Pagal Panthi, a semi-religious organisation composed primarily of the Hajong and Garo tribes of Mymensingh district (formerly in Bengal) founded by Karam Shah. The order, which adhered to a syncretic mixture of Hinduism, Sufism, and Animism, sought to uphold religious principles and the rights of landless peasants in Bengal; under Tipu Shah’s leadership, the movement quickly evolved into a popular, armed struggle against the British Raj and the zamindar (landlord) system.
The Pagal Panthis – Background
- The Pagal Panthis were a religious movement that arose in the northern Mymensingh and Sherpur District areas of Bengal’s province.
- Unlike the rest of Bengal, the region was mostly populated by tribal peoples such as the Garos, Hajangs, Dalus, and Hodis, who practised Animism and tribal beliefs.
- The region was religiously harmonious and provided as a platform for religious reform groups such as the Pagal Panthis, an order created by Karim Shah and other pupils of the Muslim fakir Majnu Shah, the leader of the Madariya Sufi order.
- Following Karim Shah’s death in 1813, the order was commanded by his son Tipu Shah.
The Pagal Panthis – Peasant Movement
- Majnu Shah, the patron-saint of the Pagal Panthis, was well-known for instigating revolts against the British East India Company, which had taken control of Bengal and, eventually, most of India.
- Tipu Shah concentrated the order on organising peasants in rebellions against onerous taxes and rules enforced by zamindars (landlords) and the British.
- The territory had been ravaged by the fighting between British and Burmese soldiers.
- To cover the costs of the war, the Company and the landlords levied punitive taxes on the region’s peasants.
- Forced collection and takeover of property heightened peasant dissatisfaction and instability.
- The Pagal Panthis attempted to protect and defend peasants from landowner militias and the Company’s military forces.
- Tipu Shah established his reign in the name of Allah, basing his men in a mud fort near Sherpur, and seized the religious and political leadership of the community.
- People in the region avoided paying British taxes and instead followed Tipu Shah’s instructions.
- Despite the fact that Tipu Shah and his aides were arrested and convicted in 1833, the government eventually granted many of the peasant requests, including decreasing the rent rate and other levies.
- Compromises and agreements reached between the landlords, the Company, and the peasants aided in the restoration of peace and order in the northern Mymensingh district.
- Following Tipu Shah’s death in 1852, the order was led by Janku and Dobraj Pathor, who organized yet another peasant resistance movement against landowners and British authorities.
- Under the leadership of the Pathors, an armed party of Pagal Panthis marched into Sherpur town, stole government offices, and overcame officials, landlords, and police, forcing them to escape to Mymensingh.
- The rebels declared themselves masters of the town and neighboring territories and maintained power for over two years.
- Negotiations and agreements between the rebels and the British aided in the formation of peace and more concessions to the peasant cause.
- To safeguard these peasants, the government enacted an equitable agreement, but the movement was severely quashed.
Conclusion
Pagal Panthis were a blend of Hinduism, Sufism, and Animism that became popular in Bengal in the early nineteenth century. Karam Shah created the group, and his son Tipu Shah led these people to defend peasant religion and rights in Bengal. He took Sherpur in 1825 after standing up to the Zamindars’ and British’s harsh levies and rules. For more than two decades, the rebels have been causing havoc in the area. Although Tipu Shah died in 1852, the resistance effort continued.
