Peasant movement
The farmer who works in the field gives food to everyone, yet he had to bear the burden of taxes and debts. So farmers began to come together and demand their rights.
The peasant movement was the movement in which farmers organised against the injustice of landlords, moneylenders and government taxes.
Key idea 1 : The indigo revolt and ‘Neel Darpan’ — In Bengal and Bihar British planters forced farmers to grow indigo. In 1859–60 the farmers rose against this. Through Dinabandhu Mitra’s play ‘Neel Darpan’ the news of this injustice reached the public.
Key idea 2 : The Kisan Sabha — In 1936 the ‘All India Kisan Sabha’ was formed at Lucknow; Swami Sahajanand Saraswati was its first president. Its demands included reducing land revenue, freedom from debt and ending the zamindari system.
Key idea 3 : The Faizpur session — In December 1936 the Congress session was held at Faizpur (Khandesh) in Maharashtra; it was the first session held in a village. As a result the problems of farmers came prominently into the Congress discussions.
- Easy : Who wrote the play Neel Darpan? — Dinabandhu Mitra.
- Medium : When was the All India Kisan Sabha formed? — In 1936 at Lucknow.
- Exam-type : What was special about the Faizpur session? — It was the first session held in a village.
In the figure: The indigo revolt, Neel Darpan, the Kisan Sabha and the Faizpur session — steps of the peasant movement.
What happened before the Bardoli satyagraha? In 1927 the Bombay government raised the land revenue of Bardoli taluka in Gujarat by about 22 per cent. The farmers asked Vallabhbhai Patel to lead them.
What happened after the Bardoli satyagraha? From February 1928 the farmers refused to pay. After months the government agreed to an inquiry, which cut the increase to about 6 per cent, and the seized land was returned. The women of Bardoli gave Patel the title ‘Sardar’.
1859–60 = indigo revolt; 1936 = Kisan Sabha and Faizpur.
The peasant movement was not only against the government; it was also against the injustice of landlords and moneylenders.
Memory clue: Remember ‘59-60-36’ — revolt, play, Kisan Sabha. Memory clue: kisan = the person who works the field; the Sabha is his organisation.
Spot the difference
| Event | Year | Main point |
|---|---|---|
| Indigo revolt | 1859–60 | Forced indigo farming |
| Kisan Sabha | 1936 | Lucknow; Swami Sahajanand |
| Faizpur session | 1936 | First village session |
Practice questions
- 1Where did the indigo revolt take place and against what?
- 2Who was the first president of the All India Kisan Sabha?
- 3Where is Faizpur?
- 4What were the demands of the Kisan Sabha?
- 5What was the effect of the play ‘Neel Darpan’?
- 6Why might the Faizpur session have been held in a village?
- 7State the difference between the indigo revolt and the Kisan Sabha.
- 8Why did farmers have to organise? Write the reasons.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1In Bengal and Bihar; against being forced to grow indigo.
- 2Swami Sahajanand Saraswati.
- 3In Maharashtra, in Khandesh.
- 4Reducing land revenue, freedom from debt and ending the zamindari system.
- 5Information about the injustice to farmers reached the public.
- 6So that farmers’ problems would come up prominently in Congress discussions.
- 7The indigo revolt was an early event (1859–60); the Kisan Sabha was a nationwide organisation (1936).
- 8Because of the burden of landlords, moneylenders and government taxes.
Workers’ movement and socialist and communist movements
How would children feel if school had no holiday in the week? Factory workers too had no holiday for many years and had to organise to win one.
The workers’ movement was the movement of workers for rights such as working hours, wages and holidays. Socialist and communist ideas gave this movement a new direction.
Key idea 1 : Narayan Meghaji Lokhande — Lokhande organised the mill workers of Mumbai and founded the ‘Bombay Mill Hands Association’, regarded as the first workers’ organisation in India. He was a colleague of Mahatma Phule and ran the journal ‘Dinbandhu’. Because of his efforts the workers got a holiday on Sunday.
Key idea 2 : All India Trade Union Congress — In 1920 the ‘All India Trade Union Congress’ (AITUC) was founded in Mumbai; Lala Lajpat Rai was its first president. Through it workers’ unions across the country came together.
Key idea 3 : Socialist and communist movements — In 1925 the Communist Party was founded in India. In 1929 the British arrested communist workers and held the Meerut conspiracy trial. In 1934 Acharya Narendra Dev, Jayaprakash Narayan, Achyutrao Patwardhan and Ram Manohar Lohia founded the ‘Congress Socialist Party’.
- Easy : Which is regarded as the first workers’ organisation in India? — The Bombay Mill Hands Association.
- Medium : Who was the first president of AITUC? — Lala Lajpat Rai.
- Exam-type : When was the Congress Socialist Party founded? — In 1934.
In the figure: The Association, the Sunday holiday, AITUC, the Communist Party and the Congress Socialist Party — steps of the workers’ movement.
