion.
-The rebellion started in 1910 when people started circulating lumps of earth, chillies, arrows and branches of mango trees. These circulations were performed to exchange messages and to invite more villagers to unite against the British. They looted bazaars and houses of officials for grains and redistributed them. They burnt down the school, police station and other offices.
-The British deployed troops to control the rebellion. The Adivasis attempted to negotiate but the troop opened fire on them. All the participants of the rebellion were punished and flogged. It took the British three months to take back their control.

Note: -This rebellion was considered a victory for the people of Bastar.
-It was because the reservation of the forest was suspended and later when they did reserve, -they reserved only half of what they had claimed.
-Also, the British did not manage to find and arrest Gunda Dhur.