Consider the following statements : 1. In the 19th century, peasants

Consider the following statements :

  • 1. In the 19th century, peasants in various parts of India rose in revolt against moneylenders and grain dealers.
  • 2. In May 1875, at village Supa in Poona District in the Bombay Deccan, peasants attacked shopkeepers, burnt the bahi khatas (account books), looted grain shops and set fire to the houses of Sahukars.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2022
Statement 1 is correct. The 19th century witnessed several peasant uprisings across India. A significant cause of discontent was exploitation by moneylenders (sahukars) and grain dealers, alongside other grievances against landlords and the colonial state’s policies. Examples include the Deccan Riots, the Pabna agrarian league, etc.
Statement 2 is correct. The Deccan Riots of 1875 were a series of riots by peasants against moneylenders in the Poona and Ahmednagar districts of Maharashtra. The riots began in May 1875 in Supa village (Poona district), where peasants attacked the houses and shops of moneylenders, burnt account books (bahi khatas), and looted grain.
Peasant revolts against moneylenders were a feature of 19th-century India, and the Deccan Riots of 1875, starting in Supa, Poona, are a specific example involving attacks on moneylenders and their records.
The Deccan Riots were investigated by a commission, leading to the passing of the Deccan Agriculturists’ Relief Act of 1879, which provided some protection to peasants against moneylenders. Other significant peasant movements of the 19th century included the Indigo Revolt (1859-60) and the Moplah Rebellion (various periods).