UNDERSTANDING THE COLONIAL POLICY AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE INDIGO REBELLION’S PEASANT

This study investigates some social factors that instigated Bengal’s peasants to revolt against the British colonial raj repeatedly. The majority of peasant rebellions of Bengal have been examined from the view of political economy, where the general perspective is that peasants revolted because of...

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Main Author: Niazul Islam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: CEOs Ltd. 2023-01-01
Series:Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2023-art7.pdf
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author Niazul Islam
author_facet Niazul Islam
author_sort Niazul Islam
collection DOAJ
description This study investigates some social factors that instigated Bengal’s peasants to revolt against the British colonial raj repeatedly. The majority of peasant rebellions of Bengal have been examined from the view of political economy, where the general perspective is that peasants revolted because of economic exploitations by planters, landlords, and other classes. However, this study argues for extending beyond the political-economic view, and for the importance of also bringing in overall social conditions in examination of peasant rebellions. This study finds that colonial policy and institutional arrangement created conditions to exploit the peasants’ labor and wealth. The first significant change brought in Bengal by colonial power was the change in land ownership. Because of the Permanent Settlement Act, land became a product of money-making in the colonial state. The second significant effect of colonial rule is the change of agricultural mode of production. The study also shows the commercialization of agriculture that transformed the traditional method of agriculture, shifted the entire ‘production risk’ on the peasants’ shoulders, and created insecurity of peasants’ subsistence. Thus, this study indicates that Bengal’s peasants repeatedly revolted because of colonial institutional arrangements and extractive land, and socio-economic policies.
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spelling doaj.art-540afea3e6244d8fbf83440bf369f2cb2023-02-04T17:07:04ZengCEOs Ltd.Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences1855-05412023-01-01https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7605684UNDERSTANDING THE COLONIAL POLICY AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE INDIGO REBELLION’S PEASANT Niazul IslamThis study investigates some social factors that instigated Bengal’s peasants to revolt against the British colonial raj repeatedly. The majority of peasant rebellions of Bengal have been examined from the view of political economy, where the general perspective is that peasants revolted because of economic exploitations by planters, landlords, and other classes. However, this study argues for extending beyond the political-economic view, and for the importance of also bringing in overall social conditions in examination of peasant rebellions. This study finds that colonial policy and institutional arrangement created conditions to exploit the peasants’ labor and wealth. The first significant change brought in Bengal by colonial power was the change in land ownership. Because of the Permanent Settlement Act, land became a product of money-making in the colonial state. The second significant effect of colonial rule is the change of agricultural mode of production. The study also shows the commercialization of agriculture that transformed the traditional method of agriculture, shifted the entire ‘production risk’ on the peasants’ shoulders, and created insecurity of peasants’ subsistence. Thus, this study indicates that Bengal’s peasants repeatedly revolted because of colonial institutional arrangements and extractive land, and socio-economic policies.http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2023-art7.pdfpeasant rebellioncolonialismimperialismcommercialization of agricultureindigo rebellionbengal peasant rebellionbritish colonialism
spellingShingle Niazul Islam
UNDERSTANDING THE COLONIAL POLICY AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE INDIGO REBELLION’S PEASANT
Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences
peasant rebellion
colonialism
imperialism
commercialization of agriculture
indigo rebellion
bengal peasant rebellion
british colonialism
title UNDERSTANDING THE COLONIAL POLICY AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE INDIGO REBELLION’S PEASANT
title_full UNDERSTANDING THE COLONIAL POLICY AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE INDIGO REBELLION’S PEASANT
title_fullStr UNDERSTANDING THE COLONIAL POLICY AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE INDIGO REBELLION’S PEASANT
title_full_unstemmed UNDERSTANDING THE COLONIAL POLICY AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE INDIGO REBELLION’S PEASANT
title_short UNDERSTANDING THE COLONIAL POLICY AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE INDIGO REBELLION’S PEASANT
title_sort understanding the colonial policy and social conditions of the indigo rebellion s peasant
topic peasant rebellion
colonialism
imperialism
commercialization of agriculture
indigo rebellion
bengal peasant rebellion
british colonialism
url http://www.iiass.com/pdf/IIASS-2023-art7.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT niazulislam understandingthecolonialpolicyandsocialconditionsoftheindigorebellionspeasant