Bhil Revolts

The Bhil Revolts (1818–1913) constitute one of the longest, most resilient phases of indigenous resistance in modern Indian history. The Bhils, a prominent adivasi community inhabiting the rugged terrains of the Western Ghats, the Vindhyas, and the Satpura ranges across the princely states of Khandesh, Gujarat, Malwa, and southern Rajasthan (including Mewar, Banswara, Dungarpur, and Pratapgarh), rose against the systemic structural changes introduced by the British East India Company and the subsequent British Raj. The uprisings spanned nearly a century, transitioning from early defensive anti-annexation guerilla warfare to a sophisticated socio-religious and political mobilization for tribal sovereignty in the early 20th century.

Structural and Economic Triggers

Aggressive British Annexation and Treaty Demands

Following the defeat of the Marathas and the Pindaris in the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818), the British East India Company took administrative control of the Khandesh region and entered into subordinate alliance treaties with the princely states of Rajasthan. The British instantly dismantled the traditional autonomous status of the Bhil tracts, imposing direct colonial sovereignty.

Abolition of Customary Transit Duties

The Bhils traditionally collected transit duties known as Bolai (protection tax for travelers passing through hills) and Rakhwali (security tax paid by plains villages). The British declared these taxes illegal, establishing a state monopoly over trade routes and eliminating the primary source of tribal income.

Oppressive Agrarian Settlements and Devasthan Policies

Colonial revenue systems forced the Bhils into settled agriculture, imposing steep land taxes payable exclusively in cash. Furthermore, the state appropriated traditional temple lands (Devasthan) and community pastures, converting common property resources into alienable private property.

Disruption of Livelihoods via Forest and Abkari Laws

The implementation of early forest restrictions and the British Abkari (Excise) policies severely impacted the Bhils. The state banned the traditional brewing of Mahua liquor and criminalized Chhimata (shifting cultivation on hill slopes) and Dahiya (slash-and-burn agriculture in plains), reducing the independent tribal peasantry to bonded laborers.

Chronology and Phased Evolution of the Revolts

The Bhil resistance unfolded in distinct phases, each marked by differing leadership dynamics, geographical focal points, and tactical adjustments.

Early Imperial Phase (1818–1831)

Sparked by the immediate entry of Company troops under Captain Briggs into Khandesh. The Bhils, led by local chiefs like Dasar, Roop Singh, and Sheikh Dullah, formed armed bands and blockaded mountain passes. The British responded with a scorched-earth policy, burning tribal hamlets to enforce submission.

The Outbreak of 1846 and 1857

In 1846, Kuwar Jiva Vasavo led a major uprising in Gujarat aimed at establishing a Bhil Raj. During the Revolt of 1857, Bhagoji Naik and Kajar Singh mobilized thousands of Bhils in the Satpura and Ajanta ranges. They successfully plundered British treasuries at Sindwa and captured strategic communication lines before being suppressed by the Bombay Native Infantry.

The Messianic and Regenerative Phase (1881–1913)

This phase shifted the movement from defensive tribal warfare to mass ideological mobilization. The tribals resisted the Mewar state census operations of 1881 and the state forest settlement rules, culminating in the powerful Mangarh Hill movement for autonomous self-rule.

Key Leadership Matrix

The Bhil revolts featured a transition from traditional military chiefs to charismatic socio-religious reformers.

The Bhagat Movement and Govind Guru’s Ideology

The final and most organized manifestation of the Bhil movement was the Bhagat Movement, conceptualized by Govind Guru (born in a Banjara family in Bedsa village, Dungarpur). Influenced by Dayanand Saraswati’s socio-religious ideas, Govind Guru used internal social reform as a tool for political emancipation.

The Foundation of Samp Sabha (1883)

Govind Guru founded the Samp Sabha (Fraternal Association) to forge political unity among the scattered Bhil clans. The Sabha promoted temperance, the abolition of bonded labor, the resolution of internal disputes via tribal panchayats, and the boycott of British courts and schools.

The Cult of Bhagatism

Followers, known as Bhagats, adopted monotheism, vegetarianism, and regular fire rituals (Havan). Every Bhagat village hoisted a white flag (Nishan), which symbolized purity, tribal solidarity, and resistance to colonial feudal oppression.

The Mangarh Hill Massacre (1913)

The growing popularity of the Samp Sabha alarmed the rulers of Banswara, Santrampur, and Dungarpur, who feared the imminent declaration of an independent “Bhil Raj.” In October 1913, Govind Guru summoned his followers to assemble at Mangarh Hill on the border of Rajasthan and Gujarat for a massive religious gathering. On November 17, 1913, British troops, comprising the Mewar Bhil Corps (MBC) and units of the British Indian Army, surrounded Mangarh Hill. They deployed heavy machine guns and artillery against the peaceful gathering. Over 1,500 Bhil tribals were killed in the indiscriminate firing. Govind Guru was captured, tried for treason, and sentenced to life imprisonment, effectively suppressing the armed phase of the movement.

Colonial Tactical Interventions and Administrative Impacts

Raising of the Mewar Bhil Corps (1841)

Recognizing the near-impossible task of defeating Bhil guerillas in the dense terrain using standard European infantry, the British raised a specialized paramilitary unit called the Mewar Bhil Corps (MBC) in 1841, headquartered at Kherwara (Udaipur). The British recruited local Bhils into the state military structure to divide tribal loyalties and use native terrain knowledge against dissident clans.

Implementation of the Bhil Agency System

The British established specialized “Bhil Agencies” in Khandesh and Central India. Outposts were placed under dedicated British officers who combined administrative conciliation, minimal judicial interference, and grain distributions during famines to pacify restive tracts.

Legal Exemptions from General Forest Codes

The prolonged unrest forced princely states, under British advice, to grant concessionary forest rights to the Bhils. These concessions permitted restricted grazing, shifting cultivation within specified zones, and free access to minor forest produce like mahua and timber for domestic use.

Key Historical Trivia for UPSC Prelims

Jallianwala Bagh of the West

The Mangarh Hill Massacre of November 17, 1913, occurred six years prior to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) and claimed a higher number of casualties, earning it the historical sobnomen “The Tribal Jallianwala Bagh.”

Outlawing of the Witch-Hunting Custom (Dakan Pratha)

British political agents used the containment of Bhil revolts to reform local customs. In 1853, the Mewar State, pressured by the Mewar Bhil Corps administration, officially outlawed Dakan Pratha (the practice of branding tribal women as witches and executing them), which had been a frequent source of internal violence and British intervention.

The Slogan of Moto Bhupat

During the 1881 anti-census riots against the Maharana of Mewar, the Bhils coined the slogan “Moto Bhupat Kotda No” (The sovereign ruler is the lord of the hills), explicitly rejecting the revenue, census, and territorial claims of both the British Raj and the Rajput kingdoms.