Chapter 13: Peasant Movements in Rajasthan

(Struggle of the Sons of Soil: Bijolia, Begun, Bundi, Shekhawati, Alwar and Regional Agrarian Revolts)

Exam Relevance: RPSC (RAS Pre & Mains, School Lecturer, 2nd Grade, College Assistant Professor) / RSSB (CET Graduate & 12th Level, Patwar, VDO, Police Constable) / REET Mains

1. Chapter Overview and Exam Significance

  • Strategic Importance: The peasant movements of Rajasthan, historically celebrated as the struggle of the sons of the soil, represent an enduring, highly disciplined, and deeply influential phase of agrarian awakening in modern Indian history. They spearheaded the transition from feudal subjugation to democratic political consciousness in the princely states of Rajputana.
  • Exam Relevance: Regularly features as a prominent topic with multiple questions across RPSC and RSSB examinations.
  • Core Syllabus Focus:
    • The pioneering Bijolia Peasant Movement (1897โ€“1941, 44 years): Recognized for its prolonged duration and disciplined agrarian organization across three distinct phases, community panchayats (Uparmal Panch Board), publications, national links (Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, Tilak, Gandhi), and leadership evolution (Sadhu Sitaram Das, Vijay Singh Pathik, Manikya Lal Verma, Jamnalal Bajaj).
    • The Begun Peasant Movement (1921โ€“1925): Origin at Bhairav Kund (Menal), leadership of Ramnarayan Chaudhary, the Bolshevik Agreement, and the Govindpura firing (martyrdom of Rupa Ji and Kripa Ji Dhakad).
    • The Bundi (Barad) Peasant Movement (1922โ€“1927): Leadership of Pandit Nayanuram Sharma, the Dabi firing (2 April 1923), and the martyrdom of Nanak Ji Bhil and Deviram Gurjar.
    • The Sikar and Shekhawati Agrarian Movement (1922โ€“1935): Feudal tax exactions, the historic Katrathal All-Women Conference (1934 under Kishori Devi), the landmark Jaisinghpura judicial conviction, and the Kudan firing (debated in the British House of Commons).
    • The Alwar Peasant Agitations: Resistance against crop destruction by wild boars (1921), the tragic Neemuchana firing (14 May 1925, described as 'Dyerism double distilled' by Mahatma Gandhi), and the Meo agrarian revolt (1932โ€“1933).
    • Other crucial regional struggles: Bikaner (Dudhwa Khara, Kangad, Raisinghnagar martyrdom of Birbal Singh Dhaliwal), Marwar (Dabara massacre 1947), Bharatpur (Bhoji Lambardar), and Matrikundiya (1880).

2. Feudal Exploitation, Agrarian Structure, and Root Causes

  • The Feudal Agrarian Hierarchy:
    • Land in princely Rajasthan was broadly divided into Khalsa (crown land directly administered by the state darbar) and Jagir (estates granted to feudal nobles and thikanedars). Over 60% of cultivated land lay under hereditary Jagirdars.
    • In Jagir estates, peasants possessed insecure tenant-at-will status, generally lacking hereditary occupancy rights (Bapi rights).
  • Economic Grievances and Exactions:
    • Excessive Land Revenue (Hasil/Bhog): Ranging from one-third to one-half of the gross agricultural yield.
    • Lata and Kunta Systems: Feudal crop assessment and division mechanisms:
      • Lata: Collection, measurement, and division of harvested grain on the threshing floor (Khalihan) to determine the state's share, where thikana officials frequently manipulated grain weights.
      • Kunta: Arbitrary appraisal or estimation of grain yield. In standard Rajasthan state textbooks, Kunta denotes appraisal of standing crops in the field; scholarly regional glossaries (such as Tanuja Kothiyal, Nomadic Narratives, p. xvi) distinguish Kankar Kunta (standing crop appraisal in the field) from Kunta (rough estimation by guessing at the threshing floor).
    • Oppressive Customary Cesses (Lag-Bag): Over 84 distinct varieties of customary levies documented in Mewar thikanas alone, including cesses on cattle, plows, carts, irrigation wells, trees, caste ceremonies, and succession.
    • Special Exploitative Cesses:
      • Chawari Tax (Chanwari Lag): Imposed in 1903 by Rao Krishna Singh of Bijolia, levying five rupees on every peasant solemnizing his daughter's marriage.
      • Talwar Bandhai (Succession Cess): Imposed in 1906 by Rao Prithvi Singh of Bijolia, transferring the feudal noble's coronation succession tribute directly onto tenant peasants.
      • Begar (Forced Unpaid Labor): Peasants, artisans, and village workers were coerced to transport feudal baggage, maintain fort walls, cut firewood, and till thikana lands without fair remuneration.
  • Socio-Political Catalysts:
    • Rise of regional consciousness through education, social reform, and nationalist newspapers (Pratap, Rajasthan Kesari, Naveen Rajasthan).
    • Return of patriotic freedom fighters (Ras Bihari Bose revolutionary network, Vijay Singh Pathik).
    • Grassroots institutions including the Vidya Pracharini Sabha and the founding of Rajasthan Seva Sangh (1919).

