"Tribal Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age" 


Class = 8th Subject = Social Science 


Learning Outcomes

1. Understanding Tribal Societies: Students will comprehend the social, economic, and cultural characteristics of various tribal groups in India and how these differ from settled communities.

2. Impact of Dikus: They will recognize the influence of Dikus (outsiders like British officials, traders, and moneylenders) on tribal life and their exploitation of these communities.

3. Tribal Resistance: Students will learn about tribal resistance, focusing on key revolts like the Santhal Rebellion and Munda Ulgulan.

4. Vision of a Golden Age: They will analyze tribal leaders' visions of an ideal society (Golden Age) and contrast these with the realities of colonial rule.


Introduction to Tribal Societies:


Diverse Communities: Tribal groups in India were diverse, including the Santhals, Gonds, Bhils, Mundas, and many others. Each tribe had its own distinct language, culture, and territory.

From 1778 to 1947 , there were 70 tribal revolts occurred in India.


Lifestyle and Occupation: 


Shifting Cultivation: Also known as jhum cultivation, where a piece of land was cleared by slashing and burning trees, used for cultivation, and then abandoned when fertility decreased,and it was practiced by tribes of north east and central India.


Hunting and Food Gathering: Tribals relied heavily on forests for food, fodder, and fuel. They collected forest produce, hunted animals, and gathered fruits, roots, and herbs.

Khonds of Orissa = extract oil from sal seeds and mahua flowers (used for cooking) , Khonds also knew about different herds of forests and also sold them in local markets . They also supply kusum and palash flowers used as dye for clothes and leather.


Dongria Kandha’s tribes of Orissa, women creates plates from leaves of pandanus .

Some tribes worked in farm as labourers , in factories when there were famines in that areas forced tribes to go out of forest.


Baiga tribe considered shame work as labourers.


Herding of Animals : Some tribes, like the Gujjars and Bakarwals, were pastoralists, depending on animal husbandry for their livelihood and move from one place to another.

Van gujjar of Punjab , Labadis of Andhra Pradesh  (reared cattles) , Gaddis of Kulu (sheperds) , Bhakarwals of Kashmir rear goats.


Cultivation of crops : Mundas of Chota Nagpur started settling in one place and cultivates crops.

and owned lands jointly, chiefs gave land to other for cultivation.


Change in the life of tibals after colonialism:


Political Impact:

Tribal chief deprived of their authority over areas along with the disturbance of ownership of lands.The chiefs also had to pay tribute to British officials.


Economic Impact:

Commercial Agriculture: The British encouraged the cultivation of cash crops like cotton, tea, coffee, and indigo, which was often at the expense of food crops, disrupting traditional Jhum agricultural practices.British introduced land settlements and declared forests as state property and reserved and tribes were not allowed to enter in those forests to use timber or other products.

Tribes are used by Britishers as cheap labour.

Tribal peoples were given small pieces of land to cultivate that not enough so  , they obtain loan from money lenders at high interest and got trapped in debt trap.

Santhals tribes of Jharkhand reared silkworm but not had markets in this way intermediaters earn lot of money that purchased silk cocoon at low price and sold at high prices to Britishers .


Sonogram Sangma Revolt of Assam in 1906

Forest Satyagraha of 1930 of central India


Social Impacts:

British sent tribal peoples to far off places and breaks their families for their own work , Christian missionaries also active in forests ,changes their class and religion.


Bhils tribe from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra revolted in 1817-19

Kolis from Bihar,Bengal and Orissa revolted in 1831-32.

Kutch Rebellion from Kutch and Kathiwar regions revolted in 1819.

Wagheras from Okha Mandal revolted in 1818-19

Khasis from Meghalaya revolted in 1829-32

Munda from Chota Nagpur revolted in 1820-37

Santhal from Bihar

Bengal under Sidhu Kanhu revolted in 1855.

Deccan riot 1875

Baster Rebellion in 1910

Worli Movement of Maharashtra in 1940.


Munda Rebellion :

Munda Rebellion also called as Ulgulan or Great Tumult

Started in 1899-1900

Centre = South Ranchi

Flag = white flag

Leader = Birsa Munda, born in 1870 and spent life in Bohonda playing flute and grazing sheep's

He heard and inspired by old Munda revolt and want to establish golden era again.

He wore sacred thread of Vaishnavism and went to missionary school. In 1893-94 ,he participated in revolt when Britishers declared waste land as propert of forest department.


In 1895 ,It is said that Birsa had miraculous healing powers and he want to reform his tribe ,asked them to refrain liquor and being superstitious.He want to return satyug again.He planted trees in forest and started agitation and revolt both agrarian and political with many sardars .


He arrested in 1895 and sent to two years and in 1899 on Christmas Eve he again started revolt with vigour raised 6000 mundas soldiers with arrows and bows raided property of landlords.

In June 1900 Birsa died of cholera and Thus in 1908 British passed Chota Nagpur Tenancy act to ban forced labour and safeguard the land rights of Munda tribes.



Long Q/A
1. Discuss the main reasons of tribal resentment against colonialism.
Ans. Tribal resentment against colonialism stemmed from the disruption of their traditional ways of life, exploitation of natural resources, and forced labor. Colonizers imposed foreign laws, dismantled social structures, and displaced tribes from ancestral lands. Additionally, cultural suppression and religious interference further fueled resistance. The loss of autonomy and the imposition of taxes and economic exploitation deepened the resentment, leading to uprisings and enduring hostility toward colonial rule.

2. Analyse the economic impact of colonialism on the tribals.
Ans. Colonialism economically devastated tribal communities by exploiting their resources and labor. Tribals were often displaced from their lands, disrupting their livelihoods and traditional economies. They were forced into low-wage labor, particularly in mines and plantations, while their access to forests and resources was restricted. The imposition of taxes further burdened them, leading to poverty and economic dependency. This exploitation eroded their self-sufficiency, making them vulnerable to economic growth.