The Ho and Munda Uprisings were organized by the Raja of Parahat. He organized his Ho tribals to revolt against Singhbhum’s occupation (now in Jharkhand). The rebellion lasted until 1827 when the Ho tribes were compelled to succumb. Later that year, in 1831, they organized another insurrection, this time with the help of the Mundas of Chotanagpur.
Ho and Munda Uprisings – Background
- The Proto-Munda language was spoken by the inhabitants of Chota Nagpur.
- Linguists have traced several phrases in Indo-Aryan languages that refer to the use of cotton, navigation, digging, sticks, and so on back to the Munda languages.
- The Chota Nagpur Plateau contains various Munda enclaves where traces of Munda culture may still be found.
- The Raja of Parahat organized his Ho tribals to revolt against Singhbhum’s occupation.
- The rebellion lasted until 1827 when the Ho tribes were compelled to succumb.
- Later, in 1831, they organized another rebellion, this time joined by the Mundas of Chotanagpur, to protest the newly implemented farming revenue policy and the entry of Bengalis into their region.
- Despite the fact that the revolt was put down in 1832, the Ho operations continued until 1837.
Ho and Munda Uprising
- Chota Nagpur was surrendered to the British East India Company in 1765 as part of the provinces of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
- The Raja of Singhbhum requested protection from the British Resident in Midnapore in 1767, but it wasn’t until 1820 that he recognized himself as a feudatory of the British.
- The restless Hos quickly abandoned the pact and joined the Mundas in a ferocious insurrection known as the Kol uprising, which lasted from 1831 to 1833.
- The persecution of Adivasis by non-Adivasi thekedars (literally meaning contractors) or rent farmers was the direct cause of the Kol revolt.
- The Hos and Mundas were joined by the Kurukh, and many dikku (non-Adivasis or foreigners) landowners’ houses were burned down, killing a lot of people.
- It forced the British to acknowledge the need for the complete subjugation of the Hos.
- Several hundred British forces put down the revolt with much difficulty. While local forces put down the insurgency, another detachment commanded by Colonel Richards invaded Singhbhum in November 1836.
- All of the ringleaders surrendered within three months. In 1857, the Raja of Parahat rose in rebellion, and a sizable number of Hos joined him.
- Troops were dispatched, and the unrest was put to an end by 1859.
Ho People
- The Ho people of India are an Austroasiatic Munda ethnic group.
- They are known as the Ho, Hodoko, and Horo, which translate to “humans” in their native tongue.
- Officially, they are divided into subgroups such as Kolha, Mundari, Munda, Kol, and Kolah in Odisha. They are largely found in Jharkhand and Odisha.
- The ethnonym “Ho” is derived from the Ho language word h, which means “human.”
- The term is also attributed to their language, which is an Austroasiatic language related to Mundari.
- The Ho, like other Austroasiatic communities in the region, describe varying degrees of multilingualism, including the use of Hindi and English. Sarnaism is the indigenous religion of the Ho.
- The bulk of the Ho work is in agriculture, either as landowners or laborers, although some work in mining.
- In comparison to the rest of India, the Ho has a low literacy rate and a low percentage of school attendance.
- Jharkhand’s government recently authorized initiatives to promote child enrolment and literacy.
Conclusion
The Ho and Munda uprisings were both violent. The Raja of Parahat rallied his Ho tribals to oppose Singhbhum’s takeover (now in Jharkhand). The Ho tribes were forced to surrender after the uprising lasted until 1827. Later that year, in 1831, they staged another insurgency, this time with the assistance of the Mundas of Chotanagpur.
