Indian Tribal leader and freedom fighter Birsa Munda died on June 9, 1900, at age 25. Today, 9th June 2024, marks his 124th death anniversary.

Birsa Munda Early Life and Background

Birsa Munda was a tribal leader and religious reformer who belonged to the Munda tribe of Chotanagpur, a region in present-day Jharkhand and Odisha. 

• Birth: Birsa Munda was born on November 15, 1875, in the village of Ulihatu, in the Mundari princely state of Khunti.
• Condition of Tribals: He grew up in a time when the Munda people were facing increasing exploitation and displacement by British colonial rule, Moneylenders and Zamindars (dikus).

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Laying the Ground for Revolt

• Pre-colonial Land Ownership: The Mundas followed the “khuntkatti” system based on customary rights before colonial rule.
• Impact of Permanent Settlement Act (1793): The enactment of the Permanent Settlement Act transformed land ownership, introducing the zamindari system. This created a division between land-owning zamindars (considered outsiders or “dikus“) and indigenous residents (“ryots”).
• Displacement and Denial of Rights: The Act allowed dikus to claim ownership rights, displacing Indigenous dwellers and denying them access to cultivated land for generations.
• Other Debilitating Policies: Apart from land issues, tribal communities faced exploitation through forced labor (“begar” system), reliance on money lenders for credit, and the replacement of traditional councils with colonial courts.
• Famine: The onset of famines in 1896-97 and 1899-1900 exacerbated the challenges, leading to mass starvation among the tribal communities.

What was the Ulgulan movement?

The Ulgulan movement of 1899 also used weapons and guerrilla warfare to drive out foreigners. 

• Munda encouraged the tribals to refuse to follow colonial laws and pay rent. 

• Munda spent most of his time between 1886 and 1890 in Chaibasa, close to the centre of the Sardari agitation.
• The Sardars’ activities strongly impacted him. He participated in anti-missionary and anti-government programmes and started a movement called ‘Ulgulan’, or ‘The Great Tumult.’ 
• Munda soon emerged as a tribal leader who brought people together to fight for these issues. 

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Religious Reform Movement

• Early Education: Munda received his early education under the guidance of his teacher, Jaipal Nag. 
• Conversion to Christianity: Birsa converted to Christianity to join the German Mission school. But later, when he realised that the Britishers wanted to educate indigenous people to convert them, he gave up his German mission and reverted to a tribal religious system.
• Founding of Birsait: In the late 19th century, Birsa Munda founded a new religious movement called “Mundaism,” “Kisangism,” or “Birsait Sect.”
  • Leading the faith of ‘Birsait’, he became a God-like figure who came to be referred to as ‘Bhagwan’ (God) and ‘Dharti ka Abba’ (father of the earth) by his followers.
  • This movement aimed to revive traditional Munda customs and beliefs and unite the Munda people against their oppressors.
• Teachings and Principles: As followers flocked to the new religion, Birsa advocated against superstition and urged his people to renounce begging and animal sacrifice, asking them to worship only one God. 
  • Birsa’s teachings emphasized the importance of self-reliance, social justice, and resistance against oppression. 
• Impact and Challenge to British Activities: In the process, members of the Munda and Oraon communities joined the Birsait sect, challenging British conversion activities.

Arrest and Death

• Arrest: The British were soon able to halt the movement through the superior strength of their forces. 
  • On March 3, 1900, Munda was arrested by the British police.
• Death: It is believed he died in Ranchi Jail due to an illness on June 9, 1900, at the young age of 25. 

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Remarkable Feat

Birsa Munda’s mobilisation of the tribal community to protect their land rights was remarkable, being one of the earliest such attempts.

• Restoration of the khuntkhatti system: The movement also contributed to the government’s repeal of the begar system and led to the Tenancy Act (1903), which recognised the khuntkhatti system. 
• The Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (1908): The act banned the transfer of tribal land to non-tribal folks.