Hul Diwas

Why is in news? PM pays tributes to martyrs of Adivasi society on occasion of Hul Diwas

Hul Divas is observed annually on June 30 in memory of tribals — Sidho and Kanhu Murmu — who led the Santhal hul (rebellion) on June 30, 1855, at Bhognadih in Sahebganj district.

Bhognadih was the main centre of the Santhal rebellion of 1855.

On 30 June 1855, a large number of Santals assembled in a field in Bhognadih, they declared themselves as free and took oath under the leadership of Sidho Murmu and Kanhu Murmu to fight unto the last against the British rulers as well as their agents.

It started on June 30, 1855 and lasted until January 3, 1856 when the movement was brutally ended by troops loyal to the British.

In the memory of Santhal Hul (rebellion), Hul Divas (Rebellion Day) is celebrated each year on the same date 30 June, especially among Santhal tribes.

Santhal Rebellion:

The Santhal rebellion was a rebellion in present day Jharkhand against both the British East India Company (BEIC) and zamindari system by the Santhal.

In order to control the vast territory of India, East India Company began to implement revenue policies, law and order rules to be followed by the countrymen, from the time they began consolidating, after Battle of Plassey in 1757.

In 1793, Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in some parts of the country like Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.

Under the permanent revenue system, landlords had perpetual and hereditary rights over the land as long as they paid a fixed revenue to the British government. If the peasants were not able to pay their rent, the British auctioned away large tracts of land belonging to the Santhals, to anyone who would pay them fixed revenue and so in this process, several tribal lands were sold.

In this process, the Santhal lost control over the land, and their old tribal systems and political structures that had continued for generations came to an end.

The Santhals were the tribal people inhabiting the forest of Rajmahal hills. In 1832, East India Company demarcated the Damin-i-Koh from the region of Jharkhand and gave it to Santhals, to settle with a promise of non-interference in their land.

But with changing times and the rising demand of the Britishers, the rent to the Santhals raised to an exorbitant rate.

Ultimately, the Santhals were trapped in a situation where they had the only option to revolt against the Britishers and the Zamindars.

Another reason cited for the Santhal rebellion was that the Santhals followed the barter system and they faced trouble paying the zamindars in cash, and as a result, they had to borrow money from the moneylenders at an exorbitant rate, which ultimately trapped them into a vicious cycle.

The Santhal revolt (also known as the Hul revolt ) started on 30th June 1855, with the help of prominent leaders like Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand, and Bhairav, and also their two sisters Phulo and Jhano.

The depressed and anguished Santhals engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Britishers and formed their own troops which included the farmers, villagers, and the women.

The government applied all possible means to suppress the movement. In order to curb the rebellion, Britishers used heavy loaded weapons against bows and arrows used by the Santhals.

The landlords were in the support of the government whereas the local people supported the Santhals in full vigour.

Unfortunately, the duo brother Sidhu and Kanhu were arrested and the revolt had a brutal end.

The Santhals were repressed and the movement came to an end in 1856.