Siddhu & Kanhu Murmu

Siddhu & Kanhu Murmu were recently remembered for the Death anniversary as their supreme sacrifice during the Santhal Rebellion (1855-56).

About Siddhu & Kanhu Murmu:

• Sido Murmu and Kanhu Murmu were the principal leaders of the Santhal Rebellion, which took place from 1855 to 1856.
• They were brothers and were joined by other key figures, including Chand and Bairab.

Role in Santhal Rebellion:

• In 1832, the British administration demarcated the Damin-i-Koh region in present-day Jharkhand and invited Santhals to settle there with promises of land and economic benefits.
• Many Santhals relocated from regions like Cuttack, Dhalbhum, Manbhum, Hazaribagh, and Midnapore.
• The arrival of British-appointed mahajans and zamindars, who acted as tax collectors, led to widespread exploitation.
• Corrupt money lending practices subjected Santhals to exorbitant interest rates, as they were unable to repay their debts, they lost their lands and were forced into bonded labor.
• On 30 June 1855, Sido and Kanhu mobilized around 10,000 Santhals and declared a rebellion against oppressive zamindari system imposed during Lord Cornwallis’ period.
• The Santhals initially achieved victories and managed to drive British forces out of their territories.
• The British, equipped with modern firearms and war elephants, employed a deceptive tactic during a crucial battle.
• The British troops initially fired blank shots but later fired real bullets, leading to a decisive defeat for the Santhals.
• Phulo and Jhano Murmu, along with Sumi Murmu (wife of Siddhu Murmu), rallied about 20,000 Santhals against the British and sustained the rebellion after the men.
• Following the rebellion, the British enacted Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act (1876) to protect Santhal land rights by making land transfers to non-Santhals illegal.

About Santhals:

• The Santhals are a tribal community primarily found in the Chhotanagpur Plateau region, which spans across parts of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar.
• Santha means calm, and ala means man in the Santhali language.
• They are the third largest scheduled tribe community in India after Gonds and Bhils. 
• Santhals are deeply connected to their roots and are nature worshippers, often paying obeisance at Jaher (sacred groves) in their villages.
• Traditional dress for Santhal men includes dhoti and gamuchha, while women typically wear a short-check saree, usually in blue and green, often accompanied by tattoos.
• Various forms of marriage are accepted in Santhal society, including elopement, widow remarriage, levirate, forced marriages (rare), and marriages due to pregnancy.
• Most Santhals are agriculturists, relying on their farmlands and forests, while their homes, called Olah, have a distinctive three-color pattern on the outer walls.
• River Damodar holds a special place in Santhal religious life, as the ashes and bones of the deceased are immersed in it for a peaceful afterlife.
• The Santhali language (written in the Ol Chiki script), belongs to the Munda group and is recognized as a scheduled language in the Eighth Schedule to the Indian Constitution.

• Pre-independence, they were subjected to extortion by the British East India Company and the zamindari system, alongside intermediaries such as moneylenders and upper ryots.
• The Santhals, along with other tribal communities, were granted Scheduled Tribe status through The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.
• Tribal communities, outside the Northeast, generally have lower levels of literacy but the Santhals have higher due to pro-school education awareness since the 1960s.
• As a result, these tribals hold significant positions in fields of education, policy making, commerce, signified by Draupadi Murmu as the first tribal President of India.

Ref: Source

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