3. District-Wise Peasant Movements Mapping

District/Region Movement Name Principal Leadership Key Sites Duration
Bhilwara (Mewar) Bijolia Peasant Movement Sadhu Sitaram Das, Vijay Singh Pathik, Manikya Lal Verma Bijolia, Giradhari Pura, Berisal, Uparmal 1897โ€“1941 (44 Years)
Chittorgarh (Mewar) Begun Peasant Movement Ramnarayan Chaudhary, Vijay Singh Pathik Begun, Bhairav Kund (Menal), Govindpura 1921โ€“1925
Bundi (Hadoti) Bundi (Barad) Peasant Movement Pandit Nayanuram Sharma, Ramnarayan Chaudhary Bundi, Barad region, Dabi village 1922โ€“1927
Sikar & Jhunjhunu Shekhawati & Sikar Peasant Movement Ramnarayan Chaudhary, Master Pyarelal Gupta, Thakur Deshraj, Kishori Devi Sikar, Katrathal, Kudan, Jaisinghpura 1922โ€“1935
Alwar (Mewat) Alwar & Neemuchana Peasant Movement Madho Singh, Govind Singh, Amar Singh Alwar, Neemuchana village 1921โ€“1925
Alwar & Bharatpur Meo Peasant Movement Dr. Mohammad Ali, Yasin Khan, Syed Bhikham Noor Mewat, Kishangarh Bas, Tijara, Govindgarh 1932โ€“1933
Bikaner Dudhwa Khara & Kangad Movements Magharam Vaidya, Hanuman Singh Arya, Birbal Singh Dhaliwal Dudhwa Khara (Churu), Kangad, Raisinghnagar 1944โ€“1946
Nagaur & Jodhpur Marwar & Dabara Peasant Movement Baldev Ram Mirdha, Motilal Chaudhary, Mathuradas Mathur Marwar, Didwana, Dabara village 1941โ€“1947
Chittorgarh Matrikundiya Peasant Mobilization Local Jat cultivators of Mewar Matrikundiya (Rashmi Pargana) 1880
Bharatpur Bharatpur Peasant Agitation Bhoji Lambardar Bharatpur 1931

4. The Epic Bijolia Peasant Movement (1897โ€“1941)

4.1 Historical Setting and Thikana Background

- Bijolia (ancient name *Vindhyavalli*) was the foremost first-class (*Solah*) Jagir estate of Mewar, situated on the Uparmal plateau. - It was originally granted by Maharana Sangram Singh I (Rana Sanga) to **Ashok Parmar** of Jagner (near Bharatpur) for his valor in the Battle of Khanwa (1527). - Around 60% of the agrarian population belonged to the industrious **Dhakad** caste.

