Indigo Commission 1860
Topic: Peasant and Tribal Resistance under Company Rule · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Indigo Commission was set up by the government in 1860, during the Indigo Revolt in Bengal. In that revolt, peasants refused to grow indigo (a blue dye) for European planters. The commission looked into how the planters treated the peasants and found the system oppressive. After its report, the government said that ryots (peasants) could not be forced to grow indigo. This shows the authorities were forced to curb some of the worst abuses.
Example
In 1860 the commission heard evidence from peasants and others in Bengal. It found that planters had used force, including locking up peasants and destroying their property, to make them grow indigo.
Don't confuse with
- Deccan Riots Commission: set up after the Deccan Riots of 1875 to look into peasant debt and moneylenders. Its report went to the British Parliament in 1878.