Migration or Rebellion – The Choice of the Deprived

The cause caught between the colonial British government and the local leader they had eventually two alternatives, of rebellion or migration. This paper discusses which path the tribal people choose and why. Revolt is by its very nature an open and public event, and is indeed a collective enterprise. Throughout this work the term revolt is used to describe the 1879-80 Rampa Uprising. Rampa and its adjacent hills assumed historical significance for being the site of a major tribal revolt that occurred during 1922-24 under the leadership of Alluri Seetaramaraju. Rampa at present in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh state, came under British in 1766 and formed part of the then Godavari district in Madras presidency. Absence of roads, unhealthy tracts, oppressive temperature prevented the penetration of people from plains, and ensured the inhabitants of these areas relative diverse tribal groups. Generally the form of government is either democracy, aristocracy or limited monarchy, “but the concept of freeman is almost universal in the society”. Though the polity in the hill society was heirarchial13 with manasabdar14 at the apex, followed by muttadar and the rest consisting of tribal villagers, the mansabdar exercised only “theoretical supremacy over the muttadars and villagers”. Scarcity of communication, nature of the region, general antipathy of the people on plains for centuries led to the perpetuation of their tribal identity and their traditional mode of life. But isolation gave way with the arrival of Britishers at the opening of 19th century “for whom such rational practices appeared totally inconsistent at it affected their forest resources”, Britishers did not lose the sight of rich wealth of the forest and started interfering in the internal affairs of the tribals. Amongst these wild tribes justice is amply vindicated on such occasion by the punishment of the headman, under whose influence common people turn out to fight with the Sirkar (Government). Mass insurrections are characterized by sudden and dramatic revolts relying on a spirit of solidarity and open resistance against established authority. This is exemplified in the annals of almost every peasant revolt.