Birsa Munda or Bhagwan Birsa Munda is the name that stands tall among those who worked for the freedom of the motherland against the oppressive British Raj. As India celebrates Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, November 15 reminds us of the birth of the icon who belonged to the Munda tribe. Birsa Munda spearheaded a tribal religious millenarian movement that arose in the Bengal Presidency (now Jharkhand) in the late 19th century, thereby making him a significant figure in the history of the Indian Independence Movement.
Who was Birsa Munda?
Birsa Munda also known as Bhagwan Birsa Munda was born on November 15, 1875. During the British rule in India, Birsa Munda led an Indian tribal religious movement across the tribal belt of modern-day Bihar and Jharkhand.
Birsa Munda joined the German Mission School and had converted to Christianity on the recommendation of his teacher Jaipal Nag. Munda was renamed Birsa David. However, after studying there for a few years, he left the German Mission School.
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Birsa Munda behind the revival of tribal culture
Birsa Munda has been credited for reviving the traditional tribal culture which was most negatively affected by the Christianity missionary works. Many tribals had already converted to Christianity. Munda opposed the church as well as its practices such as religious conversions and levying of taxes.
Eventually, Bhagwan Birsa Munda himself became a preacher and a representative of their tribal religion. He built up a reputation as a healer, a preacher, and a miracle worker. Birsa Munda also started to advise tribal people to pursue their original traditional tribal religious system. Later, he became a saintly figure to the tribal people and they sought his blessings.
Tribal Movement by Birsa Munda: What was its significance during British Raj?
Birsa Munda’s slogan threatening the British Raj is still remembered in the areas of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh.
The Britishers had intensified the transformation of the tribal agrarian system into a feudal state. As the tribals were not able to generate a surplus, the non-tribal peasantry was invited by the Chiefs to settle on and cultivate the land.
To challenge the agrarian breakdown and culture change, Birsa along with the Munda tribe responded through a series of revolts and uprisings under his leadership.
It is said that around the Christmas of 1899, around 7000 tribal men and women had assembled to herald the revolution which had soon spread to Tamar, Khunti, Ranchi, and Basia. The Birsaits had also openly declared that the real enemies were the British and not Christian Mundas and had called for a war against the British.
Birsa Munda was arrested on February 3, 1900, and he died in jail on June 9, 1900. After Birsa Munda’s death, the tribal movement faded out.
Jharkhand Foundation Day: How it is connected with the Brisa Munda movement?
Jharkhand celebrates its foundation day on November 15, the date which coincides with the birth anniversary of the tribal leader Birsa Munda.
Jharkhand shares the border with the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal. However, the state was carved out of Bihar as the 28th state of India after Parliament passed the Bihar Reorganization Act, 2000.
The foundation of Jharkhand is connected with Birsa Munda’s tribal movement as the state is the homeland of many tribals who had dreamed of a separate state even before the freedom movement.
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