Foundations of Resistance (Pre-1857 to 1885)

Resistance to British rule long predates the organised nationalist movement — including tribal and peasant uprisings such as the Sanyasi-Fakir Rebellion (Bengal, late 18th century), the Paika Rebellion (Odisha, 1817, sometimes called a precursor to 1857), the Santhal Hul (1855–56, led by Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu against exploitative landlords/moneylenders), and the Indigo Revolt (Bengal, 1859–60, against forced indigo cultivation, later depicted in Dinabandhu Mitra's play Nil Darpan). These, along with the Revolt of 1857 (covered in the Modern India notes), form the backdrop to organised nationalism from 1885.