Why in News?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about Hul Diwas, remembering the sacrifice of Adivasis in their fight against British colonial authorities.

Context: 
Who were Santhals?
The Santhals are a tribal community that lives in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha. They communicate in Santhali and idolize their own deities. Santhals lived in the region’s dense forests and hunted until the 18th century. But even so, distant political events had a considerable influence on their daily lives.
The Santhal rebellion or ‘Hul’ – literally, revolution – began in 1855, two years before the the uprising of 1857, which is often referred to as “The first war for Indian independence”.
 
Santhal Rebellion:  
The Santhal Rebellion, also known as Santhal Hool, was a revolt by the Santhal tribal people against the British East India Company’s oppressive zamindari system in Bengal Presidency. The rebellion took place on 30 June 1855 and was led by four Murmu Brothers – Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand, and Bhairav.

Background:  
·         Lord Cornwallis established the Permanent Settlement in a few regions of the country, including Bihar, Bengal, and Orissa, in 1793.
·         Landlords had permanent and hereditary control of the land under the permanent revenue system till they paid a set revenue to the British.
·         In case the peasants were unable to provide their rent, the British would auction off large tracts of Santhal land to anyone willing to pay a fixed amount in revenue, and many of the tribal lands were sold.
·         The Santhal lost ownership over the land during this process, and their long-standing tribal network and political layouts ended.
·         The Santhals were a tribal people who lived in the Rajmahal hills’ forest. The East India Company separated the Damin-i-Koh from the portion of Jharkhand in 1832 and handed it to the Santhals in exchange for a promise not to interfere in their land.
·         However, as time passed and the Britishers’ demand increased, the charges to the Santhals skyrocketed.
·         Finally, the Santhals found themselves in a position where their only option was to revolt against the British and the Zamindars.
·         Another reason for the Santhal rebellion to take place was because of the fact that the Santhals used the barter system. They had difficulty paying money to the zamindars, forcing them to borrow money by asking the moneylenders, which would come at exorbitant interest rates, trapping them in a never-ending cycle.
·         The only way out of this vicious circle and to save the Santhals’ identity was to stand against British policies.

Leaders of Santhal Rebellion:  
The leaders of the Santhal Rebellion were Kanhu, Sidhu, Bhairav and Chand including Jhano and Phulo who were their two sisters. The Santhal Rebellion took place in the area now called Jharkhand. During British rule, various parts of the land owned by the Santhal tribe were lost. Due to this reason, the Santhals started a revolt against the British East India Company.
The Santhal Revolt began on 30th June 1855 with the members of the Santhal tribe forming their own groups. These war groups were composed of all villagers, farmers and women as well. The Santhal Rebellion was successful to some extent as the Santhals were able to grab good parts of land such as the Bhagalpur district, Birbhum and Rajmahal Hills.

Causes of Santhal Rebellion:  
·         One of the major causes of the Santhal Rebellion is largely understood as the Permanent Settlement tax system which was introduced by the British government in some of the regions such as Bihar, Orissa and Bengal. 
·         Under this system, the British government started putting a particular section of land on auction if the peasants were unable to pay the rent. This instigated the Santhal Rebellion.
·         The original landlords during the time of the Santhal Revolt could own the land as long as they paid a particular amount to the government.
·         Gradually, the tax amount also increased to a great extent which left the Santhals with no choice but to revolt against the British government. The revolt came to be known as Santhal Revolt.
·         Another cause of the Santhal Rebellion was the ‘barter system’ in which the tribal people were facing issues in returning the payment in the form of cash.

Significance of Santhal Rebellion:  
·         The major significance of the Santhal Rebellion was that it threw light on the complicated Zamindari system introduced by the East India Company. 
·         It was because of the revolt that the harsh reality of the Zamindari system was brought to light.
·         The Santhal Rebellion was also significant as it exposed the cruelty of the lenders who exploited the ignorant Santhal tribals and demanded extremely high-interest rates on the loans they provided to them.

Impact of Santhal Rebellion:  
Neagative Impact:
·         The Santhal Rebellion led to the killing of the two most eminent leaders, Kanhu and Sidhu. 
·         The homes of the tribal people were vandalised and destroyed by war elephants which were provided by the Nawab of Murshidabad. 
·         Almost 15000 people lost their lives, several villages were wrecked and people were forced to leave their homes.
·         The Santhals were suppressed, and the movement ended in 1856.

Positive Impact:  
·         Apart from all the negative impact of the Santhal Rebellion, a positive outcome of the revolt was that it gave some encouragement to the weak sections of the society such as the peasants and farmers. 
·         They could muster up the courage to stand up against the British government. 
·         The Santhal Revolt created a pathway for the upcoming Revolt of 1857.
  
·         Historical Significance:
The rebellion is considered a turning point in the evolution of the modern Santhali identity and resistance against oppression.  
It also led to the British government passing the Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act in 1876,  
which offered some protection for tribals against exploitation.

Mains Question:
Q: Santhal Rebellion remains a watershed moment in the evolution of the not just modern Santhali identity but also resistance against Colonial oppression- Analyse.