950:
53:
818:, and by 1830 there were more than a thousand indigo factories throughout Bengal. The indigo planters forced the peasants to plant indigo instead of food crops on their own lands. They provided loans, called dadon, at a very high interest. Once a farmer took such loans he remained in debt for his whole life before passing it to his successors. The price paid by the planters was meagre, only 2.5% of the market price. The farmers could make no profit growing indigo. The farmers were totally unprotected from the indigo planters, who resorted to mortgages or destruction of their property if they were unwilling to obey them. Government rules favoured the planters. By an act in 1833, the planters were granted a free hand to deal with the peasants. The
874:
20:
893:(1977) that the "movement began and ended as a struggle against the planters." The revolt was eventually suppressed by the mercenary forces of the indigo planters, though not before it put a temporarily halt to large areas of indigo production along the Bengal and Kathgara regions. The planters sued hundreds of peasants for breaking their indigo contracts, with over seventeen thousand rupees being spent defending these lawsuits.
995:
869:
whom the planter
Larmour had sent down to intimidate peasants into accepting advances for cultivating indigo. Some indigo planters were given a public trial and executed. The indigo depots were burned down. Many planters fled to avoid being caught. The zamindars were also targets of the rebellious
759:, the revolt spread to in the different districts of Bengal in the 1860s and indigo factories and planters faced violent attacks in many places. The revolt ended after the formation of Indigo commission in 1860 which offered reforms of the system, which was inherently exploitative.
901:
The peasants' techniques of resistance were not the same everywhere. The revolt that started in
Chaugacha and Gobindapur by Bishnucharan and Digamber was armed conflict against the planters. But It varied with time and place and was mostly passive and non-violent. The historian
865:, Burdwan Shyamal Mondal led the revolt. Mondal published a magazine named "Mrittika" and wrote about oppressions of the Indigo planters and plights of the peasants. Gopal Mandal, a peasant leader, with his resolute band of a hundred and fifty peasants attacked and beat back the
750:
were the most active and numerous groups who led the peasants. Sometimes disgruntled former employees of
European planters - 'gomashta' or 'diwan' of the Indigo factories, took the lead to mobilise the peasants against the Indigo planters.
754:
In the summer of 1859 in Bengal when thousands of ryots refused to grow indigo for the
European planters with a show of rage and undying resolve, it became one of the most remarkable peasant movements in Indian history. Emerging in the
889:, members of the revolt did not direct their hostility towards the British colonial authorities but instead focused their attention towards European planters and merchants; historian Subhas Bhattacharya noted in
861:, where Bishnucharan Biswas and Digambar Biswas first led the rebellion against the planters in Bengal at March 1859. It spread rapidly in Murshidabad, Birbhum, Burdwan, Pabna, Khulna and Jessore. In
659:
1262:
The
Government in 1860 enacted the Indigo Act, according to which no planter could be forced to cultivate indigo against his will. The History of Bengal
926:. The revolt had a strong effect on the government, which immediately appointed the "Indigo Commission" in 1860. In the commission report, magistrate of
829:
were unanimous in their support of the peasants. Bengali intellectual Harish
Chandra Mukherjee described the plight of the poor farmer in his newspaper
654:
978:. For publishing the play, Long was put on trial by the colonial authorities and sentenced to a period of imprisonment and fine of 1,000 rupees.
791:, indigo planting became more and more commercially profitable because of the demand for blue dye in Europe. It was introduced in large parts of
644:
941:, who aimed to put an end to the repressions of indigo planters; the Indigo Commission's activities led to the passage of the 1862 Indigo Act.
604:
1280:
1198:
1159:
707:
949:
822:, who also stood to benefit from indigo cultivation, sided with the planters. Under these conditions, the farmers resorted to revolt.
664:
845:.His play created a huge controversy which was later banned by the Company authorities to control the agitation among the Indians.
982:, a friend of Long, paid the fine for him. The play proved to be essential to the development of theatre in Bengal and influenced
1128:
1053:
1236:
550:
52:
1370:
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998:, inspired by Dinabandhu Mitra's trail-blazing Indigo Mirror, was staged in Bangladesh in 2022 and the UK in 2024.
1390:
1355:
700:
930:
E. W. L. Tower testified that "not a chest of Indigo reached
England without being stained with human blood".
