Chapter - VI

------------

ALLURI SITARAMA RAJU AND THE

MANY AM REBELLION OF 1922-24.

41.4

50 25 0 25

N I Z A M 'S

DOMINION

LEGEND

Rivers

Hilly areas

Cartography by : Niladri Dash, csrdjsss , Jnu.

4:1.6

'1'he pattern of tribal protests againot foreot grievanc.'E!S in Madras

Pmsichncy during the 1920's c:xmsisted of two stremns ,_.,..ieh hru3 a

~ goal but had differenc:e:l in p:>litical ideology end font!3 of

struggle. During 1920-22, all fort.'l3 of protest around for<!!lt

grievllOOeS operated tti thin tho fr~rk of conqrcso-led t-..'on­

cooperation. During 1922-24, the form of protest t.oo.'t the shape of a

full ccale l'::.lr against colonial police and army. To understand the

dyntl'llics of revolt at the latter 14vol, which is the th~ of this

chapter, wa shall first go into tha specific griwancoa of tribal

con:munities in the colonial oontext in the Rampa region tttich h'hich 1

conditioned the 1922-24 rebellion against British rule in tho hillo.

In the first section of the chapter wa will trace the historical roots

of the different forest qri~~onces under British rulo ~ith a epecinl

emphasis on the mterial factors t::hich conditioned tht!m and tho

consequent hostility of the (pressure fran bal.CM) moses against tho

popularly ~ived "jubberdunt" 'white' rule in the hills. Wa have

also tried to underline the natura of the perception of popular

grievances, the typa of initiative and the level of integration of

tribal msses fran below into the tt.anyam rebellion, ro that the

popular socicll base of the anti-British revolt at the 9X'ass root

level can be highlighted. At t."te sscond lEWel wa restrict

our enquiry to the study of social char&Cter nnd

1. Throughout t.he text the 'WOrd "Rmpa" is bainq used whenever t"a

are d..""Scribing the geography, econany and other relllted oopect:.s of the regionr wen describing thQ rebellion \':3 use the local Mm3 "Kanyam11 and for its lea.cbr the popularly known name •sitarama Rajua inatood of "R.a"IM Rnju" given in the Goverrumnt records. The 't«lrd "rebellion• for •fituri" is preferred ao that its character ~ld bs indicated without any smbiguity.

4 t 7 /

political ideology of the rebellion. At this stage en attenpt

would be made to dem::mstrate the level of integration of the

masses into Alluri Sitarama Raju•s anti-colonial rebtllion. This

would, hopefully, help us to bring cut the unfoldinq initiatives

by the tribal nesses - this is ttlat we cell the 1.10Vel130t from

below - in the light of the structural realities which

necessitated popular mass participation in the two years•

911errilla l-!Br.

Forest Grievances in the Region under British Rule

Geographically the total forest area in Mndras Presidency was 2

19,607 square miles by 1907. By 1922 the agency division in

Andhra alone Embraced a tot.a area of 19, 287 square miles

canprisinq of what ware formerly the tracts of Ganjam, 3

Vb:agap3.tam and Gcxiavari • This agency division represents nost 4

of the hill tribcl groups even though, ears tribes tNere scattered s

into districts like t<urnool 1 Guntur, Olittoor and Nellore. ----·----............... - & ••• I __ ......_ ... .-.... _ _...,..._ ...... _, _______ _......._...__ __ ,..._...,.,.. ... _...__

2. Annual Administration Report of the Forest Dapartment of the Madras Presidency, 1907-08 hm.dras, 1909), p.4 (ho...reafter as Administration Report Forest Dept.) 1 Proceedings of the Board of Revenue (Land Revenue) , Forest, No. 23, dated 1.2.1909.

3.. The total area of the Madras Presidency was 1,42,255 sq. miles. A Statistical Atlas of the Madras Presidency 1920-21 (Madras, 1922), p.lr .Administration Report Forest Dept. 1923-24, Vol.li (Madras, 1925), p.27.

4. Tribes like Koyas and Ronda Reddis w:l:!re dcminant groups in Godavari district. Bsqatas, Ronda Doras or ltonda Kapus, Gadabes, Khonds, M\lka Ooras, Parjas, r<otias, Dhulias, Gbasis, Danbos, Paidis, Valmikis, I<mmlaras, Kl.llmNlries, Ojas, Mulias, Oginbas, Rooas, Jatapus, savaras, Rudulus and Goudas were concentrated in Vizagapatam district. See, A. Aiyappan, Report on the SOcio-eeonard.c Ccnditions of the Aboriginal Tribes of the Province of Madras (Madras, 1948), p.6.

s. Dattinant Tribes in Kurnool were Chenchus, in Guntur Olenchu.~ and Yanadis, end in O!ittoor ond Nallore Yanadia and Irulas ~ich were classified &9 criminal tribes. Ibid.

41.8 The hill regions of the Agency were generally divided into Faupa

6 and GOOem areas or blocks, with 30 (around 700 sq. miles) and 10

(around 740 sq. miles) 'lTUltta.CJ' or estates in each block

respectively. Gudem had 411 villages (in 1921) with a population

of around 21,780, wherea~ Rampa had 230 villages with a

population of around 28,050, even though area-wise there was rx.>t

auch of a difference. In ot;.her ~rds, the density of population

was far greater in ~ than in Gudem, it being 40 per sq. mile 7

in Rampa and 30 psr sq.mile in Chiem. But gaograhically G\¥3em was

less accessible than Rampa, with a robust chain of rrountains and

rough valleys ~ich \ere inaccessible to outsiders due to poor

ocmnunications. The striking difference between the two was the

fewer number of 'mttadare J in Gmem as CXI'I'pBred to P.arrpa •

Traditionally it was the lltllttadari' system which provided a

structural fr8l'l'!SWOrk within \'hlich ell the tribal cx:mnunities ware

effectively united and ruled by feudal rajas or lords from the 8

plains.

'Muttaaart t system

{ I The nuttadars in the Rampa region were the actual rulers as

direct agents to the feudal lords or rajas fran the plains. The

t t • I ) muttadars, however, had no property nghts m land. A nuttadar, --·----,--------------·--.. -... --------~--- ... -- ........... " ........ _ 6. For geographical infornetion see, G.T. Beag, Report en

Census of India, Vol.XIII, Part I, Madras 1920-21, ~. 7-8.

7. Report from Agent, Vizagapatem Agency CGolt. of Madras) Land Revenue and settlenent, G.o. No.2587 (Rev.), 11th Dec., l929rGou't. of ~dras, Rev. Dept., G.O. No.l371 (Rev.), 17th July 1930; Also see, Land Rev. and Sett., G .. O. No.312 (Rev.), 16th Feb., 1923 (Govt.of Madras hereafter as G.O.M.)

8. Christoph Von Purer Haiaondorf, The Re:idis of the Bison Rills (MacRdllan, London, 1945), pp.28 ff and 1671 B.H. Baden-Powell, The India Village Oommunity with Special Reference to the Physical Ethonographic and Historical Conditions of India (Delhi, 1972), w.120-21, 163-65 and 171-74.

4t9 9Cf!erally speaking, was entitled to oollect taxes or levy new

9 ones. Dlring the British rule their :rrediatory role remained the

smne rut the unlimited powers they enjoyed so far were clipped

off. Under British admdnistration a'muttadar'had only the right

to oollect a fixed revenue - as fixed fran time to time by the

Agent - and receive a rerwneration for doing so either in cash or

in the shaps of grants of land and trees free of rent. Ha,nwer,

these righte had no st.Qtutory basis and the 'nuttadars' ~~e

permitted to enjoy them only E.lS a matter of policy. All the I

rights could bs taken EMay by the British Gcwerrment should it ~ 10

become r'fessary to do so. In other 't.'Ords, they ware effectively

brought into the fold of colonial administration, ~ich, in turn,

regularised and controlled their .rights <even the right of

hereditary GU.CC'OSSion to 1MUttas1).

_...__. ..... _........--.. ... ..............,_....._ ...... ··------..... - P P __ _........,,._ I • I • .. ._.__...._,._....._,........_.

