Chapter 4: Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age

Answer.

(a) The British described the tribal people as wild and savage.

(b) The method of sowing seeds in jhum cultivation is known as broadcasting.

(c) The tribal chiefs got land titles in central India under the British land settlements.

(d) Tribals went to work in the tea plantations of Assam and the coal mines in Bihar.

Answer.

(a) Jhum cultivators plough the land and sow seeds – False

(b) Cocoons were bought from the Santhals and sold by the traders at five times the purchase price – True

(c) Birsa urged his followers to purify themselves, give up drinking liquor and stop believing in witchcraft and sorcery – True

(d) The British wanted to preserve the tribal way of life – False

Answer.

The British always had problems with shifting cultivators, as they were always moving for pasture lands. The British wanted the shifting cultivators to become peasant cultivators. The British thought it was easier to control and administer peasant cultivators than shifting cultivators. Hence, shifting cultivators faced problems when the company planned the land revenue system.

Answer.

Under the British rule, the functions and powers of the tribal chiefs changed considerably. They were allowed to keep their land titles over a cluster of villages and rent outlands, but they lost much of their administrative power and were forced to follow laws made by the British officials in India. They also had to pay tribute to the British, and discipline the tribal groups on behalf of the British. They lost the authority that they had earlier enjoyed among their people and were unable to fulfil their traditional functions.

Answer.

Tribals were not happy with the dikus who were considered as ‘outsiders’ by them. The tribals wanted to be shifting cultivators and not be peasant cultivators. The dikus were settling in at the tribals’ lands, wanting the latter to sell their lands or rent their lands at very high-interest rates. This made the tribals unhappy. Also, the tribal chiefs lost their administrative powers under the British rule. Later, the tribals were evacuated from their lands, and they had to look for other livelihood options.

Answer.

Birsa’s vision of a golden age was to have their land free of dikus. He considered that age to be the ‘age of truth’. According to Birsa, in the golden age, the tribal sirdars will be able to rule  themselves and no one will be there to dictate terms to them. His golden age vision was to have an age with no vices like liquor, witchcraft, sorcery and uncleanliness. He did not want any role of outsider participants like missionaries, Hindu landlords, moneylenders, traders and Europeans.