Saurabhoaoindia at 20:29, 24 February 2026

2026-02-24T20:29:41Z

New page

{{Short description|Bengali zamindar and rebel leader}}

'''Digambar Biswas''' was a local [[Zamindars of Bengal|Zamindar]] and money lender. He was also one of the main leaders of the [[Indigo revolt|Blue Rebellion (1859–60)]] of [[Bengal]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-06-25 |title=ভারতে কৃষকরা রুখে দাঁড়িয়েছেন বারবার.‌.‌ {{!}}{{!}} Latest Bengali News {{!}} Breaking Bangla News - Aajkaal |url=https://aajkaal.in/news/national/peasant-movement-in-india-jz50 |access-date=2025-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625103235/https://aajkaal.in/news/national/peasant-movement-in-india-jz50 |archive-date=2021-06-25}}</ref> He, along with Bishnu Charan Biswas led the Indigo revolt of 1859, they mobilised exploited peasants against the oppressive Indigo cultivators of the [[British Raj]], eventually resulting in an improvement of the living conditions of the peasants.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kling |first=Blair B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DVQrEAAAQBAJ |title=The Blue Mutiny: The Indigo Disturbances in Bengal, 1859-1862 |date=2016-11-11 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=978-1-5128-0350-1 |language=en}}</ref> For this, they are known in the native district of [[Nadia district|Nadia]]. He was the paternal grandfather of famous revolutionary and martyr [[Basanta Kumar Biswas]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Dr Mohitosh Gayen & Subhajit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gVHXEAAAQBAJ&dq=%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8&pg=PT170 |title=Paschimbanger jela-bhittik gabeshana grantha part - III |date=2023-09-03 |publisher=Barnashram Publishing House |isbn=978-93-91281-38-0 |language=bn}}</ref>

== Early life ==
[[File:House of Zamindar Digambar Biswas, Poragachha.jpg|thumb|House built by Digambar Biswas in his native village of Poragachha, [[Nadia district]]. Biswas was the foremost leader of the Indigo revolt. This house was built by him, now maintained by his descendants. This house was one of the centres of the Indigo revolt, where the rebels used to meet to discuss strategy of the rebellion. This also being the birthplace of revolutionaries [[Basanta Kumar Biswas]] and Manmatha Biswas of the same family.]]
Digambar Biswas was born sometime in the early 19th century, in the village of Poragacha, in [[Nadia district]] in a [[Bengalis|Bengali]] [[Hindus|Hindu]] [[Mahishya]] family to Kalchandra Biswas.<ref>{{Cite book |last=সুবোধচন্দ্র সেনগুপ্ত |url=http://archive.org/details/samsad-bangla-charitabhidhan |title=SAMSAD BANGLA CHARITABHIDHAN সংসদ বাংলা চরিতাভিধান |date=1976 |pages=199}}</ref> An ancestor of the family, Ghanashyam, the great great great grandfather of Digambar, had migrated from Mahmudpur village in [[Jessore District]] to Poragachha in [[Nadia district]] on the invitation of the [[Nadia Raj]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Biswa |first=Nilendu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=waVjEQAAQBAJ&dq=gagan+chandra+biswas+B+E&pg=PA24 |title=Revolutionary Movements and Anti-Colonial Resistance in Nadia (1905–1947): A Socio- Psychological Study of Indian Nationalism and Political Violence |date=2025-05-29 |publisher=Deep Science Publishing |isbn=978-93-49910-66-9 |language=en}}</ref> Their family was one of the few families to be bestowed the title of "[[Biswas]]" by the [[Nawabs of Bengal]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Senapati and Das |first=Uma and Dulal Krishna |title=মাহিষ্য রত্নাবলী-জীবনী শতক |publisher=Tuhina Publications |year=2018 |isbn=9788194434641 |edition=2nd |location=[[Kolkata]] |publication-date=2020 |pages=88 to 90 |language=Bengali |trans-title=Mahishya Ratnavali Biographical Century}}</ref> The Biswases of Poragachha were the [[Jotedar]]s of the area and hence had a close and personal relationship with the peasants of the neighbouring area. Digambar Biswas and another leader, Bishnu Charan Biswas, of Chaugachha village worked as [[Dewan]]s of [[Neel Kuthi|Neelkuthi]] in their early lives. The Biswases of Chaugachha were related to the Biswases of Poragachha by marriage.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Dr Mohitosh Gayen & Subhajit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gVHXEAAAQBAJ&dq=%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8&pg=PT170 |title=Paschimbanger jela-bhittik gabeshana grantha part - III |date=2023-09-03 |publisher=Barnashram Publishing House |isbn=978-93-91281-38-0 |language=bn}}</ref>