9. Theoratically ·~ttadar• collected land revenue and re.id a fixed 'tcattubadi • (revenue) to the rnja in the plains. Far hio cervices h:l retained the land revenue o:>llected in excess of the 'Kattubadi • am:runt. He also enjoyed free lands. A. Aiynppan, op.cit., pp.25-261 Also eoo Minute 24 August 1848, Board of RGvenue Proceedings, 24 August 1848, Urnia Office Library, I.ondon), quoted in David Arnold, "RebP.J.lious Hillmen: TOO Gudem - Rampa. Risings 1839-1924a, in Ranajit Guha (Ed.), SUbaltern Studies I ~~itings en South Asian History and Scciety <Oxford, 1982), p.l04.

10. For details see, roM., G.Os. No.87, Rev.dt. 14th Jan., 1929; No.l09, Judicial, 16th Jan., 1880; No.l666, Rev. 27th July 1929, No.2sa7, REN. 11th nee., 1929; No.2162, RaY. 27th Aug., 1938J No.ll53, Rev. 11th JUne 1934.

11. F.R. Hemingway, ~dras District Gazetteers: Godavari District (Madras, 1915), p.62, Also see David Arnold, op.cit., p.99. In 1916 there was an 'outbreak• in Gudem

1mutta' when one Virayya I))ra ~ ~ fran his 'nutta~ During this rebellion the British rulers used the \1ii!e8.POJl of takinq away the right to'mttas' to break the 'uuttadars' fran the rebellion. The British neddling with the traditional right of succession to rruttas was the nain grievance of

'mutt.adars' ~ich pushed them into the lap of Raju. See, Fortnightly Report, Ist Sept.,l922, No. 7593-1, Public, p.437 tetter from R.A. C'21'8ham, r.c.s., Chief Sec. to GeNt. to the Sec. Govt. of India, Hem. ~· dt. F.S.G. 16 Sept., 1922,

420 This ctmnge not mly altered the power structure in the tribal

scx:iety, blt also brouqht a kind of economic unc:ertllinty into it.

This altered part:ar structure and capricious oconcxnic conditions

antagonised the 'nuttadars~

To eom9 extent, under the traditional ntructure the tribal msse5 ware

oppressed by the 'mttadars ~ under colonialism, the 'mutt:adars I

themselves~ losers, for some cf their ~sand privileges waro

taken FlllaY by the British. Colonialism, therefore, bccntts tho oo:mtxxa

faa \dlicb bound together the' mJttadnrs' ll.nd the irmsses. Thus Gtt!!rgcd

the dual role of ·the' nuttadars' vis-a-vis the M:myam rebellion.

The \nuttadars1 (:atronised rebels by supplying then 'with daily

provisions and non-cooperating with tho Britioh as long as Raju 12

had an upper hand in the rebellion. Th9y no longer connived against

the Britioh authority once it baemna apparent that tha 13

rebels ware lotdng ground •. t\'a shall ba brinqing this dual role of the

'muttadars1 much nnre sharply in later ssetions.

<Pod.u 1CUltivation

'Podu' eulti vat ion had been going on for aqes in the Agency &reaa. A

small tract of land on the slops of a hill \las cleared at the end of

the year. ~ dried ~ was blrnt during March-April. The ashes ................ a ....... _. ill I ll-*"41111o.-.......------·-·-----~-· -----.... ··~----· -· -· --------11. No.7363-3, PublicJ Letter fran F.w. SteWart, x.c.s., tqmcy

carmissioner, to the Chief Sse. to Govt. . dt. Narsatntam, 11 Sept., 1922, · Pub.Dept .. , (Confid), p.4, Meldr&s Gallet'l'ml:!nt Prcx:lanation issued by J,..R. Huggins, Agency Cbt'mi5sioner enclosed to W3ekly .Report fran J.R. Happell, Officer Cotmondinq, Agency Operations, for 28th Dac., 1922, Pub. Dept., (Confid), pp.l68-69.

12. To pick up few instances out of many, see r.m:.ter fran P.w. Stewart, Ibid., . dt. 2lrd Sept., 1922 (Daily Rttx>rt), pp.8-ll; Letter from J.R. Huggins, to the Olief Sec. to Gcwt., dt. Camp, Araku.- 9th June, 1923 .C~ly Report), pp.260-63.

13. For instances, see letter fran J.R. Huggins, dt. W&ltllir, 22 Sept., 1923 (Weekly ~), Pub. Dl!pt., (Cmfid), pp.30l-o2, Weekly Report by SWeney, dt. Camp, Olintalapudi, 31 Y.:ly 1924, Pub. Dept., (Canfid), p.384; Press Ccmnunique, dt. ~ (k)tacamund• 5 June, 1924 in Rampa Disturbances, Ql.\'1., P&rt VII, Pub. Dept., ceonfid.>, w.JJG-37.

421 served as rranure for the crops. The soil was not be touched with

implemnts of any kind. With the first rains a variety of cholam

known &'l 'Khondajonna• naize, ragi and samai ware generally sow.

Occasionally, a snall crop would be obtained fran the same place

during the second year, but very often the spot was deserted i 1

till the jungle grew high enough to tenpt the Pcx3u a1tter. More

often a fresh ~ of land m ·the hill slopes was selected for 14

the next year's cultivation. Burning down a part of the forest

and then hoeing and broadcasting the seeds in the soil fertilised

by the ashes requires very little capital and fairly good crops 15

ware ensured, at least enough for sustenance.

The Koyas, the dominant tribal qroup in the Ranpa region, as a

rule, wuld not practise 'Po:iu' beyond the minimum required for 16

their personal ~. Before the oolonial governmnt took CNer

the m~t of the mjor as 'Wall as minor forests from private

hando, the hill peasants en joyed cxmsiderable freedan to practise

Podu in any (:8rt of the jungle. This freedom, however, was

effectively restricted once the hills ware q>ened to GoveriUI\\!nt 17

exploitation. -- ------------ _______ ,, __ M ____ . t_y'~··. •

', . '-., . - "\{': 14. East Godavari Agent's Report in <n't., G.O. No.l988, ~(~ ··: '.-. \ \

(Pol.), dt. 20 OCt., 1937. I '~. ~ ) I'

15. A. Aiyappam, cp.cit., p.15. " ) ~ < \ . . 1; .:J ,, i.'

\ --~' ·- ... ~_..~,J<-"'"' \ ~' .~,'!.! rev-~ _ ...

16. Ibid., p.l6. ~-

17. S.Playne, Southern India (Madras, 1914), pp.717-20: Administration Report Forest Dept. for Years 1902 ... 03 to 1912-13 and. 1915-16 to 1923-24: B.S. Baliga, Studies in Madras Administration (Madras, 1960), Vol.I, R].215•216r A. v. Raman Pao, &xmomic Development of Andhra Pradesh 1766-1953 (Bombay, 1958), pp.323-24 and 341.

. .. ~ .......... _.

. . :.:. \~

422 It was remarked by Madras Goverl"ment that as a result of "Podu'

large parts of forests had been destroyed; many perennial springs

which u.qed to exist had disappeared, and the sumner now in the

rivers which arose in 'Jiqency areas had. been diminishing year by 18

year and floods in the rainy weather had been aggravated.. This

adversely affected the colonial needs (like ~ for railways) •

Consequently between 1880 and 1900 nany forests ware declared

'reserved' and ~Pcdu' cultivation was banned there.

On the other ha.nd the i.IIplsition of restrictions en 'Pcdu' wa.s CNer

done by the forest officials. It was recorded in a Government

memo No.l6l/0-3, dt. 23rd July, 1923 that •as regards'Fodu'it is

noticed that Mr. Cotterell as Agency Cannissioner in June, 1922

CJaYe it aa his opinion that the country had suffered from too

severe restrictions on jungle clearance, that varioun

restrictions had been ooerdone and much [X)PI.llation and food 19

grains lost for the sake of forests of doubtful value".

Thus this attack oo the source of their subsistance econany

threatened tbe very existence of the tribal society. The bllk: of

the tribals came face to face with the J.mnadiate prospect of

starvation, since the area available under permanent '4et

18. GOM., G.O. No.359, Rev. dt. 23 Feb., 1922, p.4.

19. This was quoted in OOM., Pub. Dept .. , G.O.No. 108, COnfid. dt. 2.2.1925, p. 7. Eventhouqh th~e had been no J1al for.est reservations since 1899, it was observed in 1924 by C.A •. -Hendarson, Agent to <:;c:wernor, that "the repression of )PocJu' · has been going en pretty steadily since 1910 and there has been some discontent about it fran tine to tim •••• "

R.Dis. Confid. 4/23, dt. Vizag, 11th April, 1924, Fran C.A .. Henderson, l.c.s., Agent to the Galternor, Visagapatmn, to the Secretary to Govt. Rev. Dept., Madras, in Ibid., p.l8. Extracts from Adndnistrative Reports from 1909-10 to 1920-21 W&e qiven to show the seviarity of the Golrernment restrictions en 'Po3u1 and the cxmsequent discontent sm:ruldering in t:he hills. see Ibid., oo.lS-25.