779:. He became the first indigo planter in Bengal, starting to cultivate the crop at Taldanga and Goalpara near
1385:
1111:
679:
543:
342:
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1237:"Social Scientist, issues 60, July 1977, page 16. -- The Social Scientist -- Digital South Asia Library"
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and engaged in continual clashes with the rebelling peasants. Historians have noted that unlike the
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revolution and gives this as a reason why the indigo revolt was a success compared to the
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in 1859, and continued for over a year. The village headmen (Mandals) and substantial
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1100:. 56, Surya Sen Street, Kolkata-700009: Oriental Book Company Pvt. Ltd. p. 54.
957:
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in "History of Bengal" goes so far as to call it a forerunner of the non-violent
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and was based on the revolt. It was translated into
English by poet
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82:
16:
1859 peasant rebellion in Bengal against
European Indigo planters
986:, who in 1872 would go on to establish the National Theatre in
923:
768:
1045:
The Blue Mutiny: The Indigo
Disturbances in Bengal, 1859-1862
967:
562:
100:
747:
1338:
Nildarpan (play by Mitra) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia
990:, where the first play ever commercially staged there was
937:
formed the Indigo Commission in response to pressure from
1048:. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 84–86.
742:farmers against the indigo planters, that arose in
1347:
1323:. University of Calcutta. 1861-01-01. p.
881:In response, the planters employed groups of
853:The revolt started in Chougacha village near
701:
1278:
1196:
1157:
877:Mongolganj Indigo Kuthi in North 24 Parganas
835:. However the articles were overshadowed by
771:dates back to 1777, when Louis Bonnaud, a
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694:
1095:
839:, who depicted the situation in his play
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18:
1348:
23:A Bikaner dye factory in Bengal, 1867.
1041:
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1123:
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13:
1279:Bhattacharya, Subhas (July 1977).
1197:Bhattacharya, Subhas (July 1977).
1158:Bhattacharya, Subhas (July 1977).
665:List of Inventions and Discoveries
51:
14:
1402:
1148:
1118:
1098:Madhyamik History And Environment
1062:
974:and published by Anglican priest
184:Spread of Jainism – Parshvanatha
1331:
1311:
1272:
1253:
1229:
1190:
1089:
1042:Kling, Blair B. (2016-11-11).
1035:
922:later successfully adopted by
660:Science and Technology History
1:
1281:"The Indigo Revolt of Bengal"
1199:"The Indigo Revolt of Bengal"
1160:"The Indigo Revolt of Bengal"
1028:
762:
1130:নীলবিদ্রোহ এবং অম্বিকা কালনা
935:British colonial authorities
896:
189:Spread of Jainism – Mahavira
7:
1001:
891:The Indigo Revolt of Bengal
738:and subsequent uprising of
590:Dynasties in Indian History
10:
1407:
1096:Chaudhuri, Kalyan (2016).
906:describes the revolt as a
585:Timeline of Indian History
1371:Protests in British India
1073:"Indigo Revolt in Bengal"
848:
141:Indus Valley Civilization
1129:
1110:: CS1 maint: location (
1013:Indian Rebellion of 1857
972:Michael Madhusudan Dutta
887:Indian Rebellion of 1857
298:, c. 228 BCE – c. 224 CE
172:Rise of Śramaṇa movement
147:Post Indus Valley Period
91:, c. 7600 – c. 1000 BCE
775:, introduced it to the
333:, c. 606 CE – c. 647 CE
157:, c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE
151:, c. 1700 – c. 1500 BCE
143:, c. 3300 – c. 1700 BCE
994:. Ben Musgrave's play
954:
878:
655:Paper Currency History
513:, c. 1799 – c. 1849 CE
507:, c. 1760 – c. 1799 CE
501:, c. 1757 – c. 1858 CE
495:, c. 1674 – c. 1818 CE
487:, c. 1576 – c. 1757 CE
163:, c. 1200 – c. 500 BCE
119:South Indian Neolithic
56:
24:
1391:Indigo dye production
1356:1859 in British India
952:
876:
734:: নীল বিদ্রোহ) was a
630:Philosophical History
610:Architectural History
544:Independence Movement
380:, c. 973 – c. 1187 CE
374:, c. 848 – c. 1251 CE
