Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

The Indigo Rebellion (Indigo Revolts) comprised widespread peasant uprisings in Bengal from 1839 to 1860 against rapacious planters of the indigo crop that are viewed by historians as important events giving rise to the early Indian nationalist movement. With the growth of the textile industry after the Industrial Revolution, dyeing of clothes became an important branch of apparel manufacturing. From the time of the East India Company, British planters had been settling in parts of India. The planters started taking a keen interest in indigo when the supply of indigo from other sources dried up and India emerged as the largest exporter of the crop. They established kuthis (large concerns) in different parts of Bengal. The biggest concern, the India Indigo Company, was established in Nadia-Jessore-Khulna. The European planters induced Bengali ryots ( peasants ) to reserve a part of their land to grow indigo by making small payments as dadon (an advance) to be adjusted against final payment at the time of delivery. Once the ryot took the advance, as happened extensively over several districts of Bengal, like Jessore, Nadia, and Pabna, the ryot was in the clutches of the planter. When taking produce to the planter's factory, people were cheated by dealers who used distorted scales. The value of the produce was calculated at rates far below market price. After the deductions, ... log in or subscribe to read full text