423 20

cultivation as \ell as left unreserved for 'Podu'was very snall.

~ M:ldras Government officials noted thtlt the •paucity of lands

in the Gudem taluk for agricultural operations" once •podu' was 21

banned, had bs<::oma the •chief grievance of the people there•.

Hence the right to 'podu' in the forests had becon'e a mjor de!rand

of the hill peasants leading to SOlm! tribal outb.lrsts in the

first two decacbs of the 20th century. The need for 1podu' was

such thnt in epite of "fines and punishltonts 0 it \QG reported

that it was going an in the AgP..ncies as late as 1930's and 22

1940's.

Collection of Minor Forest Produce

Another maans of livelihood for tribesmen ~ the collection of

minor forest produce. Bafore the intrusion of colonial

authority, throuqhout the hill regions, the tribes enjoyed

absolute freedan to carry m thin specific cconanic cctivity. In

a bid to integrate the hill economy into the framework of

colonial econany (during late 19th century), the forest

department cxxnpletely usurped the riqht of collecting even minor

forest produce. The grip of forest departmoot was further

tightened from the ~inning of the 20th century, for the

collection of minor forest produce was t"'t'M done entirely either

20. flildras Legislative ~cil Proce3t:Ungs, Third Session, March 1923, Vol. XIII, Nos.l-10, Q;>.2784-85J October 1924, Vol.XX, Nos.l-12, pp.590-94: G.O.No.S72, Pub. Dept .. , dt. 23 July 1923, <DM: o. Bandia, Op.cit .. , p.6: Mministrative Report of the Madras Presidency 1925 (Madras, 1928), p.2: F.R. He.mningwa.y, Godavari District Gazetteer (1907), W•6 and 95-102.

21. Madras Le:jislative Council Proceedings, lrd Feb. to 6th March 1925, Vol.XXII, Nos.l-9, p.686.

22. Vizagapatam Aqaney Administration Report in CDM .. , G.Os. No.2403, Rev. dt. 21 N0\7.l934J No.l869, Pub. (Pol.), 14 Nov. 19381 No.l880, Pub.(Pol.), 20 Sept. 1940.

424

by the forest department directly or by contractors under the 23

supsrvision of o:>lonial authorities. In sane places the forest 24

department retained the 'seigniorage system•, which was in voque. 25

But the rates were fixed by the forest department.

The qoverntt\9nt rmnopoly of the collection of minor forest produce 26

deprived m:my tribals of their neans of living. No doubt there

still existed the lease, peruiit and oontract system in private

hands, but the forest depart:n\'3nt by following tho principle of ___ ............, ____ . . ..... ... ___ _...... ______ . --·-·-"~-----·---23. It was recorded by forest d,gpartmant as early as in 1904-05,

that "in Vizag no leases were given out and the oontrol of the sales (of minor forest produce) was kept entirely in the hands of the dapartrnmlt. The revenue a>llected Rs. 23, 345 was the largest in the history of the district due chiefly to the brisk dmland for gallnuts oaused by failure of· t.Mt crop in the ~ presidency. In Godavari, minor produce was chiefly exported frat~ the Aqency tracts m payment of the usual seigniorage fees. In Kistna babul gum ~s collected departmentally and supplied to the Suparintendent of stationary.... In Guntur, gum, honey, and wax collected departmentally•. Adadnistration Report Forest 0epartm2nt, 1904-oS (Madras, 1906), p.25J Also see Ibid., 1905-o6 <Madras, 1907), pp.29-30; 1906-1907 <~ras, 1908), p.29.

24. Ibid., p.l9; Also see .Administration Report Forest Department year 1902-03, Q'?.2S-28J Year 1904-05 (Madras, 1906), pp.25-26J year l905-o6 CMildras, 1907), pp.28-29J year 1906-07 (Madras, 1908), w.29-36J year 1912-13 (Madras, 1914), pp. 13-14J year 1919-20 (Madras, 1921), pp.28-30. Urder the "Seigniorage system", "penni ts for the collection of specified produce and articles such as stone 1 chiselled and unchisell.ed, gravel, squared timer, etc., at rates .fixed by the Porest deo.partment are granted to persons applying for them. This system obtains in unreserved areas 11bere the right of oollection of forest materials is not leased wt to contra.ct-..ors•.. A .. Aiyappa.n, op.cit., p.l9.

25. It was observed that "the sowcars and other plainsaen, who (took) such perm! ts threu<;Jh their old established c:onnexions with the hillmen.... cheat(ed) the illiterate hillmen by using false ueasures and weights and by paying them for the goods far below any reasonable rate". A. Aiyappan, q,.cit., p.l9.

26. See, Edqar 'rburston, Caste and Tribes of Southern India (Madras, 1909) Ust reprint, tendon 1965), Vol .• II, Rl.27-33J C.H. Benson, q>.cit., w.S-7r Administration Report Forest Department 1919-20 (Madras, 1921), p.29.

425

yearly renewals oould effectively oontrol these private agencies.

But the d3partment (X)Uld not a:m.trol the arbitrary fixing of low

wages at piece-rates by these private sgencies and thus check the

extreme exploitation af tribals. As a. result the hillman thlo

collected minor forest produce under the system of contract \1ere,

paid very low rates for the produce. These low rates ware

arbitrarily fixed by the private cxmtraetor ~ \"as often backed 27

by the pawarful governnent agent.

Even the trading a::mmunities in the hills were effected by the

colonial rule and had to leave their profession. In all the

hill regions the minor forest produce -~ich was collected by the

tribals ~ p.'lssed em to t.he plains through the traditional \ ,

trading comnunities. For instsnc:e, Salijas ware describsd es the

"Chief Telugu trading cnste, scattered throughout all parts of

the Presidmcy•, carryin9 on the trc.de linking even the remote

parts Chills) with min centres of trade. In fact, this bec,ame 28

quite a problem at that time.

27. A. Aiyappan, op.cit., pp.lB-19.

28. Ses, Fdqar 'lburst.on, Castes and Tribes of Southern India (Madras, 1909 ) , Vol.l, pp .134-35. • Bapari • was another caste, meaning a trader, whose members ware traders and carriers between the hills and plains in the Vizagapatam Agency tracts. See, Ibid., p.211. 'Besthas' ware another group \'lho ware traders and baing m:>st numerous above the ghats. see, Ibid, p.2l9;. This traditional system of trading was however, replaced by the contract/lea.ae/parmit system, explicitly and legally controlled by the COlonial Governm:mt, depriving these groups of their livelihood. Consequently, m:my of these groups by the beginning of the 20th century shifted to agriculture and other forms of work like ooalie labour.

426 System of tCoolie' Labour

To earn a livelihood nany of the hill tribeS tumed to tooolie1

labour. The forest department ~a the biqqest employer of the

hill tribal labour. Ths tribals ware SJi)loyed for various forest

operations ineludinq road work. 1\'hilo it was said that they

ware paid at local rates for their labour, nnny <:XXq>laints were

made to the Aiyappan Cc:xmlittee, appointed by the Gcnernrrent of

Madras in 1946 to enquire into the socio-econanic o:mditions of

the aboriginal Trib!s of the province, that the hill.m:2n ~re not

paid at all for oertain type of forest terk.. If at all they ware

paid, "the Gcwernment rates ware often bslow the current narket 29

rates". lt was remrked by F .w. Stewart, Pqency Ccmnissioner

Vizaqapatam, in Septembar, 1922 that 11t.he deputy Tahsildar

(Bastian) has taken labour for road ~rk (in ~) without 30

paying for it .. This my ba t..rue •••• " Interestingly, this ~

one of the najor grievances V!ich aroused the tribals against

colonialism during 1922-24. This \aS a>rroborated by A.R.K.

Knapp, Hone lbnber in Madras LEgislative Council, after his visit

to Narsapatam an 22 November, 1922. To quote him: "Every ate -··----------··-·...._...._ ________ ,.._,........__. ....................... -..... ----··---~._._............,.,.... ____ 29. A. Aiyappan, op.clt., p.20.

