Class 10 Social Science History Chapter 3 — Anti-British Rising and Peasant Revolts in Assam
Welcome to HSLC Guru! This English-medium study guide covers Class 10 Social Science (History) Chapter 3 — Anti-British Rising and Peasant Revolts in Assam, prepared strictly according to the ASSEB (Assam State School Education Board) syllabus. The chapter explores how the people of Assam — kings, nobles, peasants and common villagers — resisted British colonial rule from the Treaty of Yandaboo (1826) to the Patharughat Massacre (1894). You will find a clear chapter summary, complete textbook questions and answers, additional MCQs, fill-in-the-blanks, true/false questions and a glossary of key terms. Practice these questions to score full marks in your HSLC examination.
Chapter Summary
The British East India Company entered Assam after the First Anglo-Burmese War, which ended with the Treaty of Yandaboo on 24 February 1826. By this treaty, the Burmese rulers handed over Assam to the British. Although the people of Assam initially welcomed the British as liberators from Burmese atrocities, they soon realised that the new rulers had introduced heavy taxation, an alien administrative system and policies that destroyed traditional Ahom institutions. The dissatisfaction of the displaced Ahom nobility led to the first major anti-British rising under Gomdhar Konwar in 1828, who was proclaimed king at Jorhat but was soon defeated and arrested. Two years later, in 1830, Piyali Phukan and Dhananjay Borgohain organised another revolt aiming to restore Ahom rule; both leaders were captured and Piyali Phukan was hanged.
The most significant uprising of the nineteenth century was the Revolt of 1857 in Assam, organised by Maniram Dewan, a former Borbhandar Borua of the Ahom court. Maniram, with the support of Kandarpeswar Singha, planned to overthrow British rule and restore Ahom sovereignty. The plot was betrayed; Maniram Dewan and Piyali Barua were arrested and hanged at Jorhat on 26 February 1858. Their martyrdom inspired later generations of freedom fighters in Assam.
Apart from these princely revolts, Assam witnessed several peasant uprisings against the heavy land revenue, the opium policy and the increase of taxes on betel-leaves and betel-nuts. The first major peasant revolt was the Phulaguri Dhewa of 1861 in Nagaon district, where peasants gathered in a “raij mel” (people’s assembly) and protested against the proposed tax on betel-leaves and the ban on opium cultivation. The agitation turned violent and Lieutenant Singer, the British officer, was killed by the peasants. Phulaguri is regarded as the first peasant uprising in Assam.
The most tragic peasant revolt was the Patharughat Massacre on 28 January 1894 in Darrang district. When peasants assembled peacefully in a raij mel to protest against the increase in land revenue, the British police opened fire, killing about 140 peasants. Similar disturbances occurred at Rangia (1893) and Lachima (1894). The causes of these revolts included heavy taxation, the destructive opium policy, the new land revenue settlement and the loss of traditional rights. Although these uprisings were crushed by the British, they kept alive the spirit of resistance and acted as forerunners of the national freedom struggle that followed in the twentieth century.
Textbook Questions and Answers
A. Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)
Q1. When was the Treaty of Yandaboo signed?
Answer: The Treaty of Yandaboo was signed on 24 February 1826.
Q2. Who led the first anti-British revolt in Assam in 1828?
Answer: Gomdhar Konwar led the first anti-British revolt in Assam in 1828.
Q3. Who was Maniram Dewan?
Answer: Maniram Dewan was a former Borbhandar Borua of the Ahom court who organised the Revolt of 1857 in Assam and was hanged at Jorhat on 26 February 1858.
Q4. When and where did the Phulaguri Dhewa take place?
Answer: The Phulaguri Dhewa took place in 1861 at Phulaguri in Nagaon district.
Q5. Which British officer was killed in the Phulaguri Dhewa?
Answer: Lieutenant Singer was killed by the peasants in the Phulaguri Dhewa.
Q6. When did the Patharughat Massacre occur?
Answer: The Patharughat Massacre occurred on 28 January 1894 in Darrang district.
Q7. Who was Piyali Phukan?
Answer: Piyali Phukan was an Ahom noble who, along with Dhananjay Borgohain, led the anti-British revolt of 1830; he was hanged by the British.
Q8. What is meant by “Raij Mel”?
Answer: “Raij Mel” means a people’s assembly or village gathering where peasants discussed their problems and grievances.
Q9. Where was Maniram Dewan hanged?
Answer: Maniram Dewan was hanged at Jorhat on 26 February 1858.
Q10. Which peasant uprising is considered the first in Assam?
Answer: The Phulaguri Dhewa of 1861 is considered the first peasant uprising in Assam.
