prajamandal movement shimla

Shimla & Kinnaur (including Bushahr, Theog)

• Dumh /dujam Movement (Bushahr State, against cash tax system): 1859
• Theog Peasant Movement (Against forced labor and high taxation): 1898
• Revolt in Beja and Theog Thakurais: 1898
• keonthal 1897
• Dodra Kwar Revolt (Ranbahadur Singh’s attempt to make the region independent from Bushahr): 1906
• Rampur Bushahr Movement (Non-cooperation against officials and British forest exploitation): 1906
• Theog and Madhan Movement (Early signs of revolt): 1926–1928
• Bushahr Praja Mandal Satyagraha (Against interim council): 1947 (March)
• Independent Theog Government (Established by Praja Mandal post-independence): 1947 (Aug 15)

dumh 1859 :

king : raja shamsher singh

leader : mian Fateh singh

reason : tax in cash by munshi Shyam lal

key positions outsiders : Paras ram

intervention : g barnes

method : abandon villages to health agricultural production and hence state revenue.

reult : tax in kind and old wazir reinstated

theog peasant MOVEMENT 1898 :

reason : begar and high taxation by British and princely state .

leader : devi ram keola

outcome : devi ram keola got 1 yrs jail

dodra kwar revolt 1906 :

vs raja of bushahr

reason : to make dodra kwar independent

leader : ran Bahadur Singh (hereditary Wazirat from pawari , Kinnaur )

outcome : ran Bahadur Singh was imprisoned

Rampur Bushahr Movement

Early Movements

• ‘DUJAM’ (1906): The people of Rampur Bushahr started ‘DUJAM’, which was a form of non-cooperation movement.
• Purpose: It was a protest against:
  1. Certain state officials.
  2. Exploitation of state forests by the British.

Pt. Padam Dev’s Social Struggle (1920s)

• Leader: A Brahmin youth, Pt. Padam Dev.
• Cause: He waged a struggle on behalf of low castes against social practices.
• Practices Opposed:
  • ‘Reet’: A custom involving the “sale and purchase of women for matrimonial purposes.”
  • Untouchability.
  • Child marriage.
• Other Actions: He was also instrumental in the conversion of Samuel Evans Stokes to Hinduism.
• Consequences: He “brought upon himself the wrath of the Raja and the higher castes” but continued his work fearlessly.

Satyanand Stokes (S.E. Stokes)

• Location: Kotgarh.
• Struggle: He launched a struggle against ‘Begar’ (a system of forceful labor without giving just wages).

Topic: Himalayan Riyasti Praja Mandal (HRPM)

• Formation: Organized in December 1938.
• Purpose: To direct the activities of political and social workers in the numerous hill states.
• Founder Members:
  • Sarvshri Chiranji Lal Verma, Bhag Mal Sautha, Pt. Padam Dev, Govind Singh, Gian Chand Totu, Surat Parkash (Theog), Devi Dass Musafir (Madhan), Bhaskra Nand (Bhajji), Mansha Ram Chauhan, Hira Singh Pal, Sita Ram, etc.
• Activities: Undertook programmes of organizing public meetings in various Shimla Hill States to “arouse people.”
• Key Figure: Pt. Padam Dev (Secretary, HRPM) was a “great force” in launching these activities.

Topic: State & British Repression

• Ban by Ranas: The Ranas of small states like ‘Ghund’, ‘Theog’, ‘Balsan’, ‘Baghal’, ‘Bhajji’, ‘Beja’, ‘Darkoti’, and ‘Keonthal’ banned the entry of Praja Mandal workers.
• Pretext: They claimed it was state policy that “no outsider be allowed to represent the case of their subjects.”
• Arrests: Local workers of the HRPM were arrested.
• British Reaction:
  • British authorities became “suspicious and watchful.”
  • They warned state governments against the activities of the HRPM and its sister organizations.

Topic: ‘Bhai Do, Na Pai Movement’

• Context: This famous movement followed the British repression.
• Meaning: “Neither to give recruits for the British army nor money for war funds.”
• Significance: It was essentially an extension of the civil disobedience movement.
• Outcome: Led to the imprisonment of Praja Mandal workers.

Re-activation (1945): Praja Mandal activities, which had been suppressed, were re-activated.

Other Organizations: People organized other groups like:

• ‘Sudhar Sammelan’
• ‘Sewak Mandal Delhi’
• ‘Bushahr Prem Sabha’

Action: Refusal of ‘Begar’ (forced labor) at a number of places.

Key Leaders & Strategy:

• Pt. Padam Dev: Was working from Shimla.
• Pandit Ghanshyam, Satya Dev Bushahri (and many others): Continued working from within the state.

‘Bushahr Praja Mandal’ (Satya Dev Group):

• Launched a Satyagraha in March 1947.
• This was followed by large-scale arrests and firing by state police.

Other Participants:

• Thakur Sen Negi: Took an active part in the movement in later years.
• Low-paid employees: Established a ‘Bushahr Rajya Karamchari Sangh’.

Political Developments (1947-1948):

• 18th April 1947: The Raja conceded the demand for setting up a representative assembly, but his sudden death prevented this from happening.
• 18th May 1947: The Political Agent (in consultation with the Council of Regency) nominated an interim council without taking the Praja Mandal into confidence.
• Agitation Continues: The Praja Mandal (PM) agitation continued in response.
• October 1947: The interim council decided to hold elections for the Vidhan Parishad. The PM group (led by Satya Dev Bushahri) decided to cooperate and contest the elections.
• Election Result: The Praja Mandal won all the seats.

Merger:

• 15th April 1948: The state became part of Himachal Pradesh and merged with India.

Theog, Madhan Movement

Early Revolt (1926-28)

• Location: The first sign of revolt became visible in the princely states of Theog and Madhan.
• Suppression: ‘Baluchi’ and ‘Jehlemi’ police were deployed to suppress the movement.
• Atrocities: They “perpetuated large scale atrocities against the people” to kill their spirit.
• Leadership (Theog):
  • Mian Kharak Singh provided good leadership.
  • He was assisted by his wife, Devwati.
• Inspiration: Similar movements in Madhan, Kumharsain, Ghanahatti, Ghund, etc., provided “new zeal and inspiration” to the people in Theog.

Independent Theog (1947)

• 15th August 1947: With the coming of freedom, the Praja Mandal captured the state of Theog and set up an independent government.
• Government Officials:
  • Chief Minister: Surat Parkash
  • Advisor: Dr. Y.S. Parmar
  • Secretary: Shri Devi Dass
• Significance: It was “incredible” that Theog merged with independent Himachal at a time when other princely states were opposing their merger with India.

Post-Merger Attack

• Rana’s Attack: Five to six months after the merger, the Rana made an armed attack, looting the treasury and ancient records.
• Intervention:
  • This news was conveyed to Sardar V.B. Patel by Dr. Y.S. Parmar.
  • Sardar Patel sent a police force.
  • The Rana was arrested and exiled from the state.