4.2 First Phase (1897โ€“1915): Spontaneous Local Leadership

- **Genesis (1897):** Peasant disquiet culminated during the funeral feast (*Gangoj*) of Gangaram Dhakad's father at **Giradhari Pura** village. Under the advice of **Sadhu Sitaram Das**, peasants deputed two respected elders, **Nanji Patel** and **Thakari Patel**, to submit grievances directly to Maharana Fateh Singh at Udaipur. - **State Reaction:** The Maharana dispatched Assistant Revenue Officer Hamid Hussain to investigate. Hussain confirmed the prevalence of crushing taxes, but Rao Krishna Singh disregarded the report, banished Nanji Patel and Thakari Patel from the estate, and escalated administrative pressure. - **The Chawari Tax (1903):** Rao Krishna Singh slapped a marriage cess of 5 rupees on every cultivator solemnizing his daughter's nuptials. In protest, farmers ceased marriages for two years and prepared to emigrate to Gwalior, forcing the Rao to reduce and suspend the cess. - **The Talwar Bandhai (1906):** On the death of Krishna Singh, the new Jagirdar Rao Prithvi Singh transferred his succession tribute directly onto the peasantry. Agrarian protests were spearheaded by Sadhu Sitaram Das, Fateh Karan Charan, and Brahmadeo.

4.3 Second Phase (1916โ€“1923): Vijay Singh Pathik and Institutionalized Struggle

- **Arrival of Vijay Singh Pathik (1916):** Born **Bhup Singh** (1882) at village Guthawali (Bulandshahr, UP), an associate of revolutionary Ras Bihari Bose. While residing under the alias Vijay Singh Pathik at Ochhadi village, he was persuaded by Sadhu Sitaram Das to lead the Bijolia peasantry. - **Establishment of Institutional Organs (1917):** - On the day of Hariyali Amavasya in 1917 at village Berisal, Pathik founded the **Uparmal Panch Board** (Kisan Panchayat). - **Manna Patel** was appointed its first Sarpanch. - Formed volunteer youth wings, the *Uparmal Seva Samiti*, and established library and educational work under the *Vidya Pracharini Sabha*. - Circulated a handwritten underground weekly bulletin named **"Uparmal Ka Danka"**. - **Cultural and National Dimensions:** - **Manikya Lal Verma** resigned his state clerical job, became Pathik's trusted associate, and penned the rousing revolutionary folk song **"Panchhida"** (*The Free Bird*), sung at village gatherings. - **Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi** championed the Bijolia struggle across India through his fearless Kanpur weekly newspaper **"Pratap"**. In appreciation, Pathik sent Vidyarthi a ceremonial silver rakhi. - Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak praised the movement in his English newspaper *The Mahratta* and petitioned Maharana Fateh Singh. - Mahatma Gandhi deputed his personal secretary **Mahadev Desai** to study Bijolia and praised Pathik's committed grassroots organizing. - **Commissions and Pacts:** - In April 1919, the Mewar Darbar instituted the **Bindulal Bhattacharya Commission**, which recommended tax remissions and release of prisoners, though the Thikana stalled implementation. - In February 1922, British Agent to the Governor-General (AGG) **Robert Holland**, along with Mewar Diwan Prabhash Chandra Chatterjee and Hakim Bihari Lal, concluded an agreement with the Kisan Panchayat abolishing **35 unjust cesses**. Peasant negotiators included Ramnarayan Chaudhary, Manikya Lal Verma, Moti Chand, and Narayan Patel.

4.4 Third Phase (1923โ€“1941): Final Impasse and Triumphant Settlement

- In 1927, facing renewed rent hikes, peasants surrendered their unirrigated (*barani*) holdings upon Pathik's advice. The Jagirdar auctioned these ancestral lands to outside bidders. - Internal differences developed between Pathik and Rajasthan Seva Sangh leadership, prompting Pathik's resignation. - Guidance shifted to national figures: **Jamnalal Bajaj**, **Haribhau Upadhyaya**, and **Manikya Lal Verma**. - In 1941, Mewar Prime Minister **Sir T. Raghavachari** and Revenue Minister **Dr. Mohan Singh Mehta** held marathon talks with Manikya Lal Verma. The confiscated lands were returned, concluding 44 years of sustained non-violent agrarian resistance.

