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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
The '''Bijolia movement''' (Hindi: बिजोलिया आंदोलन) was a [[peasant movement]] in the Bijolia ''jagir'' of the former [[Mewar State|Mewar state]] (in present-day [[Rajasthan]] in [[India]]) against excessive land revenue exactions. Originating in the former ''jagir'' (feudal estate) of Bijolia (near the town of [[Bijolia]] in [[Bhilwara district]]), the movement gradually spread to neighbouring ''[[jagir]]s''. Leadership to the movement was provided, at different times, by [[Fateh Karan Charan]], [[Sadhu Sitaram Das]], [[Vijay Singh Pathik]], and [[Manikya Lal Verma|Manikyalal Verma]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Modern India 1885-1947|last=Sarkar|first=Sumit|publisher=Palgrave MacMillan|year=1989|isbn=9780312012991|location=New York|pages=155}}</ref> The movement continued till 1941 after a bitter struggle lasting about half a century, gained national attention and resisted state oppression.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://itihas-dictionary.blogspot.com/2009/06/bijolia-movement.html | work=Dictionary of the History of India | title=Bijolia Movement | date=6 June 2009 | access-date=21 October 2018 }}</ref><ref>C. S. K. Singh, "Bhils' Participation in Politics in Rajasthan in the 1920s " ''Social Scientist'', University of Chicago Press, v 13, no. 143 (April 1985) p. 32.[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/books/socialscientist/text.html?objectid=HN681.S597_143_034.gif]</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S7dCkiyLJ6EC&pg=PA319&dq=Bijolia+movement&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RHx7U6-IMYqJuASqi4L4Cw&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Bijolia%20movement&f=false|title=Studies In Indian History: Rajasthan Through The Ages The Heritage Of Rajputs (Vol 5)|publisher=Sarup & Sons|year=2008|isbn=8176258415|pages=319–320|author=R.K. Gupta|author2=S.R. Bakshi}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Pande|first=Ram|url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Agrarian_Movement_in_Rajasthan.html?id=FC4sAAAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y|title=Agrarian Movement in Rajasthan|date=1974|publisher=University Publishers (India)|language=en}}</ref>

== Origins ==
Land revenue and other taxes were the main issues behind the movement.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Peasant Movements in Rajasthan (1920-1949)|last=Sharma|first=Brij Kishore|publisher=Pointer Publications|year=1990|isbn=8171320244|location=Jaipur|pages=72}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Political Movements and Awakening in Rajasthan (1857 to 1947)|last=Saxena|first=K.S.|publisher=S. Chand & Co. (Pvt.) Ltd.|year=1971|location=New Delhi|pages=150}}</ref> Bijolia was a ''jagir'' in Mewar State, ruled by the Parmar ''jagirdar,'' one of the leading 16 nobles (solah umrao) in Mewar State.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Rajasthan Through the Ages: A Comprehensive History of Rajasthan, Vol III|last=Jain|first=M. S.|publisher=Rajasthan State Archives|year=1996|location=Bikaner|pages=451-455}}</ref> Peasant discontent started after the accession of Rao Sawai Kishan Singh ji to the ''jagir'' in 1894. "Rao Sawai" was the title given to the Jagirdars of the Pawar /Parmar dynasty who ruled on Bijolia; Rao Sawai Kishan Singh ji shuffled the administrative personnel of the ''jagir'' and the new officials were encouraged to realize more revenue from peasants.<ref name=":0" /> Certain taxis (''lagat'') which were formerly imposed under extraordinary circumstances for short periods were now made to last longer.<ref name=":0" />

== Early Phase (1897-1915) ==
In 1897, a delegation of peasants consisting of Nanji Patel of Berisal and Thakari Patel of Gopal Niwas went to Udaipur and attempted, in vain, to get an audience with the Maharana.<ref name=":0" /> But the Maharana did institute an inquiry which concluded that certain taxes had been arbitrarily imposed by the ''jagirdar''.<ref name=":0" /> The Maharana issued a warning to the ''jagirdar'', which only resulted in him retaliating against the two delegates who had gone to Udaipur.<ref name=":0" /> The peasants continued appeals to the ''jagirdar'' who ultimate granted some concessions to the peasants in 1904.<ref name=":0" />

The concessions granted in 1904 did not last. In 1906, Prithvi Singh ascended to the ''jagir'' and withdrew the concessions granted in 1904 and instructed officials to collected increased taxes.<ref name=":0" /> Failing to get a hearing from the ''jagirdar'', some peasants chose not to cultivate their lands and migrated to neighboring Gwalior and Bundi.<ref name=":0" /> Some more concessions were promised to the peasants on 1914, but never implemented.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Peasant Movements and Political Consciousness in Rajasthan (In G. N. Sharma and V. K. Vashishtha (Ed.), Political Awakening and Indian Freedom Movement with Special Reference to Rajasthan (106-115)|last=Sharma|first=Brij|publisher=Centre for Rajasthan Studies|year=1993|location=Jaipur|pages=106-115}}</ref>

