Topic: peasant revolts
Q2. How did the character of peasant resistance change between the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries? Illustrate with suitable movements. (10 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: InsightsIAS
Why the question
Understanding of how colonial-era peasant resistance evolved from local and issue-specific protests into organised movements connected with Indian nationalism.
Key demand of the question
Trace the changing character of peasant resistance between the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Support the comparison with suitable movements from both periods.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction
Briefly introduce colonial agrarian exploitation as the common foundation of peasant resistance while indicating that its organisation, methods and wider political connections changed over time.
Body
- Character during the nineteenth century: Show how resistance was largely localised and centred on immediate agrarian grievances, while acknowledging the emergence of collective organisation in certain movements.
- Changes in the early twentieth century: Indicate the growth of structured leadership and broader agrarian demands, along with increasing connections between peasant mobilisation and the national movement.
- Illustration through movements: Use carefully selected movements from both periods to demonstrate the transition without converting the answer into a mere chronological narration.
Conclusion
Conclude that the transformation was gradual rather than absolute, but it enabled the peasantry to emerge as an important organised force within the wider freedom struggle.