B. Short Answer Questions (2-3 Marks)
Q1. What were the main provisions of the Treaty of Yandaboo?
Answer: The Treaty of Yandaboo, signed on 24 February 1826, ended the First Anglo-Burmese War. By this treaty, the Burmese king agreed to: (i) hand over Assam, Manipur, Cachar and Jaintia to the British; (ii) renounce all claims over these territories; (iii) pay a war indemnity of one crore rupees; and (iv) accept a British Resident at the Burmese court. The treaty marked the beginning of British rule in Assam.
Q2. Why did Gomdhar Konwar revolt against the British?
Answer: Gomdhar Konwar revolted against the British because the East India Company refused to restore the Ahom monarchy after the Treaty of Yandaboo. The displaced Ahom nobility lost their traditional positions and the people resented the heavy taxes and alien administration. In 1828, Gomdhar Konwar was proclaimed king at Jorhat and led an armed revolt to drive out the British, but the rebellion was crushed and he was arrested.
Q3. Discuss briefly the role of Piyali Phukan and Dhananjay Borgohain in the revolt of 1830.
Answer: In 1830, Piyali Phukan and Dhananjay Borgohain organised an armed revolt against British rule in Assam to restore Ahom sovereignty. They contacted local chiefs, the Khamtis and the Singphos for support and planned to attack British military posts. However, the conspiracy was discovered before it could be executed. Both leaders were arrested; Piyali Phukan was hanged and Dhananjay Borgohain died while fleeing. Their sacrifice kept alive the spirit of resistance.
Q4. What was the immediate cause of the Phulaguri Dhewa?
Answer: The immediate causes of the Phulaguri Dhewa of 1861 were: (i) the proposed tax on betel-leaves and betel-nuts, which were essential items for Assamese villagers; (ii) the ban on the cultivation of opium, which was a traditional cash-crop; and (iii) the increase in land revenue. The peasants assembled in a raij mel at Phulaguri and the agitation turned violent, resulting in the death of Lieutenant Singer.
Q5. Explain the importance of the Patharughat Massacre.
Answer: The Patharughat Massacre on 28 January 1894 is one of the most tragic events in the history of British Assam. About 140 peaceful peasants were shot dead by the British police while protesting against the increase in land revenue at Patharughat in Darrang district. It is often compared to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and is regarded as the first major peasant martyrdom in Assam. It awakened the political consciousness of the people and inspired the future freedom movement.
Q6. What were the Rangia and Lachima riots?
Answer: The Rangia Riot of 1893 and the Lachima Riot of 1894 were peasant uprisings in the Kamrup district against the enhanced land revenue and grazing taxes imposed by the British. Peasants gathered in raij mels, attacked government property and refused to pay the increased rates. The British suppressed both movements with police force; however, the riots demonstrated the growing peasant consciousness against colonial exploitation.
C. Long Answer Questions (5-6 Marks)
Q1. Describe the role of Maniram Dewan in the Revolt of 1857 in Assam.
Answer: Maniram Dutta Baruah, popularly known as Maniram Dewan (1806-1858), was the chief architect of the anti-British movement of 1857 in Assam. Born into a respected Assamese family, he served as the Borbhandar Borua of the Ahom court and was the first Indian to set up a tea garden in Assam at Cinnamara. When the British abolished the Ahom monarchy and confiscated his estates, Maniram became disillusioned with British rule.
During the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, Maniram was in Calcutta. He sent secret messages to Kandarpeswar Singha, the young Ahom prince, urging him to lead a revolt and restore the Ahom kingdom. He contacted the sepoys of the Bengal Native Infantry stationed at Dibrugarh and Golaghat, religious heads, and dissatisfied nobles like Piyali Barua, Bahadur Gaonbura and Madhu Mallick. A coordinated uprising was planned for the Durga Puja of 1857.
However, the conspiracy was betrayed by Haranath Parbatia Barua, and the British arrested Maniram Dewan and his accomplices. After a brief trial, Maniram Dewan and Piyali Barua were hanged at Jorhat jail on 26 February 1858. Maniram is remembered as the first martyr of Assam in the freedom struggle, whose sacrifice ignited the spirit of nationalism among the Assamese people.
Q2. Discuss the causes of the peasant revolts in Assam during the nineteenth century.
Answer: The peasant revolts in nineteenth-century Assam were caused by a combination of economic, political and social factors:
- Heavy land revenue: The British introduced a new revenue system based on cash payment, replacing the traditional Ahom paik system. The revenue rates were increased repeatedly, often beyond the paying capacity of the peasants.
- Opium policy: The British monopolised the opium trade and banned the local cultivation of opium, ruining the livelihood of peasants who had cultivated it traditionally.