What happened before the Sunday holiday? On 24 April 1890 about ten thousand workers met at the Race Course ground at Mahalaxmi in Mumbai. Two women workers also spoke there and a memorandum was prepared demanding a holiday on Sunday.
What happened after the Sunday holiday? On 10 June 1890 the mill owners’ association accepted the demand for a Sunday holiday. This is regarded as the first big victory of the workers’ movement.
1890 = Sunday holiday; 1920 = AITUC; 1925 = Communist Party; 1934 = Congress Socialist Party.
The Sunday holiday was not given by the government on its own; it was won through workers’ meetings and memoranda.
Memory clue: Remember ‘90-20-25-34’ — holiday, AITUC, Communist, Socialist. Memory clue: one organisation for each number.
Spot the difference
| Organisation | Year | Main point |
|---|---|---|
| AITUC | 1920 | Mumbai; Lala Lajpat Rai |
| Communist Party | 1925 | Ideas on workers’ rights |
| Congress Socialist Party | 1934 | Jayaprakash Narayan, Lohia |
Practice questions
- 1Who was Narayan Meghaji Lokhande?
- 2What is AITUC?
- 3When was the Communist Party founded?
- 4Why was the Meerut conspiracy trial held?
- 5Who founded the Congress Socialist Party?
- 6How did the workers get the Sunday holiday?
- 7Why did it become necessary for mill workers to organise?
- 8What was the result of the meeting of 24 April 1890?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1A leader who organised the mill workers of Mumbai; a colleague of Mahatma Phule.
- 2The All India Trade Union Congress, founded in 1920.
- 3In 1925.
- 4The British arrested communist workers in 1929 and held the trial.
- 5Acharya Narendra Dev, Jayaprakash Narayan, Achyutrao Patwardhan and Ram Manohar Lohia in 1934.
- 6Through meetings and a memorandum; the owners accepted the demand on 10 June 1890.
- 7Because there was injustice about working hours, holidays and wages, and it was hard to demand alone.
- 8The Sunday holiday was won on 10 June 1890.
Women’s movement
If girls at home are not allowed to go to school, many doors in their lives close. So many men and women fought for women’s education and dignity.
The women’s movement was the movement for women’s education, against child marriage, for widows’ rights and equal dignity.
Key idea 1 : Pandita Ramabai — Pandita Ramabai worked for women’s education and for the shelter of widows. In 1882 she founded the ‘Arya Mahila Samaj’ in Pune and later started a school for widows and orphaned women.
Key idea 2 : Rakhmabai — Rakhmabai had been married as a child. She opposed the court order asking her to live with her husband, and the case became a topic across the country. Later she studied and became a doctor. The case set people thinking about child marriage.
Key idea 3 : Anandibai Joshi — Anandibai Joshi went to America in 1883 to study medicine and in 1886 earned the ‘M.D.’ degree. She was one of the first Indian women to take a degree in Western medicine.
- Easy : Who founded the ‘Arya Mahila Samaj’? — Pandita Ramabai.
- Medium : What did Rakhmabai become later? — A doctor.
- Exam-type : Which degree did Anandibai Joshi earn? — M.D. (medicine).
In the figure: Education, opposition to child marriage and medical study — three women, three different paths.
What happened before Anandibai’s degree? Anandibai Joshi was born in Kalyan in 1865. In 1883, before going to America, she explained at a public meeting in Calcutta why India needs women doctors. At the age of 19 she joined the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.
What happened after Anandibai’s degree? On 11 March 1886 she received the M.D. degree and in November 1886 she returned to India. The Kolhapur state gave her the charge of the women’s ward of a hospital, but she died of tuberculosis on 26 February 1887 in Pune, when she was only 21.
1882 = Arya Mahila Samaj; 1883 = Anandibai to America; 1886 = M.D.
Rakhmabai and Anandibai lived in the same period but their work differed; Rakhmabai’s fight was in court and Anandibai’s was for education.
Memory clue: Remember ‘82-83-86’ — Ramabai, Anandibai leaves, Anandibai’s degree. Memory clue: all three numbers start with 8.
Spot the difference
| Name | Work | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Pandita Ramabai | Arya Mahila Samaj | 1882 |
| Rakhmabai | Opposed child marriage; later doctor | 19th century |
| Anandibai Joshi | M.D. degree | 1886 |
Practice questions
- 1Which organisation did Pandita Ramabai found?
- 2Who was Anandibai Joshi?
- 3What did Rakhmabai become later?
- 4Which subject did Rakhmabai’s case set people thinking about?
- 5Which point did Anandibai make at the public meeting before going to America?
- 6Why do you think women’s education was opposed?
- 7What effect may Anandibai Joshi’s education have had on her time?
- 8What happened next after Anandibai finished her education in America?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1The Arya Mahila Samaj (1882, Pune).
- 2One of the first Indian women to take a degree in Western medicine.
- 3A doctor.
- 4Child marriage.
- 5That India needs women doctors.
- 6Because of old customs and the belief that women should not leave the home.
- 7Other girls may have been inspired to take up education and medical study.