5. Begun, Bundi, and Shekhawati Peasant Struggles

5.1 Begun Peasant Movement (1921โ€“1925)

- **Origin:** Deeply stimulated by Bijolia, Dhakad cultivators of Begun Thikana convened at **Bhairav Kund (Menal)** in 1921. - **Leadership:** Vijay Singh Pathik deputed **Ramnarayan Chaudhary** to guide the movement on the ground. - **Women's Valor:** **Anjana Devi Chaudhary** (wife of Ramnarayan Chaudhary) organized women cadres and became the first woman arrested and deported in Rajasthan's peasant movement history. - **The Bolshevik Agreement:** Under intense agrarian pressure, Rawat Anoop Singh of Begun conceded to an agreement with the Rajasthan Seva Sangh. The British Government and Mewar Darbar branded this accord a "Bolshevik Agreement", interned Rawat Anoop Singh at Udaipur, and appointed British settlement officer Trench to run the estate. - **The Govindpura Firing (13 July 1923):** Commissioner Trench encircled an assembly of peasants at village Govindpura and ordered firing. **Rupa Ji Dhakad** and **Kripa Ji Dhakad** attained martyrdom as a result of the police action. - Pathik took over direct command underground, was arrested in September 1923, and sentenced to five years of imprisonment in Udaipur.

5.2 Bundi (Barad) Peasant Movement (1922โ€“1927)

- **Grievances:** Peasants of the rugged Barad region of Bundi state suffered under 25 heavy levies, forced labor, and revenue administration corruption. - **Leadership:** Led by **Pandit Nayanuram Sharma**, an active worker of Rajasthan Seva Sangh and founder of Hadoti Seva Sangh. - **The Dabi Firing (2 April 1923):** - A massive gathering of peasant protesters assembled at village Dabi. - Bundi Police Superintendent **Ikram Hussain** ordered firing on the assembly. - **Nanak Ji Bhil** was fatally shot while holding the national flag and singing the patriotic anthem *Jhanda Geet*. - Another courageous peasant, **Deviram Gurjar (Deva Gurjar)**, was also martyred. - To memorialize Nanak Ji Bhil's martyrdom, Manikya Lal Verma composed the poignant song **"Arji"** (*The Supplication*). - The movement culminated after prolonged struggles when Bundi state granted partial tax remissions and restricted forced labor.

5.3 Sikar and Shekhawati Peasant Movement (1922โ€“1935)

- **Economic Origin:** In 1922, Rao Raja Kalyan Singh of Sikar raised land revenue from 25% to 50% under the pretext of his accession, promising relief during droughts, which he subsequently dishonored. - **Leaders:** Ramnarayan Chaudhary, Master Pyarelal Gupta ('Gandhi of Chidawa', founder of Amar Seva Samiti 1918), Thakur Deshraj, Kunwar Harlal Singh, Tadkeshwar Sharma, and Pandit Ghasiram. - **Jat Prajapati Mahayajna (1934):** Organized at Sikar by Thakur Deshraj on Basant Panchami in 1934 under the presidency of Kunwar Harlal Singh, galvanizing peasant solidarity. - **Katrathal All-Women Conference (25 April 1934):** - In response to the humiliation of peasant women by Thakur Man Singh of Sihot at Sotia Ka Bas village, over **10,000 peasant women** congregated at village Katrathal. - The conference was presided over by **Kishori Devi** (wife of Kunwar Harlal Singh), while **Uttama Devi** (wife of Thakur Deshraj) delivered the stirring main address. Durga Devi Sharma, Phuladevi, and other women leaders were also prominent participants. This remains one of the largest women's political gatherings in pre-independence India. - **Jaisinghpura Peasant Incident (1934):** Ishwar Singh (brother of the Thakur of Dundlod) fired upon cultivating peasants. Following widespread mobilization by the Shekhawati Kisan Sabha, a Jaipur state court prosecuted and convicted him, sentencing him to imprisonmentโ€”a landmark early case where a feudal noble was held legally accountable for violence against peasants. - **Kudan Firing (25 April 1935):** British officer Captain Webb ordered firing on non-tax-paying farmers; martyrs included **Chelaram**, **Tikuram**, **Asaram**, and **Tulshiram**. Elderly peasant woman **Dhapi Dadi** defied tax demands and urged resistance. - **Parliamentary Inquiry in London:** The Kudan police firing was debated in the **British House of Commons in London** on 3 June 1935, when British Members of Parliament (including Mr. T. Smith and Mr. W. Paling) questioned the Secretary of State for India, Sir Samuel Hoare.

