Kuka movement
Also called: Namdhari movement · Topic: Peasant and Tribal Resistance under Company Rule · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Kuka movement is also called the Namdhari movement. It was a Sikh reform movement in Punjab, led by Baba Ram Singh from Bhaini Sahib. It asked Sikhs to live simply and give up harmful social customs. It also turned political. Followers were told to boycott British goods, schools and law courts. It matters as an early example of boycott used against British rule.
Example
In 1872, a band of Kukas attacked Malerkotla in Punjab. The British punished them harshly. Many Kukas were tied to cannons and blown up, and Baba Ram Singh was exiled to Rangoon in Burma.
Don't confuse with
- Kol Uprising: The names sound alike. But the Kol Uprising (1831–32) was a tribal rising of the Mundas and Oraons in Chota Nagpur, against land policies that favoured outsiders. The Kuka movement was a Sikh reform movement in Punjab.