Tribals, Dikus & the Vision of a Golden Age Class 8 History Notes

Chapter 4: Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age

How Did Tribal Groups Live?

By the nineteenth century, tribal people in different parts of India were involved in a variety of activities.

• Some were jhum cultivators: This is shifting cultivation, usually done on small patches of land, mostly in forests. The cultivators cut the treetops to allow sunlight to reach the ground, and burnt the vegetation on the land to clear it for cultivation.
• Some were hunters and gatherers: In many regions tribal groups lived by hunting animals and gathering forest produce. For example, the Khonds of Orissa.
• Some herded animals: Many tribal groups were pastoralists who moved with their herds of cattle or sheep according to the seasons. For example, the Van Gujjars of the Punjab hills and the Labadis of Andhra Pradesh.
• Some took to settled cultivation: Many tribal groups had begun to settle down instead of moving from one place to another. For example, the Mundas of Chottanagpur.

How Did Colonial Rule Affect Tribal Lives?

The lives of tribal groups changed during British rule. The British extended their control over all forests and declared that forests were state property. Some forests were classified as Reserved Forests for they produced timber which the British wanted. In these forests, people were not allowed to move freely, practise jhum cultivation, collect fruits, or hunt animals. This forced many tribal groups to move to other areas in search of work and livelihood.

The British also wanted tribal groups to settle down and become peasant cultivators. Settled peasants were easier to control and administer than people who were always on the move.

Birsa Munda

Birsa Munda was a tribal leader from the Munda tribe of the Chotanagpur Plateau. In 1895, he urged his followers to recover their glorious past. He talked of a golden age in the past – a satyug (the age of truth) – when Mundas lived a good life, constructed embankments, tapped natural springs, planted trees and orchards, and practised cultivation to earn their living. He wanted to reform tribal society and urged the Mundas to give up drinking liquor, clean their village, and stop believing in witchcraft and sorcery.

The British officials were worried about the political aim of the Birsa movement, for it wanted to drive out missionaries, moneylenders, Hindu landlords, and the government and set up a Munda Raj with Birsa at its head. The movement identified all these forces as the cause of the misery the Mundas were suffering. As the movement spread, the British arrested Birsa in 1895, convicting him on charges of rioting. Birsa died of cholera in jail in 1900 and the movement faded out.

Exercise Questions and Answers

1. Fill in the blanks:
(a) The British described the tribal people as _______ .
(b) The method of sowing seeds in jhum cultivation is known as _______ .
(c) The tribal chiefs got _______ titles in central India under the British land settlements.
(d) Tribals went to work in the _______ of Assam and the _______ in Bihar.

(a) The British described the tribal people as wild and savage.
(b) The method of sowing seeds in jhum cultivation is known as broadcasting or scattering.
(c) The tribal chiefs got land titles in central India under the British land settlements.
(d) Tribals went to work in the tea plantations of Assam and the coal mines in Bihar.

2. State whether true or false:
(a) Jhum cultivators plough the land and sow seeds.
(b) Cocoons were bought from the Santhals and sold by the traders at five times the purchase price.
(c) Birsa urged his followers to purify themselves, give up drinking liquor and stop believing in witchcraft and sorcery.
(d) The British wanted to preserve the tribal way of life.

(a) False. Jhum cultivators cut and burn the vegetation to clear a plot and then scatter the seeds on the field.
(b) True.
(c) True.
(d) False. The British introduced policies like forest laws and land settlements that severely disrupted the tribal way of life.

3. What problems did shifting cultivators face under British rule?

Shifting cultivators faced several problems under British rule:
1. The British wanted them to settle down and become peasant cultivators, as it was easier to administer a settled population.
2. The British introduced new forest laws, declaring forests as state property and reserving large areas. This prevented the shifting cultivators from accessing the forests on which their livelihood depended.
3. They were often forced to move out of the forests and find other means of livelihood.
4. Land settlements introduced by the British often did not give them clear land rights, making their position insecure.

4. How did the powers of tribal chiefs change under colonial rule?

The powers of tribal chiefs changed significantly under colonial rule:
1. They lost much of their administrative power and were forced to follow laws made by British officials in India.
2. They were no longer able to fulfil their traditional functions, like administering justice within their territories.
3. They were allowed to keep their land titles over a cluster of villages and could rent out lands, but they had to pay tribute to the British.
4. They lost the authority they had earlier enjoyed amongst their people and essentially became agents of the colonial government.

5. What accounts for the anger of the tribals against the dikus?

The anger of the tribals against the "dikus" (outsiders) stemmed from several factors:
1. Moneylenders and Traders: Traders came into the forests and offered cash loans, forcing tribals to produce for the market. They often sold goods at high prices and bought forest produce for very cheap rates. Moneylenders gave loans at very high interest rates, trapping the tribals in a cycle of debt.
2. Loss of Land: The new land revenue systems introduced by the British allowed tribal lands to be taken over by outsiders.
3. Loss of Forest Access: The new forest laws restricted their access to the forests, which was central to their identity and livelihood.
4. Cultural Interference: Missionaries and Hindu landlords were often seen as critics of their traditional culture.
The tribals saw these dikus as the root cause of their misery and the erosion of their way of life.

6. What was Birsa’s vision of a golden age? Why do you think such a vision appealed to the people of the region?

Birsa’s vision of a golden age (satyug) was a time when the Munda people would live free from the oppression of dikus. In this ideal past, they lived honestly, did not kill their brethren, constructed embankments, tapped natural springs, planted trees and orchards, and cultivated land to earn their living. It was a vision of a self-sufficient and dignified life. This vision appealed to the people because it offered a solution to the problems they were facing under colonial rule. They were losing their lands, being forced into debt, and their traditional lifestyle was being destroyed. Birsa's vision promised a return to a better, more prosperous past and a future free from the suffering caused by moneylenders, landlords, and the colonial government.