3 Jul 2026HISTORY3 questions

Two Years Before 1857, Thirty Thousand Santhals Declared the Company's Rule Over

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Article summary

Hul Diwas is observed on 30 June each year across Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Assam to commemorate the Santhal Hul of 1855 — 'hul' meaning revolution or uprising in Santhali. The rebellion began on 30 June 1855 at Bhognadih village in what is now Sahibganj district, Jharkhand, when the Santhals declared an end to Company authority in their territory, and was suppressed only by 3 January 1856. It was led by the brothers Sidho and Kanhu Murmu, supported by their siblings including the sisters Phulo and Jhano Murmu. Its causes were material rather than abstract: alienation of land to outsiders, indebtedness to moneylenders and exploitation by zamindars, oppressive revenue demands, and the erosion of Santhal self-governance. The uprising was crushed with heavy loss of life, yet its legislative consequence outlasted the Company itself. The colonial administration constituted Santhal Parganas as a separately administered district and eventually enacted the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, 1876, which prohibited transfer of Adivasi land to non-Adivasis — a protection that remains in force and is periodically contested. The Hul preceded the revolt of 1857 by two years and is counted among the earliest organised armed challenges to British rule in India.

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recallTests whether you read the article and retained key facts.

applicationTests whether you can apply the concept to a new scenario.

analysisTests whether you can reason across multiple related facts.

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HISTORYRecallEasy

Q1. With reference to the Santhal Hul, which one of the following statements is correct?

AIt began on 30 June 1855 at Bhognadih in present-day Jharkhand, under the leadership of the brothers Sidho and Kanhu Murmu, and preceded the revolt of 1857 by two years.

BIt was led by Birsa Munda and is commemorated as Ulgulan.

CIt broke out in 1875, two decades after the revolt of 1857, in response to the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act.

DIt was confined to the Santhal population of Assam and had no connection with land alienation.

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HISTORYApplicationMedium

Q2. The Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, 1876 prohibited transfer of Adivasi land to non-Adivasis and remains in force. Which one of the following best explains the significance of this legislative response?

AIt demonstrates that colonial administration generally conceded the political demands of rebellions it had suppressed.

BIt shows that the grievance was recognised as structural rather than criminal — land alienation, not disorder — and it established a template of protective tenancy law that recurs in the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908 and continues through the Fifth Schedule and PESA, 1996.

CIt transferred all Adivasi land to State ownership, removing private title from the region.

DIt was repealed after independence, protective tenancy having been held inconsistent with the right to property.

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HISTORYAnalysisHard

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the Santhal Hul: 1. Its causes included alienation of land to outsiders, indebtedness to moneylenders, oppressive revenue and police demands, and erosion of Santhal self-governance. 2. These grievances were rooted in the Company's settlement of Santhals in the Damin-i-Koh tract of the Rajmahal hills. 3. The rising was sustained for over three years before being suppressed in 1858, immediately after the revolt of 1857. Which of the statements given above are correct?

A1 only

B1 and 2 only

C2 and 3 only

D1, 2 and 3

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