Class 8 Social Science Notes Chapter 4 (Tribals; Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age) – Our Pasts - III (Part-1) Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 4, 'Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age'. This chapter is crucial for understanding the impact of British colonialism beyond the cities and settled agricultural areas, focusing specifically on the diverse tribal communities of India. Pay close attention, as these points are frequently tested in government exams.

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

1. Introduction: Tribal Societies in the 19th Century

• Tribal societies had customs, rituals, and social structures distinct from mainstream societies organised around caste (varnas).
• Members of a tribe often shared common kinship ties.
• Their livelihoods were deeply connected to forests and natural resources.
• The term 'Dikus' referred to outsiders – specifically moneylenders, traders, zamindars, contractors, missionaries, and the British administration – perceived as the cause of tribal misery.

2. Diverse Tribal Livelihoods

Tribal groups engaged in various economic activities, often combining more than one:

• (a) Jhum Cultivators (Shifting Cultivation / Bewar):
  • Process: Cleared patches of forest land by cutting trees and burning vegetation (slash and burn). The ash fertilised the soil. Seeds were scattered (broadcast). After harvest, they moved to a new patch, allowing the old one to regenerate.
  • Regions: Prevalent in hilly and forested tracts of North-East and Central India.
  • Characteristics: Dependent on free movement within forests and the ability to use land and forests for cultivation.
• (b) Hunters and Gatherers:
  • Process: Depended entirely on forests for survival. Hunted animals and gathered forest produce (fruits, roots, medicinal herbs, honey). Forest produce was often bartered or sold in local markets.
  • Examples: Khonds (Orissa) – used sal and mahua seeds for oil. Baigas (Central India) – considered themselves 'people of the forest', reluctant to become labourers.
  • Dependence on Traders: Often relied on traders for supplies of goods not produced locally (like rice, grains), leading to dependence and sometimes exploitation.
• (c) Herders:
  • Process: Reared and herded animals for a living, moving with their herds according to seasons.
  • Examples: Van Gujjars (Punjab hills), Labadis (Andhra Pradesh) – cattle herders. Gaddis (Kullu) – shepherds. Bakarwals (Kashmir) – reared goats.
• (d) Settled Cultivators:
  • Process: Many tribal groups, over time, had settled down, cultivating fields in one place year after year, often using the plough. They gradually gained rights over the land.
  • Examples: Mundas (Chotanagpur plateau).
  • Land Ownership: Land often belonged to the clan as a whole. All members of the clan were regarded as descendants of the original settlers who first cleared the land. Some individuals within the clan acquired more power, becoming chiefs, while others became followers.

3. Impact of British Colonial Rule on Tribal Lives

British policies drastically altered tribal economies, societies, and politics:

• (a) Impact on Tribal Chiefs:
  • Before British arrival, chiefs enjoyed considerable economic power, administered territories, and had their own police.
  • Under British rule, their administrative powers were curtailed. They were forced to follow British laws, pay tribute, and discipline their people on behalf of the British.
  • They lost much of their authority and traditional functions, essentially becoming agents of the colonial government.
• (b) Impact on Jhum Cultivators:
  • The British were uncomfortable with shifting cultivators as they were difficult to control and administer. They wanted settled populations for regular revenue collection.
  • Land Settlements: The British introduced land settlements, measured land, defined rights, and fixed revenue demands. Settled plough cultivation was promoted. Jhum cultivators were often forced to settle down, which was often unsuccessful due to soil infertility and water scarcity.
  • Forest Laws: New forest laws declared forests as state property. Some forests were classified as 'Reserved Forests' (producing timber the British needed). Tribals were barred from entering these forests, practising jhum cultivation, collecting produce, or hunting. This severely impacted their livelihoods and led to displacement and protests. Many were forced to migrate in search of work.
• (c) Impact on Trade and Markets:
  • Increased demand for Indian silk (especially tussar silk), timber, and other forest produce.
  • Traders and moneylenders (Dikus) entered tribal areas in large numbers.
  • Exploitation: Traders offered cash loans and asked tribals (like the Santhals rearing cocoons in Hazaribagh) to collect produce, paying very low prices and making huge profits themselves.
  • Moneylenders provided loans at high interest rates, trapping tribals in cycles of debt. Land alienation became common as tribals lost land to moneylenders for unpaid debts.
• (d) The Search for Work:
  • Loss of access to forests and land forced many tribals to migrate in search of wage labour.
  • They worked in:
    • Plantations: Tea plantations in Assam.
    • Mines: Coal mines in Jharkhand.
  • Conditions: Recruitment was often done through contractors who paid miserably low wages and prevented them from returning home. Conditions were harsh and exploitative.
• (e) Impact of Missionaries:
  • Christian missionaries became active in tribal areas, setting up schools and offering conversions. This led to cultural changes and sometimes friction within tribal communities.

