The Santal Revolt of 1855 and the impact of Alternative Spirituality on Women

Abstract: The Santal rebellion of 1855 is a significant landmark in the history of tribal rebellions in colonial India. For the Santals, it was a holy war to establish a new social order of their own kingdom where they would be able to reinvent their ancient golden past without any intervention from colonial rulers and alien administration. The religious interpretations of the leaders reinforced such views. The leaders, Seedo and Kanhu, declared that they had been appointed as the new kings of their new kingdom by their supreme God. Indeed, they styled themselves as the true emissary of God. The religious beliefs determined every aspect of the life of the Santals. Even the social and political structure of the society was influenced by religious beliefs. Therefore, the concept of the incarnation was easily recognized by the masses. Religious interpretation about the mode of rebellion made Seedo and Kanhu undisputed leaders and their orders were regarded as oracles to the Santals, unfortunately, it proved fatal to the women of the Santal society.

Presenter bio: Dr. Ata Mallick, is presently serving in the capacity of Assistant Professor; Department of History, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Satabarshiki Mahavidyalaya (affiliated to West Bengal State University, India). Her area of specialization includes Tribal and Gender studies. She has delivered talks in several national and international conferences in India and abroad. She has contributed numbers of articles to Indian journals which included Economic and Political Weekly and ANTYAJAA: Indian Journal of Women and Social Change. She has contributed articles in edited volumes that included Routledge Studies in Cultural History. She has completed the Government (Jharkhand, India) Project on “Urbanization of Damin-i-Koh and Paharia Tribe 1540-1837” as a Research Coordinator. She has recently presented papers on “The Concept of Crime and Delinquency of the Santals of India” for upcoming symposia organized by The Tunisian World Centre for Studies at Beja, Tunisia from 22nd -24th November 2022. Her paper on “Urbanization of Colonial Calcutta and Bengali Women” has been accepted for an edited volume on "Urbanisation in Bengal: Ideas, Institutions, and Policies” by Routledge India.

Presenter affiliation: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Satabarshiki Mahavidyalaya (West Bengal State University), West Bengal, India