Tribal Revolts in India

Not only the native kings, but also many tribal groups in India have fought fiercely against the british. One of their most important struggles was the Santhal Revolt. The Santhal rebellion, an indigenous people of Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, took place in 1855. The Santhal soldiers who fought bravely were all shot dead by the British army at Murshidabad. The hill people of Bengal, the Chuvarans, the Kurichyas of Kerala, the Munda tribes of Ranchi, the Nayakas of Rajasthan and Gujarat, the Kachanagas of Assam, and the hill tribes of the Rampa region of Andhra Pradesh, all raised rebellions at various times, questioning British rule. All these rebellions were brutally suppressed by the British.

Major tribal revolts

■ Bill Rebellion (1818–31) - Western Ghats

■ Koli Rebellion (1824–28, 1839, 1899) - Gujarat

■ Khasi Rebellion (1846–48, 1885, 1914) - Meghalaya, Assam

■ Naikad Rebellion (1858–59) - Gujarat

■ Rampa Rebellion (1879) - Coastal Andhra Pradesh

■ Kachang Rebellion (1882) - Cachar region, Assam

■ Munda Rebellion (1899–1900) - Chotanagpur region (led by Birsa Munda)

■ Kuki Rebellion (1917–19) - Manipur