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The movement called 'Ulgulan' (the Great Tumult) on the Chota Nagpur plateau, in the 1890s, was led by:
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Answer: Option B — Birsa Munda
Detailed Solution
The movement called "Ulgulan" ("the Great Tumult" or "great revolt") on the Chota Nagpur plateau (present-day Jharkhand) in the 1890s was led by Birsa Munda.
About Birsa Munda:
- He was born on 15 November 1875 at Ulihatu, in the Ranchi (now Khunti) district of Jharkhand, in a Munda family.
- He grew up among the forests and was educated at a mission school, where he learnt about Christianity.
- He was also influenced by Vaishnava teachings.
- He became a religious leader, preaching against superstitions, animal sacrifice and alcohol, and urging the Mundas to return to their old ways.
- His followers believed he had miraculous powers, and called him "Dharti Aba" ("Father of the Earth").
NCERT on Birsa Munda:
NCERT notes that Birsa talked about a golden age in the past, a "satyug" (the age of truth), when Mundas lived a good life, constructed embankments, tapped natural springs, planted trees and orchards, and practised cultivation to earn their living.
Birsa urged his followers to recover their glorious past.
The movement aimed at driving out missionaries, moneylenders, Hindu landlords and the government, and setting up a Munda Raj with Birsa at its head.
The movement identified all these forces as the cause of the misery the Mundas were suffering.
The land policies of the British were destroying their traditional land system, Hindu landlords and moneylenders were taking over their land, and missionaries were criticising their traditional culture.
The uprising:
- In 1899-1900, Birsa's followers attacked police stations, churches and the property of moneylenders and zamindars, raising the white flag as a symbol of Birsa Raj.
- Birsa was arrested and died in jail in Ranchi on 9 June 1900, at the age of 25.
Results:
NCERT notes that the movement was significant: it forced the colonial government to introduce laws so that the land of the tribals could not be easily taken over by dikus (the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act of 1908).
His memory:
His birthday, 15 November, is observed as "Janjatiya Gaurav Divas"; Jharkhand was formed on 15 November 2000.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Sidhu Murmu led the Santhals; Tilka Manjhi led an earlier uprising; Gunda Dhur was a leader in Bastar.
Quick tip
Remember: Ulgulan (1899-1900, Chota Nagpur) = Birsa Munda ("Dharti Aba"); Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act (1908); 15 November = Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.
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Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the freedom struggle from Gandhi's return to India in 1915 to independence in 1947: the Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad movements, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh, the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements, the Round Table Conferences, the Cripps Mission, the Cabinet Mission and the partition of India. Most questions ask about the year, cause or result of a movement, or the event that ended it. For example, the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) led Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the Dandi March (1930) started the Civil Disobedience Movement. Learning these events on a timeline is the best way to avoid confusion. Practise the Gandhian era questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.