Tarapur uprising
The Tarapur uprising was an uprising against the Marathic - British dominance in the region of the princely state of Bastar , which lasted practically during the entire reign of Raja Bhopal Deo (r. 1842-53). The leader was the younger brother of the Rajas, Lal Dalganjan Singh (* approx. 1826), who found support mainly from the members of the tribals in the Tarapur area .
causes
After the British East India Company had secured its rule militarily until 1800, work began on expanding control over the areas controlled by the Marathas . Bastar was considered too poor to be placed under direct administration.
Bhopal Deo appointed his 16-year-old younger brother in 1842 as governor of the pargana of Tarapur, east of the capital Jagdalpur , on the border with the princely state of Jeypore , which was traditionally enemies with Bastar. The district was therefore used as a military bastion for levies. The chiefs traditionally paid a fixed rate of dues collectively for their tribe. Through manipulations in the measurement of the built-up land, which became necessary through the integration into the colonial economic system, the tax burden, which was now individually determined, was greatly increased.
The new governor quickly made himself popular with his subjects because he did not use his position for personal enrichment through additional taxes and respected the traditional way of life. However, the Raja insisted on a tax increase in order to be able to pay tribute to the Maratha ruler of Nagpur .
Dalganjan Singh, who refused to take this action, planned to go to Jeypore. However, representatives of the tribes convinced him to put himself at their head if they offered armed resistance.
procedure
The bastarian divan Jagabandhu, who was officially entitled to collect taxes, was captured by the indigenous population and handed over to the ambitious Dalganjan Singh, who sent him back to his brother. The divan now convinced the Raja that Dalganjan Singh must be captured. For this, however, the consent of the rulers of Nagpur was required. Jagabandhu went to their residence. After the order to arrest him, Dalganjan Singh submitted first and went to Nagpur, where he was detained for six months. During his stay there, negotiations took place with the British resident Major Wilkinson.
It was agreed that Dalganjan Singh would take over the Jagabandhus position. He received more extensive rights than before and an allowance of 18 garhs. However, the two brothers remained enemies, which is why Bhopal Deo complained again in 1848 because his brother had become too powerful for him. The deposed Dalganjan Singh was questioned this time in Raipur , but after about half a year he was used again as a divan. He returned with devoted fighters and arrested Jagabandhu, who was again Diwan, and Jagannath Bahidar. The Nagpur government now sent a Marathi troop to Bastar to ensure peace. Captain Fenwick, who had to examine the proceedings at Bastar, was the first European to tour the state in official capacity.
About three years later, Dalganjan Singh planned to flee from his enemies at court to Jeypore. First he got to Tarapur. The Raja had him pursued by Jagabandhu and Jagannath Bahidar. However, Singh had meanwhile mobilized the people. The two pursuers fell into his hands after fighting. They were chained for some time in Tarapur and buried up to their necks. In response to the following complaint, Dalganjan Singh was ordered to Raipur. He was tried in Nagpur in 1852, in which he was sentenced to 1½ years in prison for looting.
Soon afterwards, news of Bhopal Deos' death reached Nagpur. His son Bhairam Deo requested the release of his uncle, who returned to Bastar in 1853 after a two and a quarter year absence. He had agreed to recognize the new Raja as the rightful ruler and not to stay outside of the 18 garhs assigned to him.
Bhairam Deo proved to be an extremely weak ruler in the following years, whose complete submission to the British colonial system then led to the Muria uprising (1876) in his country in 1870 . The causes of this lay in the long-range effects of the decision of the Cotton Supply Association of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce in 1853 to transform neighboring Nagpur into a district for cotton monoculture.
literature
- HL Shukla (* 1939): History of the People of Bastar: a Study in Tribal Insurgency . Delhi 1992, ISBN 81-85616-04-3
Individual evidence
- ↑ not to be confused with Jaipur , whose name was often written in the same way in the 19th century
- ↑ cf. Bastar (State) #State and Finance
- ↑ a feudal district
- ↑ Laxman Satya: Cotton and Famine in Berar, 1850-1900; Diss. Tufts University 1994