In 1913, about 15,000 [[Farmer|farmers]], under the leadership of [[Fateh Karan Charan]], launched a 'No Tax' campaign under which they decided to leave the landed uncultivated and instead farm the rented plots in the neighbouring areas of [[Bundi State|Bundi]], [[Gwalior]], and [[Mewar]] states. This resulted in untilled lands all across [[Bijolia]] and led to a massive decline in the esatate's revenue in addition to food shortage. <ref name=":2" />

== Second Phase (1915-1923) ==
In 1916, war fund contributions were further imposed on the peasants which lead to renewed dissatisfaction.<ref name=":0" /> It was in 1916 that Bhoop Singh alias [[Vijay Singh Pathik|Vijai Singh Pathik]] arrived in Bijolia and organized the peasants under the ''Bijolia Kisan Panchayat''<ref name=":1" /> to oppose payments to the war fund and other taxes.<ref name=":0" /> Petitions were sent to the Maharana, and stories of the agitation started receiving publicity in various newspapers.<ref name=":0" /> Partially because of the negative publicity in the press, the Maharana appointed a commission of inquiry, which found the peasants' grievances to be genuine and recommended the abolition of some taxes and ''[[begar]]'' (unpaid or forced labor).<ref name=":0" /> But the Maharana failed to act on the report and the oppression as well as the movement led by Pathik continued.<ref name=":0" />

After the failure of the inquiry to yield results, Pathik advised peasants to cultivate unirrigated lands which were subject to lower taxes. In February 1920, the Maharana appointed another commission of inquiry which also reached the same conclusions as the earlier commission.<ref name=":0" /> Other ''jagirdars'' feared that the Maharana's intervention would result in a chain reaction, and influenced the Maharana to not act on the commission's report.<ref name=":0" />

Leaders of the Bijolia movement attempted to obtain the support of the Indian National Congress (INC).<ref name=":1" /> In December 1919, Pathik succeeded in putting a resolution before the INC in support of the Bijolia peasants, but the resolution failed, largely because the INC leadership disfavored agitation in the princely states.<ref name=":1" /> Nonetheless, these efforts attracted the attention of national leaders towards the Bijolia movement and the movement obtained the support of some of the leaders.<ref name=":1" />

Meanwhile, the peasant movement of Bijolia continued to get increased publicity and began to spread to other ''jagirs'' such as Begun, Parsoli, and Bhinder.<ref name=":0" /> In December 1921, the Mewar State Resident reported: <blockquote>The unrest is now spreading to Bhinder, an estate under the ''darbar'' management, where the cultivators are refusing the pay revenue. The situation in Bijolia and in the neighbouring ''thikanas'' of Parsoli, Begun and Basi has distinctly deteriorated. There is a general refusal to pay revenue. There is threat of violence if any attempt is made to collect revenue or to enforce official orders...An atmosphere of discontent is being created and the movement is spreading.<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>This compelled the Agent to the Governor General to visit the various ''jagirs'' of Mewar and direct the ''jagirdar'' and Mewar State to conclude an agreement with the peasants.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Finally, the Bijolia Agreement was signed on 11 February 1922.<ref name=":0" /> The agreement brought about the following changes: reduction in amount of ''talwar bandhi'', no taxes when there was no cultivation, reduction in ''chatoond'' tax and land revenue, etc.

== Third Phase (1923-1941) ==
By 1928, there was a general complain among the peasants of Bijolia that the agreement of 1922 had been violated by the ''jagirdar''.<ref name=":1" /> The peasants also complained that taxes on unirrigated lands were very high and ''jagir'' authorities were interfering in the affairs of the ''Bijolia Kisan Panchayat''.<ref name=":1" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |title=Agrarian Movement in Rajasthan|author=Ram Pande|author-link=Ram Pande|publisher=University Publishers (India) |year=1974|url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Agrarian_Movement_in_Rajasthan.html?id=FC4sAAAAIAAJ }}
* {{cite book |title=Agrarian movement in Rajasthan, 1913-1947 A.D.|author=Pema Ram |publisher=Panchsheel Prakashan |year=1986|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K-QsAAAAMAAJ&q=Bijolia+movement&dq=Bijolia+movement&hl=en&sa=X&ei=24B7U75ZxYy4BI2ZgfAH&ved=0CCsQ6AEwADgK }}

[[Category:History of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Bhilwara district]]
[[Category:Agriculture in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:History of agriculture in India]]
[[Category:Peasant revolts]]
[[Category:1916 in India]]
[[Category:Indian feudalism]]

Bijolia movement - Revision history

imported>Krayon95 at 20:41, 24 August 2021