1781 revolt in Bihar

Uprising against the British East India Company yes 1781 revolt in Bihar August – December 1781 Western and Southern Bihar British East India Company victory Suppression of revolt British East India Company Various zamindars and chiefs John Crawfurd Captain Powell Fateh Bahadur Sahi Raja Narain Singh Raja Akbar Ali Khan Unknown 20,000 under Fateh Bahadur Shahi 15,000 under Narain Singh 4,000 matchlock men under Akbar Ali The 1781 revolt in Bihar was an uprising by certain Zamindars and chieftains against the British East India Company in the Indian state of Bihar. The majority of the rebel zamindars were from South Bihar and were likely pushed to revolt due to the recurring droughts which hampered their revenue collections. Causes Ever since the British acquired Bihar after the Battle of Buxar, many of the zamindars had been causing troubles for the administration by withholding revenue or participating in looting. The British therefore had to take expeditions to bring them back under control. Among the zamindars causing disturbances prior to the revolt were Jugal Kishore of Bettiah Raj which was one of the largest estates in Bihar.Explaining Chait Singh's Revolt in Bihar (1781): The Role of the Refractory Bihar Zamindars Paramita Maharatna Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 68 2007 565-572 44147866 After the Battle of Buxar, JWF James noted that the zamindars had become "restless". Following Chait Singh's rebellion in 1781 in Varanasi, many of the zamindars in Bihar used this as an opportunity to regain their autonomy. This was seen as an attempt to take advantage of the sudden challenge to British power. The revolt The zamindar of Huseypur, Fateh Bahadur Sahi had prior to 1781, been waging a guerrilla warfare campaign against the East India Company after being deposed from his estate. Taking advantage of Chait Singh's revolt, he decided to increase the frequency of his raids and met the British forces in a pitched battle accompanied by 20,000 of his own men.Anand A. Yang Professor and Chair and Professor Golub Professor of International Studies Anand A Yang The Limited Raj: Agrarian Relations in Colonial India, Saran District, 1793-1920 https://books.google.com/books?id=Ck4jmD7H34UC&pg=PA67 1 January 1989 University of California Press 978-0-520-05711-1 63–68 However his forces were eventually routed and he was killed in battle. The zamindar of Seris-Kutumba in Aurangabad, Raja Narain Singh, had also had a tradition of rebelling and joined Fateh Sahi's revolt.Anand A. Yang Bazaar India: Markets, Society, and the Colonial State in Bihar https://books.google.com/books?id=D5lQutvzAp4C&pg=PA67 1 February 1999 University of California Press 978-0-520-91996-9 67 He had been remiss in providing his revenue payments. He had gathered a force of 15,000 soldiers and joined with allies of Chait Singh including Bachu Singh.Repercussions in Bihar of the Rebellion of Chait Singh of Banaras Nagendra Prasad Verma Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 66 2005 845-851 44145897 His rebellion was swiftly put down by John Crawfurd and he was jailed. He was restored to his "forfeited" zamindari in 1790 after his release. He had assisted other zamindars with resources and was in secret correspondence with others in an attempt to stir up anti-British sentiment before his arrest. Raja Akbar Ali of the Mayi clan who controlled the Narhat and Samoy estates in modern-day Gaya district also took part in the rebellion. He had previously been arrested in Patna for owing large unpaid revenue to the British.Tahir Hussain Ansari Mughal Administration and the Zamindars of Bihar https://books.google.com/books?id=kUueDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT298 20 June 2019 Taylor & Francis 978-1-00-065152-2 298–299Gyan Prakash Bonded Histories: Genealogies of Labor Servitude in Colonial India https://books.google.com/books?id=MQFvks7lahoC&pg=PA88 30 October 2003 Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-52658-6 88–89 His estate had been badly affected by the Great Bengal famine of 1770. Akbar Ali likely viewed revolt as the best method of escaping the payment of his arrears. He was able to raise a body of 4000 matchlock men and they murdered a servant of the company by the name of Hotchiss. This was followed by a period of plundering in the region however he was forced to retreat by the EIC's Captain Powell. He also laid waste to neighbouring zamindaris but eventually, he was forced to flee to Delhi and his zamindari was confiscated. Aftermath The British were able to put down the revolt without too much trouble given the disorganised approach of the rebels.Patrick J. N. Tuck Warfare, Expansion and Resistance https://books.google.com/books?id=MU-Ste-h1vMC&pg=PA65 1998 Taylor & Francis 978-0-415-15523-6 65–66 In the aftermath, the British were able to reassert their control of the region and install loyal zamindars in place of the ones that had been deposed. These new zamindars could be relied upon to provide revenue when required. The revolt itself, however, could be seen as a signal of the discontent in Bihar towards the British that later reemerged in the 1857 Rebellion. See also Indian rebellion of 1857 References Category:1781 in the British Empire Category:Military history of the British East India Company Category:Rebellions in India Category:History of Bihar