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• When the Santhal were settling, the Paharias resisted but were ultimately forced
to withdraw deeper into hills. It impoverished the Paharias in the long term.
• Santhals now lived a settled life, cultivated a range of commerical crops for market
and dealt with traders,’moneylenders. But state was taxing them heavily,
moneylenders (dikus) were charging high interest rate and taking over their land
when debts remained unpaid and zamindars were asserting control over their
land. Later due to problems, Santhal revolted in year 1855-1856, and to pacify
them, Britishers carved out new areas for the Santhals and imposed some special
laws within it.

The Revolt in Bombay Deccan:

• One of the way to explore what was happening in the area of Bombay Deccan is
to focus on the revolt of that area. Rebels expressed their anger and fury.
• Revolt provide information about life of peasant, event associated with revolt,
suppress or control of the revolt. Enquiries about the revolt produced result that
can be explored by Historians.
• Through the nineteenth century, peasants in various parts of India rose in revolt
against money lenders and grain dealers, e.g. the revolt occurred in 1875 in the
Deccan.
• A movement began at Supa Village in Poona in 1895, where ryots from
surrounding rural areas gathered and attacked the Shopkeepers and demanded
their bahi khatas (account book) and debt bonds. Ryots burnt the Khatas, looted
shop and in few instances burnt the house of Sahukars.
• Later revolt spread from Pune to Ahmednagar and even further terrified Sahukars
fled the village leaving behind their property and belonging.
• British officials controlled these revolts, they established police post in villages and
arrested people and convicted them.

A New Revenue System Started:

• In the 19th century, the British company was keen to expand its financial
resources in its annexed territories through other temporary revenue settlement
policies.
• This was so, because after 1810, the agricultural prices rose and enlarged the
income of the Bengal zamindars but not the company. This was due to the
Permanent Settlement policy in which the revenue demand was fixed and could
not be hiked. Therefore to expand its revenue source, company started to
introduce temporary settlement.
• Policies of officials were also shaped by the economic theories they are familiar
with. In 1820’s, officials were under influence of Ricardian ideas. David Ricardo
was a celebrated Economist in England.
• Ricardian idea states that landowner should claim only to average rent and when
there is surplus, state should tax that surplus. He further says if tax will not be
levied cultivators will likely to turn into rentiers and surplus income will not be
productively invested in improvement of land.