30. Oani-official letter fran F.W. Stewart, Agency camdssioner in-c!Ytrge,Vizagapataro, to the Chief secretary to GO'.Tornrozmt, dt.. Csnp, ~sapatam, 12 Sept., 1922, Pub. Ospt., (Strictly Confidential), p.35J Demi-official, Stewart, Ibid., 18th S<;pt., 1922 <J)aily Report, Confid.), p. 71 Letter fran J.R. Huggins, Agency camlissioner, to the Cllief Sec. to Government dt. waltair, 15th Dac., 1922, (Ws$J.y Report) Pub. Dept. (catfid), p.l64J weekly Report fran J.R. Hugqins, Ibid., dt. 23rd June, 1923, therein enclosed a report fran Deputy Tahsildar:, Malkanaqiri, to the Agency c:amd.ssioner dt. llth June, 1923, p.270.

427

seems to be agreed that the 1mpress~nt of labour for road­

ml!k fng, etc., has something to do with it, (Manyam rebe11 ion of

19224 24) more particularly ~en joined ~ith the general 31

suggestions· that the impressed labour ~as not paid for•.

Forest contrllctors ~re also big employers. of tribal labour and

the off1ccrs of the Forest Department tere expected to see that

the tribesmen got fair ~ages. Ho~ever, the links bet~een the 32

•notoriously corrupta forest officials nnd the forest

contractors, ~ho monopolised private business tn the hill tracts.

effectively denied justice to the hill peasants.

There were other forms of oppressive labour ~tch ~re vicious,

harrassfng and unjust vestiges of hillmenis slavery. One ~as

'Vettf' labour - underpaid or free customary labour -, the other

\:laS 'goth11 labour - a form of debt bondage. ~ich often descended

from father to son. 'Vett.f • labour tJas especially employed by the, .. · ' . . ·. -- "':'' . .

~-------------~----------··-------~------------~---~-------·----· l .

31. r.r. A.R.K. Knapp visited Narsapatam on 22 Nov., 1922. Note on return to Madras, Pub. Dept •• (Strictly Conffd), p.l56.

This type of forced labour by the forest officials and others matched by their cruelty explains in part the mass base of the Manyam rebellion. For instance, the Deputy Tahs11dar of Gudem, Bastian, and his peon ~re reported to have applied Yarra (Chilly po~dor) to labourers (on the wounds caused by beating) on the road to make them work harder. See Report from the Deputy Tahsfldar, Malkanag1r1, to the Agency Commissioner. dt. 13 June 1923, appendix to, a ietter from J.R. Huggins, dt. 23 June 1923. (Weekly Report)., Pub. Dept., (Strictly Conffd), p.270; Also see, M •. Venkatarangaiya, The Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh (Andhra) Vol.IIt (1929-31) (Hyderabad, 1965). pp.365-70.

32. See, Administration Report Forest Department. years 1902-1903 to 1924-1925. Each annual report has one chapter on the aconduct of establishment• ~hich gives ample evidence of the •notoriously corrupt character• of forest officials. ~hose conduct was never recorded even as •satisfactory" on the whole.

428

Forest Dapartment in the ~ region once the billa t."3rc

in~atod into the =lonial ~. Satotiml3 ~lsory

lobour tOS extracted fran tho tr ibllla in scma (X)l't.ions of thl3

Agency under A\.ct l of 1858. This amounted in pract103 to forced 33

labour tlith no wa<JGS or low ~·

~. from the later half of the 19th amtury, it ~s ths

Forest ~tmant which fJ!Il2rgCd m tho biggest ~loy3r of tho

hill labour for lo.ying roads end other ca::munication fcciliti~

moGtly undM" syotG'll'IO lllto 'Vot.ti'. Thin, in turn, strengthoncd

the resentmant amopg tribols llgaint the lllien colonial rule.

This resentmMt consolidtlted their Mti -colonial c:onsciousnesa.

'Illegitimacy' of British Rule Enters Popular PQ!rccption

The p3Qaants in PD:mp:t. haw h::ld a variot.y of expsrienc3S that h!lve

prodUced the awareness of their 91'ievonc:es end the 'illegitintcy•

of ~ British authority which parp3t.uated those cp:ievancao. As

we have SE'Jen earlier the annihilation of tho hill p:Jasants ' ..

traditional subsist.ano3 economy podu cultivations, the usurpation

of their cust'.ca3ry rights on forest resources like collection of

minor forast produce and the imposition of an J.nereasingly

burdensom systems of unpaid or underp!lid earviees and forced ..,. • ... , ......... ., ........ t ..... , .............. _.,_., -----·-·--"' ________ .. ·-··---· _ ............ ---·"·-·-·-

33. Dso-offic:ial letter fran Stetmt, op.eit., dt. 12 sept., 1922, Pub. Deptt. (Strictly Confidl, p.Js, Mndras Legi.alative Council Proceedings. Third Session, Sept.embar 1922, Vol.Vlti, Nos. 1-5, pp.l73-74. This type of forced frea labour was abolished mly in 1938 and 1940. Sea, GlM, G.O.No.242, Public (Pol.) dt. 8th Feb., l938t G.O. No.l408, Pub.(Pol), dt. 19th July, 19401 Also ooe, lettor of the Enst Godavari Ag'Gnt in G.Os. No.l534, Pub. (Pol.), dt. 15th Sopt., 1939J No.l890, Pub. (Pol.), at. 20th Sept., 19401 No.988, Pub. (Pol.) dt. lStb March 1941.

429

labour by the British Goverrment \-!are najor factors M'lich

generated and ultiuately strengthened the a:msciousness of the

'illeqitimcy• of oolonial rule in the hills. TOO nost ~Y 0...

frustrating factors in all these cases t"are that no altertlti ves

to tpodu1 cultivation t:are provided. Instead, the oppressive

British forest policy and rigid law enforcing mechanisne ware

encountered by the tribals menever tbey tried to go back to

·their old forms of living. This frustration, acted as a strong

radiClllizinq stimulus for ection fran below against the perceived c-.

•unjust' and 'illegitin\;e' British rule in the Ranpa region.

Once the 'illeqitimacy.' of British rule entered into popular

perception the foundations t~ere laid for a radica.l outburst from

b3l.ow against British r1.1le in Rampa.

It doas not man that wa are totally danying the existence of

consciousness of grievances ~erated in <X>UrSe of the tribals •

day-to-day interactions with rmti ves fram the plllins. For

instance, there did exist the scwcars • (m:mey-lenders' ) econanic 34

enslavement of the hill peasants, exploitation by private 35

~ess groups and forest contractors, alienation of land to

-'----------· .. ----·----.... ----... - ......... ····-· . ...._........ ............... ~.....,_..,.....

34. For a <btailed cbscription of this ~hod of exploitation see, OO.'Vf., G.Os. No.258, Darelopm:!nt, dt. lrd Feb., l940J No.268, Dsvelopment, dt. 12th Feb., 1941; No.l249, Pub.(Pol.), dt.26th June 1940, A. Aiyappan, op.cit., pp.22-24.

35. For details see, Factual Msmranda of Pub. CPol.) Dept. on excluded and partially excluded areas (Printed) QX\1., l946J Also Ibid.

43J

36 bigger ryots fran plain!J, and so on. t"~i10t tt:a arc interested in

is identifying tho dominant str~~ within ~~e overlapping

consciousnesses. Esp.....acially, the probletr'.s a.ssociatoo with plains

(native) people tad not threatened the \rery existence of the hill

£.l9asants' suhsistance cconany. In the face of the British

Government's monopolistic exploitative control of the hill

r.r:aources which did so, tho problems associated with plains

<native) poople ~·way or other secondary. TOO

internalisation of the devastating soci~c expcrioneos

under B.ritish rule thus ~trenqthened the basic strand of anti-

colonial consciousness ,;ushing the other forms of conscioui<oo.,oaes

into the 'background at least for the period of colonilll rule~ It

is there!ore not llt all ourprising to note the conspicuous

36~ GOM., G.Os.No. 129, Local & Municipal (Legislntiva) dt.27th Sept., 1916; lb.l493, Haro (Judicial) dt.. 19th July, 1917.

