How Jharkhand’s tribes have fought for their rights through centuries

Resistance to the British

Most of Jharkhand lies on the Chota Nagpur Plateau in eastern India. In 1765, the British gained control over Jharkhand, then a part of Bihar, after the Mughals granted them the Diwani rights to Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, allowing them to collect revenue from these regions.

Over the years, the Chota Nagpur Plateau has been inhabited by various tribes, such as the Munda, Santhal, Oraon, Ho, and Birhor. Nadeem Hasnain, former professor of social anthropology at the University of Lucknow, notes in his book Tribal India that cultivators make up more than half of the workers from these tribes, significantly exceeding the national average of 44.7 per cent for all Scheduled Tribes — making land a crucial asset for them.

As the British expanded their authority during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, they implemented various administrative and economic policies that promoted commercial agriculture and mining, displacing many tribes from their ancestral lands. In response to this resource exploitation, tribal leaders organised movements and revolts to resist British domination and protect their rights.

In their 2003 essay ‘Recent Developments In The Jharkhand Movement’, the late scholars Ram Dayal Munda and Bisheshwar Prasad Keshari classify the years between 1769-93 as the period of resistance, while referring to the following decade as one of open revolt.

From the Dhal Revolt to the Munda Rebellion

The first tribal revolt during British rule in Jharkhand was the Dhal Revolt in 1767, led by Jagannath Dhal, the former king of Dhalbhum, a part of West Bengal today. Triggered by the presence of the British East India Company that marginalised the local population, this revolt lasted 10 years. In response to the ongoing unrest, the British reinstated Jagannath Dhal as the ruler of Dhalbhum in 1777.

However, this was just the beginning. Several other revolts followed, with the two most notable being the Munda Rebellion and the Tana Bhagat Movement, says Hasnain. “Among the tribal movements organised in Bihar-Jharkhand and the adjoining areas, Birsa Movement is the most widespread and the best known. After….Tana Bhagat Movement occupies the most important place because of its multidimensional significance of far reaching socio-political implications,” Hasnain notes.

The Munda Rebellion, which lasted from 1899 to 1900, was another significant response to the exploitation faced by the Mundas, traditionally agriculturalists suffering under British officials and moneylenders. Led by the young and charismatic Birsa Munda, who claimed divine inspiration, the rebellion saw guerrilla warfare and direct attacks on colonial property and officials.

This movement was one of the most organised and widespread in Jharkhand, with clear objectives: to overthrow the British government, expel outsiders from the region, and establish an independent Munda state. Birsa urged his followers to join the fight courageously, targeting moneylenders, landlords, missionaries, and other perceived oppressors. Initially arrested by the Company Army in Ranchi, Birsa was soon released and returned to rally his troops.

On December 25, 1897, capitalising on the Christmas celebrations, Birsa planned a surprise attack aimed at the local Christian population, resulting in violence. The British suppressed the rebellion, arresting Birsa and his associate Gaya Munda, ultimately leading to Birsa’s death in prison in 1900 due to inadequate medical care.

Despite the rebellion’s suppression, the Munda Rebellion had a lasting impact, with Birsa being commemorated as a hero and martyr by the Mundas.

The Tana Bhagat Movement, which began in 1914, emerged alongside the Birsa Movement and was founded by Jatra Bhagat, a leader of the Oraon tribe. He called for a return to traditional practices, rejecting colonial rule and Western influences. Bhagat highlighted agrarian issues and initiated a no-rent campaign, urging labourers to refuse forced or low-wage work.

The Tana Bhagats allied with revolutionary Hindu Congress workers, actively participating in the Satyagraha, Non-Cooperation, and Civil Disobedience movements. As part of the non-violent Indian national movement, they collaborated with Congress workers to raid liquor shops, destroy infrastructure, and attack police stations and colonial government offices.

This movement significantly influenced the region and led to ideas like non-violence and collective action, among others, that were incorporated into the broader Independence struggle.

The legacy of these two movements continues to resonate within the tribal communities of Jharkhand, shaping their cultural and political efforts to this day.

A new state is formed

Ram Dayal Munda and Bisheshwar Prasad Keshari mention a “Period of Reconstruction” from 1986 (when the All Jharkhand Students Union was formed, followed by the Jharkhand Coordination Committee in 1987) that ultimately led to the Jharkhand Movement and the creation of a separate state in 2000.

They assert that “the basis of the claim for this politico-geographical territory is in its cultural continuity, geo-physical uniformity, and structural oneness of its economic life.” Even the Union Home Ministry acknowledged that the movement was grounded in realistic concerns, they add.

The authors emphasise that examining the Jharkhand Movement reveals how “Jharkhandi culture as a whole has been subjected to gradual disintegration over 200 years, particularly since the arrival of the British, and its continuance till today even after independence”.

The spirit of the Jharkhand Movement can be traced back to Jagannath Dhal’s revolt in 1767. Today, the state’s inhabitants, particularly tribal communities, continue to face significant challenges, including land disputes, low literacy rates, and persistent poverty and unemployment. Amidst rapid industrial growth and power projects, economic exploitation remains a central aspect of their collective identity.