TheSannyasi rebellion (Bengali:সন্ন্যাসী/ সাধু বিদ্রোহ,lit. 'monk's rebellion') was a revolt bysannyasis,sadhus (Hinduascetics) inBengal (1763-1800) . In the Eighteenth Century, Pandit Bhavanicharan Pathak, aBrahmin from Jaso village ofBuxar, was the main hero of the 'Sannyasi Rebellion' againstthe rule of the BritishEast India Company (EIC) in the land of Bengal. A large body ofHindu sannyasis travelled annually from North India to different parts ofBengal to visitshrines. Enroute to the shrines, it was customary for many of these ascetics to be bestowed with religious grants from theheadmen andZamindars or regional landlords. In times of prosperity, the headmen and zamindars generally obliged. However, since theEast India Company had received thediwani or right to collect tax, tax demands on zamindars increased, and the local landlords and headmen were unable to pay both the ascetics and the British. The East India Company viewed these Hindu ascetics with suspicion and treated them likebandits. In 1771, 150 ascetics were executed by the EIC authorities.[1]
This led to widespread revolt by Sanyasis ofBengal andBihar. Many disgruntledBhumihar zamindars, foremost beingRaja Fateh Bahadur Shahi of Husseypur andRaja Jugal Kishore of Bettiah, lent active support with men and money to the Sanyassi rebellion, which smouldered for several decades. Sannyasi Rebellion was India's first major anti-British independence struggle in India. Perhaps, the best reminder of the Sannyasi rebellion is found in the Bengali novels, Anandamath (1882) and Devi Chaudhurani (1884), written by India's first modern novelistBankim Chandra Chatterjee. The song,Vande Mataram, which was written in 1876, was used in the book. Vande Mataram was later declared as India's National song. While some refer to it as an early war forIndia's independence from foreign rule, since the right to collect tax had been given to the EIC after theBattle of Buxar in 1764, other historians categorize it as acts of violent banditry following the depopulation of the province in theBengal famine of 1770.[2][3]
At least three separate events are called the Sannyasi Rebellion. One refers to a large body ofHindusannyasis who travelled from North India to different parts of Bengal to visit shrines. En route to the shrines, it was customary for many of these ascetics to exact a religious tax from the headmen andzamindars (feudal lords). In times of prosperity, the headmen andzamindars generally obliged. However, since the East India Companyhad received thediwani or right to collect tax, many of the tax demands increased and the local feudal lords and headmen were unable to pay both the ascetics and the English. Crop failures, and famine, which killed an estimated one million people compounded the problems since much of the arable land lay fallow.[2]
In 1771, 150 members of the Sannyasi rebels were put to death, apparently for no reason. This was one of the reasons that caused distress leading to violence, especially inNatore inRangpur, (now in modernBangladesh). However, some modern historians argue that the movement never gained popular support.[2]
The other two movements involved a sect of Hindu ascetics, theDasanami Naga Sadhus who likewise visited Bengal on pilgrimage.[2] To the British, these ascetics were plunderers and must be stopped from collecting money that belonged to the company and possibly from even entering the province. It was felt that a large body of people on the move was a possible threat.[4]
From hundreds of years monks had been visiting North India and pilgrim sites. They also used to take some alms from zamidars. But after British imposed taxes on zamidars, it became hard for them to give alms to the ascetics. Sannyasis were burdened with restrictions as the British government thought they were plunderers &thugs. And thus rebellion began. Most of the clashes were recorded in the years following the famine but they continued, albeit with a lesser frequency, up until 1802. The reason that even with superior training and forces, the company was not able to suppress sporadic clashes with migrating ascetics was that the control of the company's forces in the far-removed hilly and jungle covered districts likeBirbhum andMidnapore on local events was weak.[4]
The Sannyasi rebellion was the first of a series of revolts and rebellions in the western districts of the province including (but not restricted to) theChuar Revolt of 1799 and theSanthal Revolt of 1855–56.[4] What effect the Sannyasi Rebellion had on rebellions that followed is debatable. Perhaps, the best reminder of the Rebellion is in literature, in theBengali novelsAnandamath (1882) andDevi Chaudhurani (1884), written by India's first modern novelistBankim Chandra Chatterjee. The song,Vande Mataram, which was written in 1876, was used in the novelAnandamath in 1882 (pronounced Anondomôţh in Bengali) and the 1952 movie based on the book.The first two verses ofVande Mataram were later declared to be India's National Song (not to be confused with theIndian National Anthem).
In 2022,Telugu film producer andscriptwriterV. Vijayendra Prasad announced his upcoming project tentatively titled1770: Ek Sangram, based onAnandamath and the Sanyasi rebellion. The movie will be simultaneously made inBengali,Hindi,Tamil andTelugu.[5]