Paradoxically, even the 'Ag~ncy Tracts Interest and Land 'l'ranofer PLt of 1917' tshich aimad at curbing tho nefario~ transactions of plainstren, \\'ho simply pocketed the properties of the hill (:JCnsants "for a oong .. , b.Y lending ~roney at "extortionate rates of interest• and also in ~.3 cases appropriated the lands for failure to repay t.he loans, was a failure due to uany loopholes in the Act. An amendment was no doubt, p!tased fiY.ing the maximum rate of inerest on the debt& borrowed by hillmen as 6 1/2% instead of at 24,, but that was done only in 1940.

Regulation 11 of 1940 to Act l of 1917 wac ,;naoer.i fixing the int~t rateq on debt~ of tribals. See, ~ ... G.O.l~o.B.tl, l.ecjal, dt. 27th May 1940; For details on loopholes in the Act of 1917, £e~, Board Proceedings t-~.605, dt. 27th Feb. 1929, @1; OOM., G .. Os. tm.281 (R!N.) dt. 3rd Feb., 19201 No.2315 (Rev.> dt. 5th Nov., 1931; No .. l21l5 CRev.) dt. 26th June 19347 East Godavari llgent.n' Rq:>ort in G.O. No.l81, Pub.ti?Ql.) dt. 3lnt Jan., l937J G.O. No.84, teqal, dt. 27th ~~y 1940; G.O.No.l249, Pub. tPol.) dt. 26th JUne 1940.

In spite of all these changes there t-:as no provision in the Act to safeguard tho alienation of p:-oduce by the tribals. Rather the Gc:Nerrnront han taken the side of the oowcars and allowed the so-called "e1rooth collection" of debts. See, Ga-l., G.Os. No.2627, Develop:n:mt, dt. 13th 't<lov ., 191307 Board's Report in 268, D::welopment , dt. 12th Feb., 1941.

431

absEnCe of apon hootility ta...~ pl.oino CO".a:oro, big;or ryot.s,

businossmn, etc., throughout the mbsllion. Th3 cole object of

the tt.anyam reballion was to rea:we tb3 11un just.. and

• illegitimate• Britioh rulo in tho 8E:Dlpa IX!gion. Consequently

only the atlhite" officers md soldiers and Governmnt

inotitutions liko police stations and Tohsildars represonting

civil wt.hority ttara ott.llckcd. This c:an:a to b:! reoogniscd by t.bo

enquiry oonduct.ed in 1924 by 'l'.G. Ruth2rford, Sp::ciol

Ccmd.osioner, ~ Op:n'ations, into the root muses for tho

uttor oonte!r\9t of ooloniol rule mnifested during the rebal.lion. 37

According to the E.flQUiry:

'l'h3 root en use of the population· of the tract (~) b3in.q m ready to halp the fituridm:s end supproos informatiOn as to their ~ts, especitllly in orcas like Gnbgroa fl~l end Paths taluk ganorally \\'hero there h:ld boen no Bastian to magnify into a tyrant mad no forest grievances to dilate on, in I must a:.mfeas e. pusale to 11'0.. • uoinly it aunt I think b3 due to 80!110 highland spirit of • cussedness • mixed with a sneaking fe3l.lng of edministrntion for the adventures in their fight c;aint the Sircllr tAlieh it amnot ~said md dono anything to endcnr itself to them- the activities they C3 are DDStly repressive or J.nvolw distasteful t:!Orlt an in the construction of roads or ths objectionable practices of police and revenue subordinates.... ~ of the rebalG questioned by ma could give no parsonal reason for hostility to Govo.rnmnt (and they are not siuply criminals)... (But) soma of them had boat\ fined \1hat appear to ~ unneeesnerily l.nrgo C'l1m'3 for forest offences end resented not baing able to go into the forest and cut what they t311ted for their ordinary purposes or to 9J:'UO G\Ten young

----------•-w••---·------•-•u-•--~--·-•-•~--·---·------~----•-••-•-•~-u-•-•--•-•-•-u-•------•

37. Rutherford Cll the causes of the P.amp!l Fituri, walt&ir, dt. 22nd August 1924 iD M. Venkatarangniya, The Preedcm Struggle in Andhro Pradesh CAndbra), Vol.III, (1921-31) (Hyderabsd, 1965), pp.367-68.

eal.ves without fee : as R'uda Ramayya p~t it •wa are fins:l Rs.lS/- for cuttinq a stick and have to pay four mmas for o c::alf GO high to grazett. Others tAlo had no lands nor cattle said they had besn able to eke out their li vinq by podu before it ~s restricted •••••

432

Th9 root cauoes for the rebs11ion had thus bean identified in the

enquiry as restrictions on ~podu1 al1tivation, bmlned «ecess to 38 .

rarest resources, exploitation on mad 't.'Or.ks, and tyranny of

forest and rGVenue officials. This analysis was lllso borne out by

those tJho spoke in ths M:ldras Ltsqislati ve Council during 1922 and 39

1925.

This grievance added with other grievances 'Wich wa hav<! 40

described earlier acted as a •c.oombustible material n for Raju • s

rebellion.

In other wrds, to quote BiS't:!allath Das, a ~r of the Madras

Legislative Cotmcil that "these grievances ~e there fran tilm!

to timJ they were brought to the notice of the officials

38. "The ttoya had lost his elemmtary rights. He could not fell one tres in the forest as bsfore for oookinq his food. His CC74 could not freely graze an the forest pasture as bafore. Thus the tbtole of the Agancy was seeking with discontent•. A report at Manyam rebsl1ion tGs sent by M. Annapumiah, Editor of a Telugu Paper 'The Ccnqress • , to Matmtma Gandhi and the abridged version of tdlich was p.lbl.ished in, Younc.J India, JUly 18, 1929, VOl.XI, No.29, p.235.

39. Madras Legislative Council Proceedings, March 1923, Vol.XIII, Nos. 1-10, pp.2784-85J 5th to 9th Feb., 1924, Vol.XVI, Nos. 1-S, p.418; 4th to 27 March 1924, Vol.XVII, Nos.l-14, p.l077J lOth to 23rd o::tobar 1924, Vol.XX, No.l-12, pp.590-94r roM., G.o. No.572, PUb.dt. 23rd July l923r 3rd Feb. to 6th March 1925, Vol.XXII, Nos.l-9, p.686.

40. IbiCI., lOth to 23rd OX.., 1924, Vol.XX, Nos.l-12, p.590.

(British) t1it.hout any redrc:m baing 9iwn.... It is no t«mder,

tborefore, that such mn1festations (flbnyl!m reballion) occur in

tho USU£11 course, 1 stJ.y US\Ull (X)Urse, bEcause thlen a series of

griovancos rarain unredresaod it is wry mturnl thnt it should 41

mmifeot itsolf in COO"O form or othertt. The popular perception 42

of British rule flS a .,J'Ubbordunty"· rule 't.'hicb never aitrod at

redroasing t:hoir gricvlmOO!i "hsd baen at tho root of tbio 43

rcbtilicn•.

SocW Baso of the Rebellion

----·---~·----·--M----·---·-·-·-

Raju had tha gnmt ability to link up these popular griovt~no::n

with hio anti--colonial rebellion. fie could not mly grnop tho

prizary cxmtrodiction, i.e., hill p::aoples' intereots w. colonial

oxpl.oitative Mads but wo also able to locate tba grievances of

tribals within the fr~Jt of colonial rule. In other wrao, Raju ~ in inculcating or int.ernalising his baaic anti­

iqlerialiat ideolOC}y in the minds of his foll.~s os W3ll liS tho

tribal rrassoo, thereby bringing the nossea into the no.ticnaliGt.

rebellion as a radical forco. This he did in opito of hostile

reaction fran the Congress leadsre in the plains £md tha foet:

that his rebellion lasted only for a brief poriod of tt."' x~s.

41. fl..adras Legislative Council Proceedings, Nov .. , 1922, Vol.IX, No3 .l-5, pp.543-44.

42. Ibid., lOth to 23rd Oct., 1924. Vol.XX, No::l.l-12, p.593.

43. Ibid., ~. NO.IX, Op.cit., p.539.

4 3.4

Raju•r~ first band af f"oll~rs ware drawn from the PeddaYalaoa, 44

and t-1akaram tmuttat;' of the Gudem taluk. His trusted lieutenants

throughout the reb2lli.on were the brothers Gam Gantayya Dora and 45

Gam ~~llayya D:>r.a, Aggirazu and Yendu Padal. :Raju recruited m:my

of his men '*with the a.<Jsistance of the ~-n brothers • local 46

knowledge•. Many of the rebels bOO clustered around Raju ~re

victi.ms of colonial rule me way or tha other. The articulating

capacity of Raju laS shown in tho nanner in \>rhich he gatheroo all

thoce victims of ooloninl rule and gave a new interpretation to

their grievances by locating them in the particular colonial

social situation. lt is strild.ng to see the diversity of the

parsonal · experiences of the rebelo and yat the uniform anti­

coloninl oonsciousnesa W1ich those experiences generated.