351:, c. 760 – c. 973 CE
55:
22:
1008:Champaran Satyagraha
984:Girish Chandra Ghosh
904:Jogesh Chandra Bagal
680:Wars involving India
553:, 1947 CE – present
378:2nd Chalukya Dynasty
339:, c. 724 – c. 760 CE
304:, c. 240 – c. 550 CE
213:1700 – 682 BCE
149:(Cemetery H Culture)
1386:Rebellions in India
1320:The Calcutta Review
1135:www.anandabazar.com
980:Kaliprasanna Singha
777:Indian subcontinent
767:Indigo planting in
635:History of Religion
600:Demographic History
565:, 1950 CE – present
532:The Great Rebellion
475:, 1538/40 – 1556 CE
349:Tripartite Struggle
292:, c. 30 – c. 375 CE
223:Shaishunaga Dynasty
211:Brihadratha Dynasty
1361:Bengal Renaissance
955:
945:In popular culture
920:passive resistance
879:
605:Linguistic History
360:Rastrakuta Dynasty
296:Satavahana Dynasty
260:Kingdom of Magadha
239:, c. 600 – 345 BCE
206:Kingdom of Magadha
179:Later Vedic Period
167:Early Vedic period
155:Vedic civilization
57:
25:
1381:Conflicts in 1859
1376:Bengal Presidency
1241:dsal.uchicago.edu
1055:978-1-5128-0350-1
1018:History of Bengal
966:was published in
939:Nawab Abdul Latif
832:The Hindu Patriot
805:North 24 Parganas
718:
717:
645:Education History
563:Republic of India
557:Dominion of India
551:Independent India
540:, 1858 – 1947 CE
505:Kingdom of Mysore
481:, 1556 – 1857 CE
403:, 1206 – 1526 CE
355:Pratihara dynasty
78:Madrasian culture
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785:Nawabs of Bengal
736:peasant movement
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670:Military History
625:Literary History
595:Economic History
579:Related articles
559:, 1947 – 1950 CE
534:, 1857 – 1858 CE
469:, 1526 – 1540 CE
448:, 1342 – 1576 CE
446:Bengal Sultanate
442:, 1336 – 1646 CE
436:, 1251 – 1618 CE
337:Karakota Dynasty
331:Harsha's Dynasty
325:Chalukya Dynasty
217:Haryanka Dynasty
194:Rise of Buddhism
85:, c. 500,000 BCE
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290:Kushan Dynasty
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271:Shunga Dynasty
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722:Indigo revolt
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302:Gupta Dynasty
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285:Sangam period
283:
279:, 73 – 28 BCE
278:
277:Kanva Dynasty
275:
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237:Mahajanapadas
235:
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229:Nanda Dynasty
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219:544 – 413 BCE
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1274:
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1244:. Retrieved
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1192:
1167:
1163:
1139:. Retrieved
1137:(in Bengali)
1134:
1097:
1091:
1080:. Retrieved
1076:
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1037:
996:Indigo Giant
991:
961:
956:
932:
912:Sepoy Revolt
900:
890:
880:
866:
855:Krishnanagar
852:
840:
830:
827:middle class
825:The Bengali
824:
789:Company rule
766:
753:
726:
725:
721:
719:
620:LGBT history
485:Bengal Subah
473:Suri Dynasty
460:Early modern
440:Vijayanagara
365:Pala Dynasty
161:Kuru kingdom
908:non-violent
883:mercenaries
783:. With the
727:Nil bidroha
615:Art History
538:British Raj
511:Sikh Empire
499:Company Raj
345:, c. 738 CE
71:Prehistoric
42:History of
1350:Categories
1291:(60): 14.
1246:2021-08-30
1170:(60): 17.
1141:2022-07-30
1082:2022-07-30
1029:References
1023:Indigofera
992:Nil Darpan
976:James Long
963:Nil Darpan
953:Nil Darpan
870:peasants.
842:Nil Darpan
763:Background
107:Lahuradewa
1106:cite book
897:Aftermath
820:zamindars
773:Frenchman
252:Classical
89:Neolithic
1002:See also
928:Faridpur
867:lathials
113:Mehrgarh
109:7000 BCE
103:7106 BCE
95:Bhirrana
63:Timeline
33:a series
31:Part of
1305:3516809
1223:3516809
1184:3516809
988:Kolkata
812:Jessore
801:Birbhum
797:Bankura
793:Burdwan
781:Hooghly
732:Bengali
135:Ancient
83:Soanian
1303:
1266:
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1182:
1052:
924:Gandhi
849:Revolt
787:under
769:Bengal
744:Bengal
740:indigo
525:Modern
35:on the
1301:JSTOR
1219:JSTOR
1180:JSTOR
968:Dhaka
863:Kalna
816:Pabna
809:Nadia
748:ryots
101:Jhusi
44:India
1264:ISBN
1112:link
1050:ISBN
814:and
724:(or
720:The
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