== The revolt ==
Digambar Biswas resigned from his civil service post and started organizing the rebel farmers against the indigo farmers. The rebels did not know how to use weapons, so, he spent his money to bring batons from [[Barisal District|Barisal]] and teach the indigo farmers how to use spears and batons, and formed a resistance force. Under his leadership, the indigo rebellion took place across a vast area of [[Nadia district|Nadia]] and [[Jessore District|Jessore]] districts.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bhattacharya |first=Subhas |date=1977 |title=The Indigo Revolt of Bengal |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3516809 |journal=Social Scientist |volume=5 |issue=12 |pages=13–23 |doi=10.2307/3516809 |jstor=3516809 |issn=0970-0293|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Both Digambar and Bishnu Charan spent 17 thousand [[Mohur]] during that period to help the farmers and lost everything. It is proven that they considered the interests of the poor farmers as their own interests. In the words of historian Satish Mitra, "The Biswas had some cohesion, but they spent everything they had on this movement. The indigo farmers were furious to break the alliance of the peasants. The Biswas brought sticks from Barisal and beat the countrymen with sticks...".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ghosh |first=Kali Charan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NrEsAAAAMAAJ&q=%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8 |title=Jāgaraṇa o bisphoraṇa |date=1972 |publisher=Iṇḍiẏāna Ayāsosiẏeṭeḍa Pābaliśiṃ Koṃ. |language=bn}}</ref> In the history of the peasant revolt in India, Digambar Biswas, is remembered as the main leader of the Indigo Rebellion, and as a visionary.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vipul |first=Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BY5squlyzXcC&dq=%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8&pg=PA26 |title=Longman Vistas 8 |date=September 2009 |publisher=Pearson Education India |isbn=978-81-317-2910-6 |language=en}}</ref>

== Aftermath ==
Despite the rebellion gaining huge fame and popularity, there were several harsh consequences endured by the leaders and their families. Digambar Biswas's own village, ''Poragachha'', was attacked multiple times, but he was able to acquire a substantial number of ''lathiyals'' to protect it. To enlist more peasants to his cause he paid their debts to the planters, spending enormous sum of 17,000 [[Rupee|rupees]]. Digambar received patronage and protection from a [[Zamindars of Bengal|Zamindar]] of [[Ranaghat]], Srigopal Pal Chowdhury. He continued to lead the peasants in presenting petitions and organizing resistance. Eventually, his funds were exhausted and he died a poor man.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kling |first=Blair B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DVQrEAAAQBAJ |title=The Blue Mutiny: The Indigo Disturbances in Bengal, 1859-1862 |date=2016-11-11 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=978-1-5128-0350-1 |pages=96 |language=en}}</ref>

== Family tree ==
Sources:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Das |first=Dulal Krishna |script-title=bn:বাংলার নবরত্ন |publisher=Tuhina Publications |year=2021 |edition=1st |location=Kolkata |publication-date=2022 |pages=166 to 183 |language=bn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Biswa |first=Nilendu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=waVjEQAAQBAJ&dq=gagan+chandra+biswas&pg=PA24 |title=Revolutionary Movements and Anti-Colonial Resistance in Nadia (1905–1947): A Socio- Psychological Study of Indian Nationalism and Political Violence |date=2025-05-29 |publisher=Deep Science Publishing |isbn=978-93-49910-66-9 |language=en}}</ref>

{{Tree list}}Ghanashyam Biswas
**Moniram Biswas
***Bhriguram Biswas
****Ramhari Biswas
*****Kalchandra Biswas
******Sarbananda Biswas
*******Motilal, m. Kunjabala Debi
********Hemchandra
********Kamakshya
********[[Basanta Kumar Biswas]]
********Durga
*******Hiralal
*******Pratap Chandra
********Ashutosh
********Khagendranath
********Nripendranath
******[[Digambar Biswas]]
*******Nilkantha
*******Rudrakantha
*******Mokshada
*******Surodhoni, m. Prankrishna Sarkar
******Ramgopal Biswas
*******Jadunath, m. Pranmoyi Debi
********Satyaranjan
********Jitendra
********'''Manmathanath Biswas'''
*******Bidhu Bhusan
*******Dinanath
{{Tree list/end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biswas, Digambar}}
[[Category:Bengali zamindars]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian people]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]
[[Category:Bengali people]]
[[Category:People from the Bengal Presidency]]
[[Category:People from British India]]
[[Category:People from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Indian dewans]]
[[Category:Indian rebels]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Bengal]]
[[Category:Year of death missing]]

Digambar Biswas - Revision history

Saurabhoaoindia at 20:29, 24 February 2026