Gam broth13rs belonged to Battapanakalu village of M3karmn 1rm.ttta~

They were originally landholders, blt Bmstian, the ~ty

Tahsildar of Gu::lem, had deprived them of their lands and 47 48

deneqraded them to •t>eggar.ya.. To quote Gantayya Dora: ___ _.__.,.. ... .,.....,.. ............. ...__..____ ___ _... ____ ....._ ... _-........_...._ _ _..._ .......... ·-·· _ ..... ._.. .. __ _ 44. Letter from Stewart, dt. 11th Sept. 1922,

Pub.Oept .. ,(Confid.) p.4J also see Letter from St.e".:tart, dt. 22nd Sept. 1922 (Daily Report), Pub. (Confid) Dept., pp.9-lh OOM., Judicial (Police), G.O.No.l37, Jud .. dt. 24th Ma.rch 1923.

45. Go'tf(!l.r~t Revi.ew of the situation. G.O.No.231, Pub.,dt.24th f>':arch 1923, in M.Venkatarangaiya, op.cit.,Vol.III;p.360.

46. Rutherford en the causes of the Ramps. ~it uri , \~ltair, dt. 22nd August 1924, in M. Venkatarangniya, op.Cit., Vol.lii, p.369.

47. Ibid.

48. Letter from K.f.~rth3nna Pantulu, B.A.Ot:put.y Tahsildar, Gudem Talok, to the Aqency Comdssioner, dt. Narasapatmn, 3rd June 1923, No.534, enclosed to, a letter fran J .. R. Huggins, I.e .. s .. , Agency Ca:miasioner, to th~ O'licf Secretary to Gollt., dt. O:ul'p, Araku, 9th June 1923 t~:~kly Report) PUb. Oq>t. .. , (confld>., p.261: 1Uso ~e, Demi-official, Stewart, dt. 12th Sept., 1922, Pub. (}:apt., (Confid), p.33.

Bastian b:mavcd very cruelly and did so rmny \"Jl'Oll9D to the p30pl.G in this taluk thllt I do not find time to narrate them. Ple.aoe t:r!ar rt1J story. Bastinn d3pri ved DiS of my lando md gave thsn tr:taY to SU!Tarla Peddabbi. I bclgged him in so nany ways not to ruin m. I sat at his feet an a particular dny Entreating him not to ruin ntJ &nd h3 kicked ne with hin shoas thrice. I was not qiven the entire p3rtion af the land ordered to b3 d3livered tom. Then I baeama disgusted with f.ffJ life and sent om.y lfiJ tri.fe ond children from mt village. I aftet"Wt~rds cl\109 to the f~ of Raju Gcru... and I sn determi~ to GC3 ~ c::nd • • • ni:Y house also \'GS blrnt • • •.

This •unjust trcat:ar!nt of the G5:m brothero end Gonthmt Dhora

goinq about in bsggary" brought sympathy to them from the p:!Ople 49

of the ~mn lr.utta ~ They ~re .nlso quite influential in the 50

'uutta1 md br0\l9ht m:my follOW3I's and sympnthisers to Raju.

ApQrt from Gsm brothers, Aggirazu ~ another close msociate of

Raju, awho joined fran the plains \dlen the fituri was well Sl

started and for his am reasons a. It ms ascertaind by ~

that Aggirazu, wase real nmoo tS.s Veqerazu NarayOM Rnju, '\-:as a

Kshatriya by caste, age 25 years, 5 feet 5 inches in height ond

tms native of 1J.n9erazu~mn in Vizagapatam district". Sw<!ney

further reported that SOD'O ten years ago Agqira.zu settled at

«umadavilly villnge of ~varsm talUk, Riatna district. This

--------------------------------~~-------·-·--·,------~---~~-------49. M. VenkatarBl'l9aiya, op.cit., Vol.III, p.369.

SO. Report fran Happell, Off icar omnanding, Agency ~rations, Govt. of Madras, Pub. Dept., dt. 23rd July 1923, No.S72 CMis). ·

51. M. Venkatarangaiya, op.cit., Vol.III, p.366.

436 S2

villge h3 loft around Mny, 1923, probably on the p3rsonal 53

invitntion of Raju and joined the rob::llo.

Yendu . Pa.dal elias Balla Padal, en ex-village m.:msif of 54

PcddaWllasa 'nutte' in Gl.ld$m toluk, ~ another important

individual me joined Raju. He too WZlB a victim of oppression by

Blltltian. Hie young con latar eaid that his father 1:38, •not.

being p;Ud for read work ald t:QS boing fined Rs.lOO/• llS ~11° ..

Ho nlfQ aoomplaiMd of tho cbmnds of beat o:mstablos fran

Chintnpalli and Rnzuv~i who~ o.t Peddavclctm for milk end 55

fO'i:Jln•. It t£lS also nlleqed thnt Yendu Padnl \'38 promised the

Peddaval.zlsa 'mtta' by Bastian if the ro.a.ds ~re wilt without 56

payment; .but B.astian. ditcbsi. him once the tiOr.k.. tBS finished.

Padal joined Raju to give vent to hin revenge end to end British

rule in the hills Which ~ed unjust to him.

Thsre w.xe m:my mro 'dasparlldo:zs' who tJttal.led the t"ebel ranks

due to their parsonnl griovances against colonial officialdom.

In puticulllr, a recurring thGma in mmy of the grievancoo ttaS

52. Report from swaney for 7th Sctpt., 1923 sent from Ram3varam in bpn Disturbtmces, Part 11, Pub. D:lpt., (Confid), p.298.

53. Letter from Sri Alluri Sri ttama Raju, to Pa'icberlc SUryanarayana Rnju (alias AggirMu). dt. 16th Sept., 1922 enclosod to D:mlf....gfficinl fran P. Armitage, I.G.P. to a.A. Gr&ham, I.c.s. Olief Secret.cry to Gout., No.8 dt. camp. Naranapatmn, tho 17th Sept., 1922, Pub. Dept., (Confid), pp.4l-42. Also e&3, Daily Report from SWeney for lOt.h and 11th ~!tN., 1923, Pub. Oopt., (Confid), p.321J M. Venkat.arangaiya, op .. cit., Vol.III, p.89.

54. Daily Report from Bappell, Officer Ccmn!mdinq, Aqeney Operations for lOth 03:., 1922, Pub. ~., (Confid), p.l38.

55.. t>1. Ve:nkataranqaiya, op.cit., Vol.Ill, p.368.

56. Report from ~1, Govt. of K:ldrna, Pub. Dept., dt. 23 July 1923, No.572 CHis.).

437

tho cruelty of D:.?puty Tahsildar Bastian. For inst.ancG, men Mr.

scoot and <.mm'd questioned the vill.agero of ~~le:n, they

snid that GS!ii\1 Gflntayya had told tha::a thnt a113 .and tho p::;ople of

~aka\taram 'rr:utta' only uanted to kill the tk!puty Tahsildar and 57

\-JOUld go bf:xm3· \!~hen this t:as accomplished0• Bcstian t!:lS hated

virtuvally by th3 tiholo 'lmlttni and not surprisingly this 'mutta'

was a strang base end n recruiting ground for Rnju throughout the 58

rcb3llion. lt t~o further roport.od by J.R. Huggins, JVJenr:y

Cmmissionor, in 1922 that "eo:ne of the captured rebels h:ivo be3'l

examined eo to td'mt gri('Ycnoas might hav~ led. to the rclx!llion.

Th3y are pr&Ctically unonitiOUs in saying that the 0::\!puty

Tehsildm: Bastion and his Overs~ had underpaid and naltreated 59

thooe tJJrld.ng on . the r:o:ldo •••• a~ It tms also sugqostcd thnt 60

Ba!ltian "has taken labour for roadt!orlts mthout P=lYil\9 for ita.

t:orst of all Bastian and his 9E'OUP (cworscer tJnd peon, cte.) had

invsnted a novel mathod of torturinq tho labouroro on roadworks.

