After the Santhal Uprising subsided, what was/were the measure/measures taken by the colonial government?
- The territories called ‘Santhal Parganas’ were created.
- It became illegal for a Santhal to transfer land to a non-Santhal.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
- Santhals, who were settled in the Rajmahal Hills of Bihar and are indigenous to the Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha, had their own agricultural practices.
- The Santhal Pargana was established after the Santhal Revolt (1855-56), which took 5,500 square miles from Bhagalpur and Birbhum districts.
- The colonial administration hoped that by creating a separate territory for the Santhals and imposing specific laws within it, they could appease them.
- The British government made it illegal for a Santhal to transfer land to a non-Santhal and enacted laws to prevent outsiders (dikus) from taking tribal land.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
