Detailed Summary
This section focuses on the historical context surrounding Birsa Munda, a prominent tribal leader born in the late 19th century in Chottanagpur, Jharkhand. The narrative begins with Birsa's emergence as a figure of hope for the tribal community, who believed he possessed miraculous healing abilities and was sent by God to free them from the oppression of outsiders known as dikus.
Birsa's movement drew the disaffected tribal groups, such as the Mundas, Santhals, and Oraons, who felt their traditional lifestyles deteriorating under British colonization. The British colonial policies involved severe changes in tribal lives, the disintegration of their self-governance under tribal chiefs, and exploitative economic practices by traders and moneylenders, which led to widespread poverty and indebtedness among tribal communities.
As Birsa began to advocate for a return to a 'golden age,' he encouraged tribal people to forsake external influences, work on their lands, and improve their communities. His movement not only sought to reclaim traditional rights but also to assert tribal identity against colonial and outsider domination. Birsa's eventual arrest by British authorities only heightened the importance of his movement, signaling the rising tide of resistance among tribal groups against colonial rule and their unyielding quest for justice and autonomy.