After bating tho labaurGt'O thoy anpplied 'Varra 1 (chilly Po.1ibr)

-~~~~·· I • v T - .__........_ ... ,. ·--- IW ··---........__ ......... II* V

57. Daily Report from F.W. Stetart, dt. 18th Sept., 1922, Pub. Dspt. (Confid), p .. 70.

58. Lotter from K.Murtbsma Pantulu, dt. lrd June 1923, ~.R.C. 534, cp .. eit., p.261J tetter fran SWQrt, dt. 11 Sept., 1922, Pub. Dept., (Confid), p.4J .Letter frcm St:t:;tart, dt. 23rd S3pt., 1922, Pub. Dept., CConfid), pp.9-llJ ~ly Report fran Hugqinn dt. 23rd June 1923, Pub. ~., (Cbnfid), p.270.

59. t~y P.Gport from J.R. Rt.tggin&, Agency Ccmninniomr, to the Chief Secretary to Govt., dt. Waltair., 15th oa:., 1922, Pub. Ds,pt., (Confid). p.l6~.

60. lkmi-official, Stewart, dt. 12th Sept., 1922, Pub. D2pt., (Confid), p.lSJ Also see, Note by Mr. A.R.K. IWlpp an his visit of Nm'scpatam on 22nd Nev., 1922, Pub. Dtpt., (Confid), p.l56.

438

61 on the woundo. Bastian \:aS also notorious for extracting bribes

and for OL~riving the peasants of their Lands. Rutherford later

I I wrote that some rebels fr.om ~alamr.akaram rnutta ~rc inclined to

expatiate on the iniquitie-:; of Bastian in not t:aYirlC'J for road

work pr~rly, his misinq theo.ir .kist to put the proceeds into a-

his (M'! ~ket.. nnd it ten also all.tJed he naoo the madman

collect fran them tamrind and hors09rnm m an unprecedented 62

ccale". l<anldpati Kot.llnnapa&ll, elder brother of Yendu Padal,

told Rutherford that "Baotinn took mr1ay his l&ndn and gave it to

ot.hers. Ho rell'OVed him fr.om his headman'a post as useless and

his succeusor took not only the old service inam lands rut also 63

newly cleared land•. S~i~~r._ly, Rutherfp~d wrote. that. l<uda.

Kamayya "had e land disputeJ he paid Rs.300/- to Ba3tian for

a decision in his favour b.lt the suit was sti.ll undecided 'Mlen he

joined the rebels • as gave the na.tOOs of witnesses to the 6-1

transact ion and the person he borrowed the noney fran... The h"!!Sic

theme of all thcso ~taints ~s the exploitation and

oppression by colonial officialdom; and to escape it they had

joined Raju and hie anti~lonial war.

61.. Report from the ~ty Tah:Jildar, Malkanagari, t.o the .At;Jancy C'amrlsaionet:, dt. 15th June 1923, enclosed to Wec.Jcly Report from Huggins, dt. 23rd Juno 1923, Pub.Dept., (Confid),p.270.

On tha read works Bastian not only insisted on aforced labour frcn Koyas" but alco e.mployed force. "He attached plough cattle of the trihals, stopped the inflow of foodstuffs fran outside for the t~.o of the people and rook recourse to violent methods for achieving his objecto (of cxmpleting the road works).,. See, v.Raghavaiah, Tribal Revolts <Nell.ore, 1971), p.36.

62. Rutherford on the causes of the RtJ.mpa Fituri, wnltai r 22nd August 1924 in 14. Venkatllrnnga.iya, op.cit., Vol.III, p.368.

63. Ibid., p.369.

64. Ibid.

439

In general, l.arqe nwr.ber of tribals W3ro victims of intense

colonial exploitation. This trQOsf~ mny of them into 65 66 67

0 fituri&\rS and dacoits", 0 murderers•, 11 jailbirCJs11,

11rob!ber'S and 68 69

bandits", ar.d tho 111andleso bldm:lahesa.. 'l'h...oy noaded no

p$X'SUation to assur.m the role of rebels J but they wanted c leader

to art1culto their grievancea and lead them to· an cpen lilYsical

rovolt. t:hcn thio \GS provitbd by Sitnrtlt!'!S. Raju, they ~ro m3dy 70

to join the band of reb:lls.

Raju as 'Dsmdu.' (God) - A Masniah. from Above _____ _........_ ....... -----------· Tho hill peasants• desire for a cbnnge in the existing situation

did exist. . Yet..the. ~· coultLnot t.hem::lolves vim1alize .. a

proqrl!'lmla of action to rf!.llOV'C tho "jubberdust • rule of the

British.. ~tinq m paooMt rob2llion in Latin America, G.

Huizer hns pointed out t 0 lt is at this crucial point that either

p3a5nnts td.th urban <mp3rience... or urban leaders.. • ~

it'lp)rtant. 1'hoy can c::ihnnnel the vague mmrenesa of a need for

chs.nqe into a t10ro concrete Ei:\'~Ueneas of W3y& and reYns to cha.nc)G

6S. See, Press Camnunique, dt. Port St. Gsorqe, the 16th JUne 1924, in Rtlm:p:l Oisturbanceo, Part VII, Pub. oapt., (Confid), p.338

66. M.Venkatarnngniya. op.cit., Vol.III, p.368.

67. For tomS) instances see, Ibid., pp. 368-69.

68. Press Q:mnunique, dt. 16th June 1924, op.cit., p.3l8.

69. M. Vcnkatarangaiya, op.cit., Vol.IIl, p.369.

70. For instance, .four rebels from Malomakarmn, U<.oyyur mutta) •all land-c.r;minr;J, ~:he were mixed up in the ~ of a forest quar8, joined the Raju b3cause t.bay ware desperate ucn •••• a. lbid., p.368.

440 71

through orgtmiood effort". In tho amo of ~yc.m rob::U.lion, tho

leaebrohip '1::30 provided by a p38Mnt fran a plains villcgo, tho.

bnd oo:lt3 kt'la1led;Je of the national.iat politico ~ tha

plains.

Alluri Sitarmno Paju, n native of t-togllllu, in the t3t Godavari

district, laS born in 1897 in a Rshotriyn family and hnd his 72

schooling at his village. He studied upt.o the fifth form ot.

various pl.4ce9 in .Andhrn, tt) tOS not lma.«\ to b:l a bright student 73

nt echool. Subsequently, ot li!araonpur, 'tdloro h3 studied, h:l t;OB

reported to have ·~ a love for astrology (Jyotisha . 74

Sastran), p3lmiatry and horse-ridimt'. He also took interest in

the "study of tha prop3rtica of uedical herbs. At the eae of 18 .

ha bcccmo n 'sanyasi' and 1:.endered in the hill areas of the Agency.

Hi& austerity nnd hitJ JCI'lC»lledqe of astrology and Ii3iicino Md his

repu.te4 ability to t:anle wild animals gtdned for him tbs respect

tmd &dmiratlon of the tribnl people \dlo credited him with magical 75 .

~s·. -----~-JPM ___ ,,._, __ , _________________________ ,_Ul-·-----·--~~~---------

71. G0rri t Huber, Peasant Feballion in tabin Amrica. The Origina, FOI'IliSJ of Exprcsaicn, and Potential of Latin Amriean Peasant Uorost CPalquin Books, 1973), P.US.

72. Report by M. Annopumiah, 0 0on.gress., (Teluqu) editor, sent to Gnndht, op.cit., p.234J R2port from Happel.l, Officer cam:andinq, Agency Op:!retions, G:»t., Pub. D::pt., 23 July 1923, No.572 (Miah Lettt='I fran R.A .. Grare:mt, Chief &:c. to Gc:Wt., to the SGc. to Govt.. of Indio, Hom9 lk:pt .. , dt. 16th Sept., 1922, No. 7363-3, Public (Confid), p.6.

73. Report by M. Annapurniah, op.cit., p.234 ..

74. Ibid .. J Also see, Dani-official, s~, dt. 21 August 1922, Pub., Ospt., (Confid), p.2t, M. Ve:nkatarangaiya, op.clt., Vol.III, p. 79.

