The revolt of 1859 was a movement of peasants and farmers against the British planters who forced them to cultivate indigo instead of other crops on their land. Most of the indigo of Bengal was grown under a method called ryoti. Indian farmers called ryots were frequently being oppressed to cultivate more crops. For this reason, the 1859 revolt took place in India. 

What is the 1859 revolt?

The revolt of 1859 was the next step that was taken by the Indians after the 1857 revolt. In the year 1859, peasant farmers of Bengal who cultivated indigo in the northeastern part of India declared war against the British who ruled the industry. Their extensive violent insurrection is popularly known as the 1859 revolt. In the 18th century, the British industry of indigo was extortionate. 

Background of 1859 revolt

• The 1859 revolt was the next big step that was taken by the peasant farmers of Bengal. It took place concomitantly with the 1857 revolt. 
• This 1859 revolt was attended by uncountable numbers of farmers, zamindars, and peasants. 
• The supplies of indigo from the American continent started to wane. For this reason, the British East India Company fostered the development of the indigo industry in the region of Bihar and Bengal. 
• The British-controlled industry of indigo was oppressive. Most of the indigo of Bengal was cultivated under the system of ryoti.
• During the time of 1859, Indian farmers, peasants were forced to produce more crops by the British. 
• At that time, a farmer was forced by the British to sign for a contract to cultivate indigo in a particular part of his land. 
• At the time of the 18th century, the cotton textile industry of the United Kingdom spread radically. Since the industry significantly expanded, the demand for indigo increased vastly. 

Significance of 1859 revolt

The techniques of peasants against the British indigo planters were not similar. The revolt that started in Gobindapur and Chaugacha was a conflict of armed equipment against the Britishers. Later this revolt became non-violent and passive. Due to the non-violent and passive nature of the revolt, this was a major success for the peasant farmers. 

Features of the revolt 

• The Indian farmers were forced by the British indigo planters to grow indigo on their lands under the system of ryoti.
• British indigo planters offered the farmers money at much higher interest rates to oppress the farmers into contracts.
• The farmers known as ryots were persecuted to sign contracts for mandatory cultivation of indigo, which was later bought at a much lower market value. 
• The tactics of social boycotts were appointed to force the assistants and the plant workers to cease them. 
• Sisir Kumar Ghosh promoted and reported the plight of the farmers as the oppression of British indigo planters was revealed.  

The course of the 1859 revolt

The beginning

• In the year of 1859, the revolt of 1859 started.
• The ryots known as farmers were motivated to participate because they trusted that all the local zamindars would be encouraged.
• Most of the local zamindars started to hate the fact that indigo plants became more potent. In addition to that, Indian indigo farmers started to think that, if farmers started the revolt, the British government would not support the planters. 

Expansion of the revolt

• The insurgency earlier started in the form of non-violent attacks. Farmers of the village of Nadia, Bengal started to refuse the cultivation of indigo for the British planters.
• Later the movement of this revolt expanded speedily across the different native districts of Bengal. This time the insurgency was violent.
• The farmers of Bengal assaulted the employees and planters of the indigo factories having weapons like swords, arrows, bricks, spears. 
• The indigo plants were set on fire and the harvest of indigo extirpated.

Violence in 1859 revolt

• The violence level of the 1859 revolt is a point of an altercation.
• According to a few historians, the nature of the 1859 revolt was majorly believed to be non-violent and it followed the course of Satyagrah, a movement by Gandhi. Although brutal suppression of the 1859 revolt by zamindars, planters, and police resulted in violence. 
• The British planters deployed forces such as illegal imprisonment, kidnapping, attacks on children, women, demolition of houses, looting, and devastation of crops with the help of armed equipment. 

1859 revolt consequences

• During the years 1857 and 1858, the British government faced the mutiny of Indian farmers. Since then, the British government always sought to resist the further insurgency. For the appeasement of the Indian indigo farmers, a local magistrate of the UK narrated that they could select which harvests to cultivate for themselves. 
• The British government passed legislation in the year 1860 to oblige the completion of contracts regarding indigo for an entire season. 
• Along with this legislation, an indigo commission was established to supervise the indigo system of Bengal. 
• After the revolt of 1859, the indigo industry of Bengal was quickly collapsing. At that time, different British Planters moved to Bihar. 

  Conclusion

  The revolt of 1959 was an important topic in Indian history. For a proper understanding of this topic, one must go through all the information about the revolt of 1859. In this study, the overview of the 1859 revolt has been discussed based on the background, significance, features, course, violence, and consequences of the revolt.