Name: Indigo Cultivation in India and the Global Market
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 4 min 44 s
Description: Indigo cultivation in Bengal expanded rapidly in the last decade of the 18th century. Bengal indigo came to dominate the world market. But how?

Question

Briefly describe the Indigo rebellion.

Accepted Answer

The Indigo Rebellion took place in Bengal in the years 1859-1860, by the farmers against the British planters. The cause of the revolt was the excessive use of force by the British on the Indian cultivators to grow the economically lucrative indigo through fraudulent means.

The indigo plant leaches the fertility of the soil, making the soil barren. Yet, the cultivators were forced to grow them at minimum prices; and even the loans granted to grow them were at exorbitantly high rates, making farmers dependent on extra loans to pay the existing loans.

Even more, the farmers were forced to sell the indigo at low prices so that the British traders could make high profits.

If the farmer refused to grow indigo on their fields, those fields were looted or burnt by the British agents.

In the Nadia district of Bengal, some farmers refused to grow indigo and counter-attacked the policemen. Following it, the farmers of Pabna, Nadia, and Malda districts refused to grow indigo plants. It was supported by many writers, zamindars, and popular leaders. Dinbandhu Mitra in his book 'Neel-Darpan' mentions the Indigo Rebellion.

The British ruthlessly suppressed the revolt, killing many, but it was such an occasion where the weak stood strongly against the oppressor.

Briefly describe the Indigo rebellion.

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