2022-04-08 Fri

Sido and Kahnu Murmu were rebellious from present-day Jharkhand and Bengal (Purulia and Bankura) in eastern India. They were the leaders of the Santhal rebellion; they both fought against the British colonial authority and the corrupt Zamindari System.

The Santhals are a tribe belonging to the Munda ethnic group. They live in the forest, and their life depends on the forest. In 1832; the British government terminated the Damin-i-Koh region in present-day Jharkhand and invited Santhals to settle in the region. The British government invited them with the promise of land. Large numbers of Santhals came to settle from Cuttack, Dhalbhum, Manbhum, Hazaribagh, Midnapore, etc. When Mahajan and Zamindars; tax-collecting intermediaries of the British government dominated the economy. Many Santhals became a victim of corrupt money lending practices.

Sido and Kahnu Murmu, declare rebellion against the British government. They did have some success in their rebellious activities, but soon they got trapped in British government strategies. Both Sido and Kanhu Murmu lost their battles, but this step brought a great change in colonial rule and policy. The day is still celebrated among the Santal community.

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