- Tax on essential items: Taxes on betel-leaves, betel-nuts, fishing rights and grazing lands hurt the daily life of villagers.
- Loss of traditional privileges: The abolition of the Ahom system, the loss of land grants and the imposition of an alien legal system created widespread discontent.
- Exploitation by mauzadars and money-lenders: Peasants were caught between heavy government demand and the high interest charged by Marwari money-lenders.
- Indifferent administration: The British officials neither understood nor sympathised with the local people, which deepened the alienation.
These conditions led to spontaneous peasant uprisings such as Phulaguri (1861), Rangia (1893), Lachima (1894) and Patharughat (1894).
Q3. Write a detailed note on the Phulaguri Dhewa of 1861.
Answer: The Phulaguri Dhewa of 1861 was the first peasant uprising in Assam against British rule. It took place at Phulaguri, a village in Nowgong (Nagaon) district. The British government proposed to impose a tax on betel-leaves and betel-nuts and ban the cultivation of opium. The peasants of the area, mostly small cultivators, were already burdened with heavy land revenue and felt that the new measures would destroy their economic life.
In September-October 1861, peasants gathered for a five-day “raij mel” at Phulaguri to discuss their grievances. About 1,500 peasants assembled. When Lieutenant Singer and his police party tried to disperse the crowd by force, the peasants retaliated. Lieutenant Singer was killed in the clash, and several peasants were also wounded. The British army was rushed in, and the uprising was crushed brutally. Many peasants were arrested and punished severely.
The Phulaguri Dhewa was significant because: (i) it was the first organised peasant resistance in Assam; (ii) it showed that ordinary villagers could unite against an exploitative government; and (iii) it inspired later peasant movements like Rangia, Lachima and Patharughat. The uprising forced the British to temporarily withdraw the proposed tax, proving the power of collective people’s action.
Q4. Why are the anti-British revolts and peasant uprisings in Assam regarded as forerunners of the national freedom struggle?
Answer: The nineteenth-century anti-British revolts and peasant uprisings in Assam are considered forerunners of the national freedom struggle for the following reasons:
- Anti-imperialist character: Revolts of Gomdhar Konwar (1828), Piyali Phukan (1830) and Maniram Dewan (1857) were directly aimed at overthrowing British colonial rule, similar to the later national movement.
- People’s participation: Peasant uprisings like Phulaguri, Rangia, Lachima and Patharughat involved common villagers, showing that the masses could unite against foreign exploitation.
- Sacrifice and martyrdom: Leaders like Maniram Dewan, Piyali Phukan and Piyali Barua, and the 140 peasants of Patharughat, became martyrs whose memory inspired later freedom fighters.
- Awakening of political consciousness: These movements created an awareness of common grievances against British rule and prepared the ground for organised national politics.
- Foundation for Gandhian movement: The tradition of peaceful raij mel, mass mobilisation and resistance against unjust taxes anticipated the methods of the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements in Assam.
- Symbolic importance: The Patharughat Massacre is often called the “Jallianwala Bagh of Assam” and continues to be commemorated as Krishak Swahid Divas (Peasants’ Martyrs’ Day).
Thus, these revolts laid the moral and political foundation of the freedom movement that followed in twentieth-century Assam.
Q5. Describe the early anti-British risings in Assam (1828-1830).
Answer: After the Treaty of Yandaboo (1826), the British East India Company assumed control over Assam. The displaced Ahom nobility and dissatisfied peasantry rose in revolt within a few years.
Gomdhar Konwar’s Revolt (1828): A young Ahom prince, Gomdhar Konwar, with the support of Dhanjoy Borgohain, Jairam Khargharia Phukan, Haranath Parbatia Barua and others, organised the first armed revolt against British rule. He was proclaimed king at Mariani near Jorhat. The rebels planned to attack Rangpur (the Ahom capital) and drive out the British. But before they could strike, Captain Neufville moved his troops swiftly. Gomdhar Konwar fled to the Naga Hills but was arrested in 1829 and exiled.
Piyali Phukan and Dhananjay Borgohain’s Revolt (1830): Two years later, Piyali Phukan, the son of Badan Chandra Borphukan, and Dhananjay Borgohain, a senior Ahom noble, organised a more determined conspiracy. They sought help from the Khamtis, Singphos and Burmese, and planned to attack British posts at Rangpur and Jorhat. The plot was betrayed; Piyali Phukan was arrested and hanged in 1830, while Dhananjay Borgohain died while fleeing into the hills.
These early risings, though unsuccessful, marked the beginning of organised resistance to colonial rule in Assam and prepared the way for later uprisings.
