Indigo Rebellion

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The Indigo Rebellion (Indigo Revolts) comprised widespread peasant uprisings in Bengal from 1839 to 1860 against rapacious planters of the indigo crop that are viewed by historians as important events giving rise to the early Indian nationalist movement. With the growth of the textile industry after the Industrial Revolution, dyeing of clothes became an important branch of apparel manufacturing. From the time of the East India Company, British planters had been settling in parts of India. The planters started taking a keen interest in indigo when the supply of indigo from other sources dried up and India emerged as the largest exporter of the crop. They established kuthis (large concerns) in different parts of Bengal. The biggest concern, the India Indigo Company, was established in Nadia‐Jessore‐Khulna. The European planters induced Bengali ryots (peasants) to reserve a part of their land to grow indigo by making small payments as dadon (an advance) to be adjusted against final payment at the time of delivery. Once the ryot took the advance, as happened extensively over several districts of Bengal, like Jessore, Nadia, and Pabna, the ryot was in the clutches of the planter. When taking produce to the planter's factory, people were cheated by dealers who used distorted scales. The value of the produce was calculated at rates far below market price. After the deductions, including the value of revenue stamps used in the agreement papers, the cost of seed supplied by the planter, and transport charges, the ryot often ended up with no profits, or even a net debt to the planter on account of the advances given. For all practical purposes a debt bondage developed in the planter‐dominated areas, being handed down from father to son. Attempts to break away from the tyranny of indigo planters were tackled by sending in armed lathiyals (retainers), who would beat up the peasant and his family members and destroy his crops. The peasants had no access to the legal system.