A Historical Study on Sannyasiand Fakir Rebellion of Dinajpur District

Colonial Dinajpur district had a rich political history and socio-cultural heritage. Presently the district has the area of Dinajpur district of Bangladesh and two separate districts namely Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur of West Bengal, India.Many groups of Sannyasi and Fakirs like Naga, Purbiya, Baksaria, Bhojpuri, Madari etc have been living permanently in Dinajpur since the Mughal period.The increase in British taxes, the tyranny of the Naibs, and the plight of the farmers gave fresh impetus to the Sannyasi and Fakir rebels. In 1760 AD, this rebellion started in Dhaka and gradually spread to Bogra, Malda, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Mymensingh, Faridpur, Cooch Behar and lasted till 1800.The rebellion came to be known as the ‘Sannyasiand Fakir Rebellion’ as Sannyasi and Fakirs led the rebellion. The rebellion took place in three phases: The first phase was 1763-69 AD, the second phase was 1770-72 AD and the third phase was 1773-78 AD. Notable leaders of this rebellion were Majnu Shah, BhavaniPathak, Devi Chaudhurani, Musa Shah, Chirag Ali and others. This rebellion was spontaneous. The Sannyasi and Fakirs rebellion failed, but it shook the foundations of the English E.I. Company rule.