Nature and Significance of Early Resistance

The popular revolts makes certain points clear about the nature of these revolts.

• Actions of the rebels prove that they were clear about their interest and about their enemies. Some features of the peasant and tribal protest movements demonstrate a certain level of political and social consciousness among them.

• In many instances local issues might have triggered off the rebellion. But in the course of the development of the movement, its objective was broadened. Immediate context of a movement may be the oppression of local landlords, once the movement started, it ended up as protest against the British Raj.

• Religious belief, Ethnic ties and traditions played a positive role in mobilizing the peasants and strengthening their solidarity. Very often their notions of their own good old past inspired rebels to recover their lost past. Past basically meant to the rebels to get relief from exploitation and oppression.

• Attempt was made by the ruling class to define the rebellions as a problem of law and order and act of crime. This is complete denial of the peasants understanding of their grievances and their right to protest. It is necessary to understand the domain of peasant and tribal action in its own terms.

• However, the rebels did not have a future plan beyond the restoration of the old order. In spite of their limited objective and narrow world view the rebels definitely exposed the unpopular character of the colonial rule.