MetaBOT at 13:20, 8 July 2023

2023-07-08T13:20:01Z

New page

{{Infobox military conflict
| image =
| caption =
| conflict = 1781 revolt in Bihar
| partof =
| date = August - December 1781
| place = Western and Southern Bihar
| result = British East India Company victory
*Suppression of revolt
| combatant1 = [[British East India Company]]
| combatant2 = Various zamindars and chiefs
| commander1 = [[John Crawfurd]] Captain Powell
| commander2 = [[Fateh Bahadur Sahi]] [[Raja Narain Singh]] Raja Iqbal Ali Khan
| strength1 = Unknown
| strength2 = 20000 under fatheh bahadur shahi 15,000 under Narain Singh 4000 matchlock men under Akbar Ali
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 =
}}
The '''1781 revolt in Bihar''' was an uprising by certain [[Zamindars of Bihar|Zamindars]] and chieftains against the British [[East India Company]] in the Indian state of [[Bihar]].<ref name="Markovits2004">{{cite book|author=Claude Markovits|title=A History of Modern India, 1480-1950|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r2OKvG5wbaAC&pg=PA240|date=24 September 2004|publisher=Anthem Press|isbn=978-1-84331-152-2|pages=240–242}}</ref> The majority of the rebel zamindars were from South Bihar and were likely pushed to revolt due to the recurring [[drought]]s which hampered their revenue collections.<ref name=Maharatna2007>{{cite journal | title=Explaining Chait Singh's Revolt in Bihar (1781): The Role of the Refractory Bihar Zamindars| author= Paramita Maharatna | journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume = 68| year=2007 | pages= 565-572|jstor = 44147866}}</ref>

==Causes==
Ever since the British acquired Bihar after the [[Battle of Buxar]], many of the zamindars had been causing troubles for the administration by withholding revenue or participating in looting. The British therefore had to take expeditions to bring them back under control. Among the zamindars causing disturbances prior to the revolt were Jugal Kishore of [[Bettiah Raj]] which was one of the largest estates in Bihar.<ref name=Maharatna2007 />

After the Battle of Buxar, JWF James noted that the zamindars had become "restless". Following [[Chait Singh]]'s rebellion in 1781 in [[Varanasi]], many of the zamindars in Bihar used this as an opportunity to regain their autonomy. This was seen as an attempt to take advantage of the sudden challenge to British power.<ref name=Maharatna2007 />

==The revolt==
The zamindar of Huseypur, [[Fateh Bahadur Sahi]] had prior to 1781, been waging a guerrilla warfare campaign against the East India Company after being deposed from his estate. Taking advantage of Chait Singh's revolt, he decided to increase the frequency of his raids and met the British forces in a pitched battle accompanied by 20,000 of his own men.<ref name="YangYang1989">{{cite book|author1=Anand A. Yang|author2=Professor and Chair and Professor Golub Professor of International Studies Anand A Yang|title=The Limited Raj: Agrarian Relations in Colonial India, Saran District, 1793-1920|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ck4jmD7H34UC&pg=PA67|date=1 January 1989|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-05711-1|pages=63–68}}</ref> However his forces were eventually routed and he was killed in battle.

The zamindar of Seris-Kutumba in [[Aurangabad, Bihar|Aurangabad]], [[Raja Narain Singh]], had also had a tradition of rebelling and joined Fateh Sahi's revolt.<ref name="Yang1999">{{cite book|author=Anand A. Yang|title=Bazaar India: Markets, Society, and the Colonial State in Bihar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D5lQutvzAp4C&pg=PA67|date=1 February 1999|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-91996-9|page=67}}</ref> He had been remiss in providing his revenue payments. He had gathered a force of 15,000 soldiers and joined with allies of Chait Singh including Bachu Singh.<ref name=Verma2005>{{cite journal | title=Repercussions in Bihar of the Rebellion of Chait Singh of Banaras| author= Nagendra Prasad Verma | journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume = 66| year=2005 | pages= 845-851|jstor = 44145897}}</ref> His rebellion was swiftly put down by [[John Crawfurd]] and he was jailed. He was restored to his "forfeited" zamindari in 1790 after his release.<ref name="Yang1999" />
He had assisted other zamindars with resources and was in secret correspondence with others in an attempt to stir up anti-British sentiment before his arrest.

Raja Akbar Ali of the [[Mayi clan]] controlled the Narhat and Samoy estates in modern-day [[Gaya district]] also took part in the rebellion. He had previously been arrested in [[Patna]] for owing large unpaid revenue to the British.<ref name="Ansari2019">{{cite book|author=Tahir Hussain Ansari|title=Mughal Administration and the Zamindars of Bihar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kUueDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT298|date=20 June 2019|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-00-065152-2|pages=298–299}}</ref><ref name="Prakash2003">{{cite book|author=Gyan Prakash|title=Bonded Histories: Genealogies of Labor Servitude in Colonial India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MQFvks7lahoC&pg=PA88|date=30 October 2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-52658-6|pages=88–89}}</ref> His estate had been badly affected by the [[Great Bengal famine of 1770]].<ref name=Maharatna2007 /> Akbar Ali likely viewed revolt as the best method of escaping the payment of his arrears. He was able to raise a body of 4000 matchlock men and they murdered a servant of the company by the name of Hotchiss. This was followed by a period of plundering in the region however he was forced to retreat by the EIC's Captain Powell. He also laid waste to neighbouring zamindaris but eventually, he was forced to flee to Delhi and his zamindari was confiscated.<ref name=Verma2005 />

==Aftermath==
The British were able to put down the revolt without too much trouble given the disorganised approach of the rebels.<ref name="Tuck1998">{{cite book|author=Patrick J. N. Tuck|title=Warfare, Expansion and Resistance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MU-Ste-h1vMC&pg=PA65|year=1998|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-15523-6|pages=65–66}}</ref>
In the aftermath, the British were able to reassert their control of the region and install loyal zamindars in place of the ones that had been deposed. These new zamindars could be relied upon to provide revenue when required. The revolt itself, however, could be seen as a signal of the discontent in Bihar towards the British that later reemerged in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|1857 Rebellion]].<ref name="YangYang1989" />

==See also==
*[[Indian rebellion of 1857]]
*[[History of Backward Caste movement in Bihar]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=1781 in the British Empire, British East India Company, Rebellions in India, History of Bihar
|description=
}}

[[Category:1781 in the British Empire]]
[[Category:British East India Company]]
[[Category:Rebellions in India]]
[[Category:History of Bihar]]

1781 revolt in Bihar - Revision history

MetaBOT at 13:20, 8 July 2023