Background of the origin of farmer movements in Awadh Choudhary Anshu* Associate Professor, Department of Ancient History, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh *Email id: anshuchaudhary1979@gmail.com
Online Published on 15 October, 2024. Abstract The Awadh region of the United Provinces holds a very important place under the colonial British Empire in India. In the Awadh province, the relations between the peasants, the talukdars, the landlords and the land were traditionally prevalent. The colonial government made changes in the traditional relations by making various laws and made it a means to fulfill colonial interests. Despite the advanced agriculture of the Awadh region, the condition of the farmers of this region was very pitiable. The farmers were being exploited under the land-revenue system created by the British government, because all the policies of the British government were dependent on how to get maximum revenue. Before the revolution of 1857, the British government caused economic damage to the talukdars and landlords along with the farmers. But after the revolution of 1857, the British government changed its policy and provided facilities to the talukdars and landlords, but the condition of the real farmers kept getting worse. In the Awadh region, attempts were made to change the basic condition of the farmers through the Awadh Land Revenue Act 1868 and 1886. A farmer could be evicted for not paying the due amount, sub-cultivating the land or misusing it. Apart from this, the landlord always had the right to take his land whenever he wanted. It was soon discovered that whatever protection was given to the farmers could be easily abolished. The discontent of the farmers increased further after the First World War, the economic crisis made the situation even worse, the demand for rent increased even more. The noose of the moneylenders tightened even more. Mehta Saheb talked about extra collection, Nazarana in his report and recorded it as a big problem. All these reasons laid the foundation of farmer movements in the Awadh region. Top Keywords Zamindar: owner of land, Talukdar: owner of taluka, Raiyya: farmer community, Kashtkar: farmer, Malgujari: tax, Bhumidhar: owner of land, Dakhilkari: Name of Farmer in the revenue records. Top |