- 8She received her degree on 11 March 1886; she returned to India in November 1886 and was given a role in a Kolhapur hospital.
Dalit movement
How unfair it feels if one child is not allowed to sit on the bench with others! In a society that practised untouchability many people were denied water, temples and schools for centuries.
The Dalit movement was the movement to end untouchability and caste discrimination and to secure equal rights for all. Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar gave it direction.
Key idea 1 : Early reformers — In 1873 Mahatma Phule opposed caste discrimination by founding the ‘Satyashodhak Samaj’. Gopal Baba Walangkar, Shivram Janba Kamble and Vitthal Ramji Shinde also worked to remove untouchability. In 1902 Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur reserved 50 per cent of the posts for the backward classes.
Key idea 2 : Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar — Ambedkar founded the ‘Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha’ (1924) and started the newspapers ‘Mooknayak’ (1920) and ‘Bahishkrit Bharat’ (1927). In 1927 came the Satyagraha at the Chavdar tank in Mahad and on 25 December 1927 the burning of the Manusmriti. In 1930 he led a satyagraha for temple entry at the Kalaram temple in Nashik.
Key idea 3 : Later work and temple entry — In 1936 Ambedkar founded the ‘Independent Labour Party’ and in 1942 the ‘Scheduled Castes Federation’. On 14 October 1956 at Nagpur he adopted Buddhism with lakhs of followers. In 1947 Sane Guruji fasted so that everyone would be allowed to enter the Vitthal temple at Pandharpur.
- Easy : What decision did Shahu Maharaj take in 1902? — 50 per cent posts reserved for backward classes.
- Medium : What was the Mahad Satyagraha for? — The right to water from the public Chavdar tank.
- Exam-type : When did Ambedkar adopt Buddhism? — On 14 October 1956 at Nagpur.
In the figure: Phule, Shahu and Ambedkar — a journey for equality from 1873 to 1956.
What happened before the Mahad Satyagraha? On 4 August 1923 the Bombay Legislative Council passed a resolution (the Bole resolution) to open public water sources to all. In January 1924 the Mahad municipality also opened the Chavdar tank to all, but in practice some people opposed it. A conference was held at Mahad on 19 and 20 March 1927.
What happened after the Mahad Satyagraha? On 20 March 1927 Dr Ambedkar drank water from the Chavdar tank and thousands of people drank with him. Later the municipality withdrew its resolution and the matter went to court; on 25 December 1927 the Manusmriti was burnt. In 1937 the Bombay High Court upheld the right to use the tank.
What happened before the Mangaon conference? On 31 January 1920 Shahu Maharaj gave financial help for Ambedkar’s journal ‘Mooknayak’.
What happened after the Mangaon conference? On 21–22 March 1920 Ambedkar was the chairman of the conference at Mangaon. Shahu Maharaj remained in touch with Ambedkar until his death in 1922.
What happened before Sane Guruji’s fast? In 1947 Sane Guruji travelled across Maharashtra for about four months, raising public awareness about untouchability and temple entry.
What happened after Sane Guruji’s fast? From 1 May 1947 he began a fast at Pandharpur. Gandhiji sent a telegram asking him to stop and saying the temple would soon be opened. After about ten days the fast ended and later that year the temple was opened to all.
1902 = reservation; 1927 = Mahad; 1930 = Kalaram; 1947 = Pandharpur fast; 1956 = Buddhism.
The Mahad satyagraha was for water, not for a temple; the temple-entry satyagraha took place in 1930 at Nashik.
Memory clue: Remember ‘02-27-30-47-56’ — reservation, Mahad, Kalaram, Pandharpur, Buddhism. Memory clue: five numbers, five steps.
Spot the difference
| Event | Year | Leader |
|---|---|---|
| Mahad Satyagraha | 1927 | Dr Ambedkar |
| 50 per cent reservation | 1902 | Shahu Maharaj |
| Pandharpur temple fast | 1947 | Sane Guruji |
Practice questions
- 1What is the Dalit movement?
- 2Who founded the Satyashodhak Samaj?
- 3Where and for what was the Mahad Satyagraha held?
- 4When was the Manusmriti burnt?
- 5Which are Ambedkar’s two newspapers?
- 6What did Sane Guruji do in 1947?
- 7What is the importance of the co-operation between Shahu Maharaj and Ambedkar?
- 8What happened before and after the Mahad Satyagraha?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1The movement to end untouchability and caste discrimination for equal rights.
- 2Mahatma Jotirao Phule, in 1873.
- 3At Mahad (Raigad); for the right to water from the Chavdar tank.
- 4On 25 December 1927.
- 5Mooknayak and Bahishkrit Bharat.
- 6He fasted so that everyone would be able to enter the Vitthal temple at Pandharpur.
- 7Shahu Maharaj’s help strengthened Ambedkar’s work (Mooknayak, Mangaon conference).
- 8Before: the Bole resolution and the Mahad municipality’s decision; after: drinking of water on 20 March 1927, Manusmriti burning and the High Court decision of 1937.