Additional Practice Questions
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. The Treaty of Yandaboo was signed in —
(a) 1824 (b) 1825 (c) 1826 (d) 1827
Answer: (c) 1826.
Q2. Gomdhar Konwar was proclaimed king at —
(a) Rangpur (b) Jorhat (c) Sibsagar (d) Guwahati
Answer: (b) Jorhat.
Q3. Maniram Dewan was hanged on —
(a) 24 February 1826 (b) 26 February 1858 (c) 28 January 1894 (d) 5 May 1857
Answer: (b) 26 February 1858.
Q4. The Phulaguri Dhewa took place in —
(a) Darrang (b) Kamrup (c) Nagaon (d) Sibsagar
Answer: (c) Nagaon.
Q5. The Patharughat Massacre took place on —
(a) 28 January 1894 (b) 13 April 1919 (c) 26 February 1858 (d) 10 May 1857
Answer: (a) 28 January 1894.
Q6. The first peasant uprising in Assam was —
(a) Patharughat (b) Phulaguri Dhewa (c) Rangia Riot (d) Lachima Riot
Answer: (b) Phulaguri Dhewa.
Q7. The British officer killed in Phulaguri Dhewa was —
(a) Captain Welsh (b) Lieutenant Singer (c) David Scott (d) Captain Neufville
Answer: (b) Lieutenant Singer.
Q8. Maniram Dewan set up the first tea garden owned by an Indian at —
(a) Jorhat (b) Cinnamara (c) Tezpur (d) Dibrugarh
Answer: (b) Cinnamara.
Q9. “Raij Mel” means —
(a) Royal court (b) People’s assembly (c) Tax record (d) British court
Answer: (b) People’s assembly.
Q10. The Ahom prince supported by Maniram Dewan in 1857 was —
(a) Purandar Singha (b) Kandarpeswar Singha (c) Chandrakanta Singha (d) Gomdhar Konwar
Answer: (b) Kandarpeswar Singha.
Fill in the Blanks
Q1. The Treaty of Yandaboo was signed on ____________.
Answer: 24 February 1826.
Q2. ____________ led the first anti-British revolt in Assam in 1828.
Answer: Gomdhar Konwar.
Q3. Maniram Dewan and Piyali Barua were hanged at ____________.
Answer: Jorhat.
Q4. The first peasant uprising in Assam was the ____________ of 1861.
Answer: Phulaguri Dhewa.
Q5. The Patharughat Massacre took place in ____________ district.
Answer: Darrang.
True or False
Q1. The Treaty of Yandaboo ended the Second Anglo-Burmese War.
Answer: False. It ended the First Anglo-Burmese War.
Q2. Maniram Dewan was the first Indian to set up a tea garden in Assam.
Answer: True.
Q3. The Phulaguri Dhewa took place in Darrang district.
Answer: False. It took place in Nagaon (Nowgong) district.
Q4. About 140 peasants were killed in the Patharughat Massacre of 1894.
Answer: True.
Q5. Lieutenant Singer was killed in the Rangia Riot.
Answer: False. He was killed in the Phulaguri Dhewa of 1861.
Glossary of Key Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Treaty of Yandaboo | Treaty signed on 24 February 1826 ending the First Anglo-Burmese War; Assam came under British rule. |
| Borbhandar Borua | The Prime Minister or chief revenue officer of the Ahom kingdom; a post once held by Maniram Dewan. |
| Raij Mel | A traditional Assamese village assembly where peasants discussed common problems and grievances. |
| Dhewa | An Assamese word meaning “wave” or “uprising”; used for the Phulaguri peasant revolt of 1861. |
| Mauzadar | A revenue collector appointed by the British to collect land tax from the peasants of a mauza (revenue circle). |
| Paik System | The traditional Ahom labour-service system replaced by British cash-revenue settlement. |
| Opium Policy | The British policy of monopolising opium and banning its local cultivation, which ruined Assamese peasants. |
| Krishak Swahid Divas | “Peasants’ Martyrs’ Day” observed on 28 January every year in memory of the Patharughat Massacre. |
| Sepoy Mutiny | The Revolt of 1857 against the British East India Company by Indian soldiers and rulers. |
| Kandarpeswar Singha | The young Ahom prince supported by Maniram Dewan in the 1857 conspiracy. |
This complete English-medium guide for Class 10 Social Science History Chapter 3 — Anti-British Rising and Peasant Revolts in Assam covers all important questions and answers as per the ASSEB syllabus. Keep visiting HSLC Guru for more chapter-wise notes, MCQs and exam-oriented study material to score top marks in your HSLC examination.