6. Alwar, Neemuchana, Meo, Bikaner, and Marwar Movements

6.1 Alwar Peasant Movement and the Neemuchana Massacre

- **The Wild Boar Agitation (1921):** Maharaja Jai Singh banned the killing of destructive wild boars (*Soor*), which ravaged agricultural fields. Peasant defiance forced the Darbar to grant permission to eliminate the animals. - **The Neemuchana Massacre (14 May 1925):** - Provoked by the revised 1923โ€“24 land revenue settlement, which imposed steep revenue enhancements on peasant landholders and threatened tenant rights. - On 14 May 1925, over 800 peasants congregated at village **Neemuchana** (Bansur tehsil) to resist the revised settlement. - State armed forces under Commander **Chhajju Singh** cordoned the village, opened machine gun fire, and set fire to hundreds of peasant dwellings, resulting in numerous casualties and widespread devastation. - **National Repercussion:** Mahatma Gandhi in his journal *Young India* characterized the Neemuchana firing as **"Dyerism double distilled"** (*Dohri Dayershahi*), remarking that if reports were true, it was even more shocking than the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The national publication *Riyasat* explicitly compared it to Jallianwala Bagh.

6.2 The Meo Peasant Movement in Mewat (1932โ€“1933)

- Spread across the Mewat region (Alwar, Bharatpur, Gurgaon) under the leadership of **Dr. Mohammad Ali**, **Yasin Khan** of Gurgaon, and **Syed Bhikham Noor**. - Operating under the aegis of *Anjuman Khadim-ul-Islam*, Meo peasants boycotted enhanced revenues, resulting in British administrative intervention and state concessions.

6.3 Bikaner Peasant Agitations

- **Dudhwa Khara Peasant Movement (1944โ€“1945):** Located in modern Churu district (Bikaner state). Peasants protested against feudal atrocities and land evictions by Thakur Surajmal. Prominent leaders included **Magharam Vaidya** and **Hanuman Singh Arya**. Hanuman Singh underwent a heroic 65-day hunger strike in Bikaner central jail. - **Kangad Incident (1946):** During a severe drought, the Jagirdar of Kangad violently collected crop revenues, leading to widespread public outcry. - **Mahajan Thikana Movement (1937):** In Bikaner State's premier estate, Mahajan Thikana, cultivators organized an agitation under the leadership of **Jiwan Ram Chaudhary** against 37 arbitrary feudal cesses. - **Raisinghnagar Incident (1 July 1946):** Freedom fighter **Birbal Singh Dhaliwal** was fatally shot while holding the national tricolor aloft during a Bikaner Praja Parishad procession. In his honor, 'Birbal Day' was observed across Bikaner state on 17 July 1946.

6.4 Marwar (Jodhpur) Peasant Movement and the Dabara Massacre

- The Marwar Hitkarini Sabha (1923) and subsequently the **Marwar Kisan Sabha** (founded 1941 by Baldev Ram Mirdha, Nathuram Mirdha, and Motilal Chaudhary) spearheaded opposition to heavy cesses. - **The Dabara Massacre (13 March 1947):** - Peasant organizers assembled at the residence of Moti Ram in village **Dabara** (near Didwana). - Armed feudal retainers attacked the meeting with firearms, axes, and swords. - Martyrs included **Chunilal Sharma**, **Rugharam**, and **Ramuram**. - Prominent leaders Mathuradas Mathur, Dwarkadas Purohit, and Radhakishan were brutally injured.