4. Tribal Resistance and Rebellions

Tribal groups responded to colonial exploitation and interference through numerous uprisings:

• Common Causes: Loss of land and forests, exploitation by dikus (traders, moneylenders), disruption of traditional systems, cultural interference, resentment against new laws and taxes.
• Notable Rebellions:
  • Kols: Rebelled in 1831-32.
  • Santhals: Rebelled under Sidhu and Kanhu in 1855 against zamindars, moneylenders, and the British administration.
  • Bastar Rebellion: (Central India) in 1910 against forest reservation policies.
  • Warli Revolt: (Maharashtra) in 1940 against landlords and moneylenders.
  • Birsa Movement: (Chotanagpur region) – discussed below.

5. Birsa Munda and His Movement (The Ulgulan - Great Tumult)

• Background: Birsa Munda (born mid-1870s) belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chotanagpur region (present-day Jharkhand). He grew up witnessing tribal poverty and the erosion of their traditional rights due to dikus and British policies.
• Influences: Heard tales of past Munda uprisings, influenced by missionary teachings and Vaishnav preachers.
• Vision of a Golden Age (Satyug):
  • Birsa declared himself a divine messenger with miraculous powers.
  • He envisioned a past 'Golden Age' where Mundas lived good lives, cultivated their lands, built embankments, tapped natural springs, and lived honestly without killing brethren.
  • He urged his followers to purify themselves, give up liquor, stop believing in witchcraft/sorcery, clean their villages, and revert to their traditional ways (but also emphasized settled cultivation and giving up animal sacrifices).
• The Movement (Ulgulan):
  • Aims: To drive out the 'Dikus' (missionaries, moneylenders, Hindu landlords) and the British government, and establish Munda Raj with Birsa at its head.
  • Methods: Became a political movement targeting symbols of diku and European power. Followers attacked police stations, churches, and raided the property of moneylenders and zamindars. They used traditional symbols (white flag for Birsa Raj).
  • Suppression: The British cracked down heavily. Birsa was arrested in 1895, released in 1897, continued his activities, and was re-arrested in 1900.
  • Death: Birsa died of cholera in jail in 1900, effectively ending the movement.
• Significance and Legacy:
  • Forced the colonial government to recognise the need for protecting tribal land rights.
  • The Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (1908) was passed, restricting the transfer of tribal land to non-tribals.
  • Showed that tribal people could protest against injustice and express anger against colonial rule.
  • Birsa Munda remains an iconic figure of tribal resistance and aspiration.

6. Conclusion

The colonial period brought profound and often devastating changes to the lives of tribal communities across India. Their traditional economies based on forests and flexible land use were disrupted by rigid British laws, revenue demands, and the influx of outsiders (dikus). This led to widespread poverty, indebtedness, loss of land, and cultural disruption, sparking numerous resistance movements, with the Birsa Munda Ulgulan being one of the most significant. These struggles highlighted the deep conflict between colonial objectives and tribal ways of life.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. The term 'Dikus' used by tribals in the 19th century referred to:
   a) Tribal chiefs
   b) Ancestral spirits
   c) Outsiders like moneylenders and traders
   d) Sacred groves

2. Which type of cultivation involved clearing forest patches by cutting trees and burning vegetation, then moving to a new patch after harvest?
   a) Settled cultivation
   b) Terrace farming
   c) Jhum cultivation (Shifting cultivation)
   d) Plantation agriculture

3. The Khonds, a tribal community from Orissa, were primarily known for:
   a) Herding cattle
   b) Settled agriculture using ploughs
   c) Hunting animals and gathering forest produce
   d) Weaving silk

4. What was a major impact of the British Forest Laws on tribal communities?
   a) Tribals were given ownership of forest lands.
   b) Tribals were encouraged to practice jhum cultivation freely.
   c) Tribals' access to forests was restricted, impacting their livelihoods.
   d) Tribal chiefs gained more power over forest resources.

5. The Santhal Rebellion (1855) was primarily directed against:
   a) Christian missionaries only
   b) Rival tribal groups
   c) Zamindars, moneylenders, and the British administration
   d) Forced plantation labour in Assam

6. Birsa Munda belonged to which tribal group?
   a) Santhal
   b) Gond
   c) Bhil
   d) Munda

7. What was the 'Vision of a Golden Age' (Satyug) propagated by Birsa Munda?
   a) An age dominated by British rule and modern technology.
   b) An age where tribals would convert to Christianity.
   c) A past era of Munda prosperity, free from dikus and social evils.
   d) A future where tribals would migrate to cities for work.

8. The movement led by Birsa Munda is also known as:
   a) The Santhal Hul
   b) The Kol Mutiny
   c) The Ulgulan (Great Tumult)
   d) The Bastar Rebellion

9. Which legislative act was a significant outcome of the Birsa Movement, aimed at protecting tribal land?
   a) The Forest Act of 1878
   b) The Ilbert Bill
   c) The Chotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908
   d) The Rowlatt Act

10. Which tribal group among the following was primarily involved in animal herding, moving seasonally with their animals?
    a) Baigas of Central India
    b) Khonds of Orissa
    c) Mundas of Chotanagpur
    d) Van Gujjars of the Punjab hills

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. c
2. c
3. c
4. c
5. c
6. d
7. c
8. c
9. c
10. d

Make sure you revise these notes thoroughly. Understanding the perspectives of different tribal groups and the specific ways British policies affected them is key. Good luck with your preparation!