Bijolia movement
Topic: The National Movement: Gandhian Era · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Bijolia movement was a long peasant movement in the Bijolia estate of Mewar, in Rajasthan. It began in 1897. Peasants protested against heavy cesses (extra charges on land and crops) and begar, which means forced, unpaid labour. It was one of the earliest and longest peasant struggles in the princely states. Later it fed into the wider Praja Mandal movements for people's rights.
Example
From about 1916, Vijay Singh Pathik led the Bijolia peasants for years. Under him, they refused to pay unjust dues and organised against the estate's demands. The movement also drew the attention of national leaders.
Don't confuse with
- Bardoli satyagraha (1928): a short, successful campaign in Gujarat, British India, led by Patel against a rise in land revenue. Bijolia was in a princely state and lasted for decades.
Related concepts
- Gandhi as Mahatma
- Shahid Amin
- Gandhi's dhoti and loincloth
- Charkha
- Khadi
- Linguistic Pradesh Congress Committees
- Praja Mandal
- All India States Peoples Conference
- Abul Kalam Azad
- C. Rajagopalachari