6.5 Bharatpur Peasant Agitation (1931)

- **Background and Leadership:** Cultivators protested against arbitrary land revenue assessments and tax enhancements under the new state settlement. - **Role of Bhoji Lambardar:** In 1931, **Bhoji Lambardar** mobilized the peasantry against oppressive levies. Following his arrest in November 1931, the agitation gradually subsided.

7. Comparative Analysis: Massacres, Martyrs, and Inquiries

Movement Firing/Event Date Official Martyrs National Response
Bijolia 1897โ€“1941 (Negotiated struggle) Rao Krishna Singh, Rao Prithvi Singh Prolonged economic hardship, arrests Holland Agreement (1922); Confiscated lands restored (1941)
Begun Govindpura (13 July 1923) Commissioner Trench Rupa Ji Dhakad & Kripa Ji Dhakad Pathik jailed; Rawat interned; partial settlement enacted
Bundi Dabi (2 April 1923) Police SP Ikram Hussain Nanak Ji Bhil & Deviram Gurjar Immortalized by Verma's song 'Arji'; begar restricted
Alwar Neemuchana (14 May 1925) Commander Chhajju Singh Numerous peasant casualties Dubbed 'Dyerism double distilled' by Mahatma Gandhi
Shekhawati Kudan (25 April 1935) Captain Webb Chelaram, Tikuram, Asaram, Tulshiram Raised in the British House of Commons by MPs T. Smith and W. Paling
Bikaner Raisinghnagar (1 July 1946) State Police Birbal Singh Dhaliwal 'Birbal Day' observed on 17 July 1946 across Bikaner state
Marwar Dabara (13 March 1947) Local Jagirdar of Dabara Chunilal Sharma, Rugharam, Ramuram Accelerated the collapse of feudal hegemony in Marwar

8. Women's Leadership in Peasant Movements

  • Anjana Devi Chaudhary:
    • Wife of Ramnarayan Chaudhary; organized women in Bijolia and Begun.
    • First woman arrested and deported in Rajasthan's peasant movement history.
  • Kishori Devi:
    • Wife of Shekhawati peasant leader Kunwar Harlal Singh.
    • Presided over the monumental Katrathal All-Women Conference on 25 April 1934 with 10,000+ rural women.
  • Uttama Devi:
    • Wife of Thakur Deshraj; delivered the stirring keynote address at the 1934 Katrathal conference that galvanized rural women.
  • Durga Devi Sharma:
    • Wife of Tadkeshwar Sharma; prominent participant and speaker who mobilized rural women in Shekhawati.
  • Narayani Devi Verma & Rama Devi:
    • Active leaders in Bijolia, defied police prohibitions, and suffered repeated imprisonment.
  • Dhapi Dadi:
    • Courageous elderly peasant woman of Kudan (Sikar) who defied British revenue collectors and inspired youth to resist tax extortion.

9. Key Organizations, Periodicals, and Patriotic Literature

9.1 Major Organizational Bodies

- **Vidya Pracharini Sabha (Bijolia Branch):** Originally established by Haribhai Kinkar in Chittorgarh, its Bijolia branch was opened in 1915 by Sadhu Sitaram Das and subsequently expanded by Vijay Singh Pathik to educate youth and cultivate patriotic workers. - **Uparmal Panch Board (1917):** Peasant grassroots self-governing council established at Berisal village under Sarpanch Manna Patel. - **Rajasthan Seva Sangh (1919):** - Founded at Wardha (Maharashtra) in 1919 by Vijay Singh Pathik, Ramnarayan Chaudhary, and Haribhai Kinkar with financial patronage from Seth Jamnalal Bajaj. - Shifted headquarters to Ajmer in 1920. - Played the central role in directing the Begun, Bundi, and Sirohi movements. - **Hadoti Seva Sangh:** Founded by Pandit Nayanuram Sharma for political awakening in Kota and Bundi. - **Shekhawati Kisan Panchayat:** Formed in 1931โ€“32 to unite cultivators across the Panchpana estates against feudal levies. - **Marwar Kisan Sabha (1941):** Founded under the patronage of Baldev Ram Mirdha.

