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The Deccan Riots of 1875

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2011

Ravinder Kumar
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Extract

The Deccan Riots of 1875 highlight the social transformations brought about in rural Maharashtra in western India during the first five decades of British rule. The riots are of special interest to the social historian since they hinged upon relations between two important and well defined rural social groups, namely, the cultivators and the moneylenders. This paper will focus on the social changes which precipitated this conflict. I shall also attempt to link these changes with the social ideals and the political objectives which inspired the new rulers of Maharashtra and determined their administrative policy.

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Articles
Information
The Journal of Asian Studies , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , August 1965 , pp. 613 - 635
Copyright
Copyright © The Association for Asian Studies, Inc. 1965

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References

Glossary: Advaita—a monistic philosophy propounded by Shankaracharya, an eighth century religious teacher, which has left a profound impact on the Hindu religion. Kunbi—the marathi term for a peasant. Vani—a village moneylender. (Also Bania, or Marwari). Sowcar—a financier in an urban setting. Bullotedars—the marathi term for village artisans like carpenters, potters, blacksmiths, etc. Talufa—a territorial unit, several of which comprise a district, presided over by a mamlatdar or native revenue officer. Mamlatdar—a native revenue officer who presides over a taluka. Khata—an account book. Kulkarni—a village accountant. Deshmukh—a landed aristocrat. Jowri—barley. Seer—a unit of weight, approximately twice the mass of the English pound.

1 Coats, T., “Account of the Present State of the Township of Lony,” Transactions of the Literary Society of Bombay, III (London, 1823), 183–250.Google Scholar Of the 84 peasant households in Lony, 79 were indebted to the six vanis who lived in the village. While the total owed by these 79 households was Rs. 14, 532, it was divided into small loans ranging from Rs. 50 to 200.

2 Arbuthnot, R. K. to Bombay Government, 23 September, 1826, Bombay State ArchivesGoogle Scholar (hereinafter cited as BA), Revenue Department (hereinafter cited as RD), 1827, Vol. 43/196.

3 Petition signed by 7,215 ryots of Thana to the Bombay Government, dated 27 July, 1840, BA, RD (1840), Vol. 110/1194.

4 Petition of 27 July, 1840.

5 B. Frere, Assistant Collector of Poona, to P. Stewart, Collector of Poona, 2 July, 1840, BA, RD (1840), Vol. 1664.

6 M. Rose, Assistant Collector of Poona, to P. Stewart, Collector of Poona, 15 July, 1840, BA, RD (1844), Vol. 1664.

7 R. K. Pringle, Collector of Kandesh, to Bombay Government, 17 July, 1840, BA, RD (1844), Vol. 1664.

8 B. Frere, Assistant Collector of Poona, to P. Stewart, Collector of Poona, 2 July, 1840, BA, RD (1844), Vol. 1664.

9 Letter from the Collector of Ahmednagar, dated 30 October, 1840, BA, RD (1844), Vol. 1664.

10 B. Frerc, Assistant Collector of Poona, to P. Stewart, Collector of Poona, 2 July, 1840, BA, RD (1844), Vol. 1664.

11 Report of the Deccan Riots Commission (Bombay, 1876), II, Appendix C, 66–69.Google Scholar

12 Report.

13 Report.

14 Report.

15 Francis, J., “Report on the taluka of Indapur,” dated 12 February, 1867, Selections from the Recordi of the Bombay GovernmentGoogle Scholar, New Series, No. 151, (hereinafter cited as Francis' Report).

16 Memorandum dated 12 February, 1869, Selections from the Records of the Bombay Government, New Series, No. 151.

17 Francis' Report.

18 Francis' Report.

19 Francis' Report.

20 Francis' Report.

21 Petition from the ryots of Kullum to the Bombay Government, dated 5 October, 1874, BA, RD (1874), Vol. 96.

22 Petition from the ryots of Indapur to the Bombay Government, dated 15 February, 1875, BA, RD (1875), Vol. 96.

23 Petition of 29 July, 1873.

24 Petition of 29 July, 1873.

25 Petition from the ryots of Indapur to the Bombay Government, dated 15 February, 1875, BA, RD (1875), Vol. 106.

26 Colvin, A., Memorandum dated 8 November, 1875, Report of the Deccan Riots CommissionGoogle Scholar, Vol. I.

27 A. Colvin, Memorandum.

28 Havelock, W. H., Memorandum dated 20 April, 1874, BA, RD (1874), Vol. 97.Google Scholar

29 Memorandum on the founding of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, unpubl. collections of Bombay State Committee for a History of the Freedom Movement in India.

30 V. M. Potdar, an article on the history of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, unpubl. collections of Bombay State Committee for a History of Freedom Movement.

31 The author has been unable to trace the report presented by the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha to the Bombay Government. This inadequate precis of the report is taken from extensive quotations from it in a despatch to the Secretary of State for India by the Bombay Government, dated 27 December, 1875, BA, RD (1875), Vol. 44A.

32 Wingate, A., Collector of Satara, to Bombay Government, 3 October, 1874, BA,Google Scholar RD (1875), Vol. 44B, Part 2.

33 Wingate to Bombay Government, 3 October, 1874.

34 Boswell, H. B., Collector of Ahmednagar, to Bombay Government, 28 August, 1874, BAGoogle Scholar, RD (1875), Vol. 44B.

35 Despatch to Secretary of State for India, dated 27 December, 1875, BAGoogle Scholar, RD (1875), Vol. 44B, Part 2.

36 Waddington, W., Letter dated 18 April, 1874, BAGoogle Scholar, RD (1874), Vol. 104.

37 Letter from the Collector of Sholapur, dated 3 December, 1873, BA, RD (1874), Vol. 97.

38 Letter from die Collector of Poona to Bombay Government, dated 14 December, 1873, BA, RD (1874), Vol. 97.

39 Havelock, H. D., Letter to die Collector of Poona, dated 26 December, 1873, BAGoogle Scholar, RD (1874), Vol. 97.

40 Letter from the Collector of Poona, dated 13 May, 1874, BA, RD (1874), Vol. 97. See also Minutes of a departmental conference held in Poona on April 14, 1874, BA, RD (1874), Vol. 97.

41 Resolution by the Bombay Government, dated 29 October, 1874, BA, RD (1874), Vol. 97.

42 Resolution of 29 October, 1874.

43 Substance of a sama patra by the villagers of Kallas in the taluka of Indapur, dated 7 May, 1875, Report of the Deccan Riots Commission, Vol. II.

44 Letter from the villagers of Kallas to tie villagers of Akola, dated 15 May, 1875, Report of the Deccan Riots Commission, Vol. II.

45 Report of the Deccan Riots Commission, Vol. I, para. 15.