The Santhal Rebellion took place in which year?
Correct answer: (A) 1855.
The Santhal Rebellion, also called Hul, took place in 1855.
Explanation
The Santhal Rebellion is dated to 1855 because the official Sahibganj district history page identifies a dedicated section as "Santhal Rebellion (Hul), 1855" and says the circumstances in Santhal Pargana led to the Hul or Rebellion of 1855. The existing explanation adds that the movement continued in 1855-56 in present-day Jharkhand and was led by Sidho and Kanhu Murmu against exploitative intermediaries and British colonial authority. The source explains the background through economic pressure on Santhals, exactions by baniyas and mahajans, corrupt local administration, and debt labour under the Kamauti system. For an exam question asking the year, 1855 is therefore the precise answer.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) 1875 points to the Deccan Riots, not the Santhal Hul identified with 1855.
- (C) 1899 belongs to the 1899-1900 Munda Rebellion, so it is not the date of the Santhal Rebellion.
- (D) 1831 refers to the Kol Uprising, whereas the Santhal Rebellion is tied to 1855.
Concept
This tests the chronology of tribal and peasant resistance in modern Indian history. RAS repeatedly asks such dates because they anchor broader themes of colonial revenue pressure, local intermediaries and early anti-colonial mobilisation.