9.2 Periodicals and Literature

- **Pratap (Kanpur):** Weekly paper edited by Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi; nationalized the Bijolia movement. - **Rajasthan Kesari (Wardha, 1920):** Financed by Jamnalal Bajaj, edited by Vijay Singh Pathik and Ramnarayan Chaudhary. - **Naveen Rajasthan / Tarun Rajasthan (Ajmer):** Published by Rajasthan Seva Sangh; banned multiple times by British authorities. - **Uparmal Ka Danka:** Handwritten bulletin circulated secretly in Bijolia villages. - **Panchhida:** Poetic masterpiece composed by Manikya Lal Verma; inspired peasant demonstrators across Mewar. - **Arji:** Commemorative folk elegy composed by Manikya Lal Verma honoring the martyrdom of Nanak Ji Bhil at Dabi.

10. Chronology, Examination Mnemonics, and Comparative Tables

10.1 Chronological Timeline of Major Agrarian Events

- **1880:** Matrikundiya (Rashmi) peasant gathering in Mewar against new land settlement. - **1897:** Genesis of Bijolia Peasant Movement at Giradhari Pura village funeral feast. - **1903:** Rao Krishna Singh levies the Chawari cess (5 rupees on daughter's wedding). - **1906:** Rao Prithvi Singh imposes the Talwar Bandhai (succession cess). - **1915:** Sadhu Sitaram Das opens the Bijolia branch of Vidya Pracharini Sabha. - **1916:** Vijay Singh Pathik takes over leadership of Bijolia at the invitation of Sadhu Sitaram Das. - **1917:** Uparmal Panch Board founded on Hariyali Amavasya at Berisal; Manna Patel made Sarpanch. - **1919:** Foundation of Rajasthan Seva Sangh at Wardha; Bindulal Bhattacharya Commission constituted. - **1921:** Begun Peasant Movement begins at Bhairav Kund (Menal); Alwar wild boar agitation. - **1922:** Robert Holland Agreement in Bijolia (35 cesses revoked); Bundi (Barad) movement begins; Sikar revenue agitation begins. - **1923:** Dabi firing in Bundi (2 April, Nanak Ji Bhil martyred); Govindpura firing in Begun (13 July, Rupa Ji and Kripa Ji martyred). - **1925:** Neemuchana massacre in Alwar (14 May, termed 'Dyerism double distilled' by Gandhi). - **1934:** Jat Prajapati Mahayajna at Sikar; Katrathal Women's Conference (25 April under Kishori Devi); Jaisinghpura judicial conviction. - **1935:** Kudan firing in Sikar (25 April, debated in British House of Commons). - **1941:** Full settlement of Bijolia movement negotiated by Sir T. Raghavachari and Manikya Lal Verma. - **1944โ€“45:** Dudhwa Khara peasant agitation in Bikaner under Hanuman Singh Arya. - **1946:** Raisinghnagar firing (1 July, martyrdom of Birbal Singh Dhaliwal). - **1947:** Dabara massacre in Marwar (13 March, martyrdom of Chunilal Sharma, Rugharam, and Ramuram).

