NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 4 Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age

Birsa was born in a family of Mundas – a tribal group that lived in Chottanagpur.

Some of them practised jhum cultivation, which is shifting cultivation. The cultivators cut the treetops to allow sunlight to reach the ground and burnt the vegetation on the land to clear it for cultivation. They spread the ash from the firing, which contained potash, to fertilise the soil. They used the axe to cut trees and the hoe to scratch the soil in order to prepare it for cultivation. They broadcast the seeds, that is, scattered the seeds on the field instead of ploughing the land and sowing the seeds. Once the crop was ready and harvested, they moved to another field. A field that had been cultivated once was left fallow for several years.

The Khonds were such a community living in the forests of Orissa. They regularly went out on collective hunts and then divided the meat amongst themselves. They ate fruits and roots collected from the forest and cooked food with the oil they extracted from the seeds of the sal and mahua. They used many forest shrubs and herbs for medicinal purposes, and sold forest produce in the local markets. The local weavers and leather workers turned to the Khonds when they needed supplies of kusum and palash flowers to colour their clothes and leather.

The British described the tribal people as uncivilized.

Jhum cultivators plough the land and sow seeds. False

The shifting cultivators were forced to take up settled cultivation. But type of land and shortage of water meant they could not produce enough. Many of them had to move on to other areas in search of work when access to the forest was restricted.

The functions and powers of the tribal chiefs changed considerably under the British rule. They lost much of their administrative power. They were forced to follow the laws made by the British. They had to pay tribute to the British. They were expected to discipline their people on behalf of the British government. However, they were allowed to keep their land titles over a cluster of villages and could rent out lands. Thus, the authority of the tribal chiefs significantly reduced under the colonial rule.

Interaction with merchants and traders usually meant debt and poverty for the tribal. Hence, moneylenders and traders were seen as evil outsiders. They were seen as the cause of the misery of tribal people. The moneylenders and any other outsider were called the Dikus.

The tribal Sirdars talked of a golden age. This was an age when the Mundas had been free from the oppression of Dikus (enemies). They visualized of a time when the ancestral right of the community would be restored. Everyone wants a freedom from oppression and most of the people want the pride of their community. The vision of a golden age was like a dream for the tribal people. Hence, this vision appealed to the people of the region.

The Santhal Rebellion: They are migrated from Birbhun, Hazaribagh, Bankura and Rohatas to settle in Jharkhand. They considered themselves to be the owners of the land, on which they are living. Some of moneylenders also made their presence feel. On the June 30, 1855, Santhals declared themselves free and took oath under the leadership of Sindhu Murmu and Kanhu Murmu to fight unto the last against the British rulers as well as their agents.