New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) A new book brings back to focus the remarkable resistance of the Bhil community against colonial rule and feudal oppression for more than a century.
“Bhil Revolt: A Century and a Quarter of Struggle” by Subhash Chandra Kushwaha has been translated from the Hindi original by Naresh ‘Nadeem’. It spans from 1800 to 1925 and documents the sustained rebellion of one of India’s largest tribal groups across what is now Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Kushwaha’s central thesis challenges conventional historical narratives that have portrayed Bhils as merely ‘barbaric’ and ‘criminal’.
Instead, he portrays them as the original inhabitants of vast territories who were systematically dispossessed by successive waves of invaders: first Rajputs, then Marathas, and finally the British.
The book demonstrates how this displacement transformed a ‘peace-loving people true to their word’ into guerrilla warriors fighting for survival and dignity.
The book has three parts. The first part covers central India and Khandesh, detailing how British policy oscillated between brutal suppression and strategic co-optation through the formation of Bhil Corps.
Part two examines revolts in Rajputana and Gujarat agencies, while the third part focuses on the legendary figure of Tantya Bhil, whose 11-year cat-and-mouse game with British authorities made him an international sensation.
Kushwaha presents Tantya’s complex figure driven to rebellion by systemic injustice, whose raids specifically targeted exploitative malguzars and moneylenders while distributing wealth among the poor.
Tantya Bhil may be the most prominent leader but Kushwaha reminds us of over 200 Bhil chiefs and warriors, such as Nadir Singh, Jagga Rawat, Kaji Singh, Bhima Nayak, Govind Guru, among many others, whose sacrifices cannot be ignored.
Each figure emerges not merely as a rebel but as a leader responding to specific grievances: land dispossession, cultural suppression, economic exploitation, and denial of traditional rights.
Kushwaha shows how the colonial administration learned from early failures and developed sophisticated policies, combining military force, economic incentives and cultural manipulation.
The formation of various Bhil Corps across regions represents a classic divide-and-rule strategy, turning some Bhils against others by providing employment as an alternative to rebellion.
The book, published by Niyogi, also exposes the reality of caste-based oppression that both preceded and accompanied colonial rule. PTI ZMN RB RB
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