10.2 Examination Mnemonics

- **Selected Major Agrarian Events and Flashpoints Sequence (Chronological Order):** - **Mnemonic:** **"BI-BE-BU-NE-SI-DA"** - **Order:** **BI**jolia (1897) -> **BE**gun (1921) -> **BU**ndi (1922) -> **NE**emuchana (1925) -> **SI**kar flashpoints (1934โ€“35) -> **DA**bara (1947). - *Note:* Sikar's agrarian unrest began in 1922 and reached its historic peak during the 1934 Katrathal conference and 1935 Kudan firing. - **Key Agrarian Martyrs Pairing:** - **Begun:** **Rupa Ji & Kripa Ji Dhakad** (Govindpura, 1923). - **Bundi:** **Nanak Ji Bhil & Deviram Gurjar** (Dabi, 1923). - **Bikaner:** **Birbal Singh Dhaliwal** (Raisinghnagar, 1946). - **Marwar:** **Chunilal Sharma** (Dabara, 1947).

11. Examination Practice and Module Architecture

11.1 Examination Sets Overview

- To ensure exhaustive mastery of the Peasant Movements of Rajasthan for RPSC and RSSB examinations, **90 premium bilingual MCQs** are systematically arranged across nine focused practice examinations: - **Set 1: Bijolia Peasant Movement - Phases, Leaders and Taxes (15 Questions, 15 Minutes)** - **Set 2: Begun Peasant Movement and Bundi Barad Movement (10 Questions, 10 Minutes)** - **Set 3: Shekhawati and Sikar Peasant Movements (10 Questions, 10 Minutes)** - **Set 4: Alwar, Neemuchana and Mewat Movements (10 Questions, 10 Minutes)** - **Set 5: Bikaner, Marwar and Regional Movements (5 Questions, 5 Minutes)** - **Set 6: Comprehensive Peasant Movements Mastery and Multi-Statement Review (10 Questions, 10 Minutes)** - **Set 7: Regional Movements, Organizations and Newspapers (10 Questions, 10 Minutes)** - **Set 8: Women Leadership and Key Chronology (10 Questions, 10 Minutes)** - **Set 9: Martyrs, Match and Assertion-Reason (10 Questions, 10 Minutes)**
Exam Set Primary Focus Question Count Recommended Time
Set 1 - Bijolia Peasant Movement Sadhu Sitaram Das, Vijay Singh Pathik, Uparmal Panch Board, Chawari, Talwar Bandhai, Holland Pact, Verma 15 15 Min
Set 2 - Begun & Bundi Movements Bhairav Kund, Ramnarayan Chaudhary, Rupa Ji-Kripa Ji, Bolshevik Pact, Dabi, Nanak Ji Bhil, Nayanuram 10 10 Min
Set 3 - Shekhawati & Sikar Movements Rao Raja Kalyan Singh, Katrathal Conference, Kishori Devi, Jaisinghpura case, Kudan firing, Hansard 10 10 Min
Set 4 - Alwar & Neemuchana Movements Wild boar agitation, 1923 settlement, Neemuchana firing (14 May 1925), Gandhi's Dyerism double distilled, Meo 10 10 Min
Set 5 - Bikaner, Marwar & Regional Dudhwa Khara, Hanuman Singh, Birbal Singh Dhaliwal, Kangad, Dabara massacre (13 March 1947), Matrikundiya 5 5 Min
Set 6 - Comprehensive Mastery Chronology, match matrices, multi-statement questions, commissions, literature, organizations and revenue terms 10 10 Min
Set 7 - Regional Movements & Organizations Bharatpur (Bhoji Lambardar), Matrikundiya, Rajasthan Seva Sangh, Pratap (Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi), Uparmal Ka Danka 10 10 Min
Set 8 - Women Leadership & Chronology Anjana Devi Chaudhary, Katrathal (Kishori Devi, Uttama Devi, Durga Devi Sharma), Dhapi Dadi, pivotal foundational years 10 10 Min
Set 9 - Martyrs, Match & Assertion-Reason Govindpura, Dabi, Kudan, Dabra, Raisinghnagar martyrs; matching matrices and RPSC assertion-reason items 10 10 Min

โ„น๏ธ Disclaimer: This content has been compiled from standard Rajasthan GK sources. Please verify with official textbooks for exam preparation.