75. M. Venkatar8fl9lliya., ap.cit., Vol.VIII, p. 79.

4 41·

He bathed and prayed daily. He l'Sndered like a 'sanyasi 'and ~re

a turban, a lonq shirt and Jmickers, all mds of re:d""'(."'()lour 76

kbaddar. He also had a fleming beard. Raju had not only 77

0 obtained soma reputation for sanctity £Il1lll9 the local hi11m:m•,

but also "was undoubtedly very revered or feared by the hill folk 78

who fed him and his 11Dther and brother0• He was revered so much

79 that \\'herever he was, the villagers wall attended to his 1:11ants.

80 Raju' s reputation as a "holy mm0 t:as me ~ful aspect of his

charismtic personality, tihich helped him to influence the

popular mind in the hills.

Raju's charisne.tic personality b'3.S an assimilation of so many

myths that it fitted well with the traditional mind of hil.lmen.

Many post~13 or <$araeter!sties af. .his. .perscnality b'bicb

impressed· the tribals ware created by Raju himself. Many of the

myths around the reb31 leader tJare created by the msses

themselves, and this was tolerated by Raju. By the end of 1922,

Raju's "semi-divine position" in the eyes of the villagers had _________ .__................., .............. _.... ______________ _ 76. Weekly Report from Huggins, dt. 23 June 1923, enclosed. a

report therein fran the Deputy Tahsil dar, Mal.kanagiri, to the Agenc.y camdssioner, dt. 13 June 1923, Pub. Dept., (Calfid), p~269.

77. I.etter fran R.A. Graham, dt. 16 Sept. 1922, No. 7363-3, Pub. (Confid), p.6.

78. Demi-official from P.s.s. George, dt. Narsapat811\, 28th A\.l1Ust l922, Pub. Dept. (Confid), p.23.

79. It \'SS observed by George that the "late Assistant carmissioner, Polavaram, got him to DOVe near to Addatigal.a (Paidiputta) and the villagers I fancied there also attended to his needs". Ibid.

80. 'OEm:l-official, Stewart, dt. 12th SEpt. 1922, Pub. Dept., {Confid), p.35.

81 ba.en transfOt'lll!!CI into that of a "'dewdu .. (God) who h&d CXJm!! to

liberate them frc:n the 0 Jubberdust" rulca of the British. He

entered into folk songs as a 'mssiah' fran above tAlo had

decended to lead thGm ond renDVe their qrievancGS.

Alluri Sri Ram Rajul Brother Alluri Sri Ram Raju l Wa depend upon you, brother, for the red.e'nption of our slavery. Tmly (British) ware afraid to touch :you. Th3y l'Culd loo!t at your person steadily. If cne loo.'ts at your divine peroon, one would hove divino ltncx11ledgG.

You looked up llll the tracts in those thick forests 1 end undertook to wage """... • You r.:1id that you would bury this Feranghi (foreign)

82 rule. What n great llliln you rrust have ln!n!

There ware rrany other 'tn3Ssianistlc' elenent.s of his pairsonallty

thlieh helped him to c:::onmand the undaunted loyalty of his

follo.«!!rs as wall as tribal masses. Hs was believed to ~ 83 .

0 inwl.narable". ahs tnlld aake a • rain of arrmn;' and attack the 84

men in the tr~ (posts)•: under his lea.dcrship "no bullet 85

t«)Uld eter injure o: fituridar 11, and so en. As n folk £On9 later

86 oo:mtenDrated:

It ~s said that the \rohile nen wuld bring a large force, waylay all the tracts and catch hold of you without pain. It was said that h9

______ ...,.......,. __ 1d ·-· -· ·----·--.. ----·-·---------··-·---· .. - .. .---··-·-···---------... -... ........

81. ~ on the Aqency Rebellion for 8th o:tober 1922, from A .. J. flr:pp311, Pub. Dapt., (Catfid), p.59.,

82. A folk. £On9 popular bX.h in the Agency end plains \OS published in CIJ.'he Cmgress• which is repordueed in N. Venkatarangaiya, op.cit., Vol.lll:, Doeuln9nt No.U7, tp.453-54.

83. Report from A.J. Happell, op.eit., 8th Oct., 1922, p.59.

84. Ibid .•

would thrcm tanbs upon persons, and would shoot them with blUets.

But \\Culd the bullets of these wily Dorais touch }!Olll

(~is added>.

Interestingly Raju himself further strengthened these nwths by

mixing popular 'millenarian' vision with his anti-colonial war.

To quote M.. Annapurniah, mo \es mce his school class-state;

"Shri Rama • s temple te.S his abode. There he used to perform

' ' \ , tapas. Huge rrumbers flocked to have his darshan every day. They

used to listen to his utterances, which were, from all accounts,

reported to be thrilling. He used to deliver spiritual nessages,

but in the milk of spirituality there was invariably the sugar of

patriotism. People drank this milk with great fervour". ···87·

(Fllphasis added>.

Actual Course and Dynamics of the Rebellion --·----- _____ _...____ .......

It appears as if the rebellion started suddenly with the looting

of Olintapalli, I<rishnadevipet and Rajavomnangi police stations 88

on 22, 23 aitd 24 August 1922, respectively, by a band of 500

tribals under the leadership of Sitarama Raju. They walked off -------------··------·-------- . ---....---------86. Folk song in M• Venkatarangaiya, op.cit., Vol.III, p.454.

87. Report by Annapurniah, op.cit., p.234.

88. Telegram fran the Agency Camlissioner, dt. Maharanipeta, 24th August 1922 and Telegram from the District Magistrate, Vizagapatam, dt. Narsapatam, 25 August 1922, Pub. Dept., (Confid), pp.l-3J Letter fran F.W. Stewart, Agency camdssioner in-charge, to the Chief Sec. to Govt., dt. camp. Narsapatam, 11 Sept., 1922, Pub. Dept., (Confid). p.4.

Here our cxmcentration is not en the sinple chronological narration of the Wlr b.lt on the analysis of the social base, and other dynamics for the rebellion. For a sinple factual narration see, M. Venkatarangaiya, op,cit., Vol.III, pp.SO-

. 92; v. Raqhavaiah, Tribal ReiTolts, pp.39-47; J. Mangamma, Alluri Sitarama Raju, (A.P. State Archives ~aph Series, Hyderaba.d, 1983); Dantuluri Venkata Rama Raju, Viplava Veerudu Alluri Sitarama Raju Olaritra, (Bhirravaram, 1984, Telugu).

444

with 26 polico carbines and 2,500 roundo of m:amition. But in

re:tlity it hnd bsa1 brooding in the popuw mind at least fran

j:lnuary 1922. Thio t::lo t1. pariod of intensive no-tax catt:pDiqns in

the pl.airw. It \':3.9 in this ,.nriod that tho Gandhian promioe of

"&Qraj0 in one year had also caught t.h0 im.t!:qination of the

trib:sl DOsoos in tba hillo. 'nlis pariod cl.so td tnessed peasant

radicnlian in Pt:&:mtmdip:ld (Guntur district) preswrising tha

Congr~s lctxbrohip to go ahGad mth a no-rent C:.ltnp:lign, militant

civil dioob2dienco mv~ nt Palnnd, and mso <medus from

Chirala-Parnla cgainst the impooition of n municipality Uhidh

enhnnced tba tan t:urden en P!fU!!Mts artisans end emall ·l'Jusinoos 90

qroup3. The ns.ws Of those political mve.mmts ~:gainst CX>lonailiom

te:lCJie:l tha hill ~to through the Congreoo • prechnrakas' co

well as through Sitaram Raju. It was lnter reported by

officials that 'pracharako2' frO!' the Ccngreso md ~ engaged

to propcqate the principlaz of ~e.tion in the Godavari

Agency and tho Provincial Conqresn Ccmnittoo had discussed the

possibilities of incrosed political activity thero in Janum-y 91

1922. £Val though roither tha Provincial Cbngress camnittce nor

tho Ga!nvari 1UJency Conference could e::tatd the mas civil

disobedience aove.rrmnt into Rampn co that the tribnls griGvances

-·- .. ·----·------~Iii-··--·---··-··-··-·--·-----.. ----·-·· ... -···--·--·-·--.. -----89. Fomightly Report, dt. Ist Sept., 1922, No. 7593-l, Public

(Strictly Conficl), p.43. They have also released Vira.yya Dora from Raja'Vtl:llimngi police otation td1o invol ve:1 in 1915-16 raising in Gudem.

go. See Ompter IV abovo.

91. Report on the ~ R:!b3llion for 12th Octobsr 1922, from A.J. Heppall, Officer~, Agency Op3rotionn, Pub. Capt., (Ccnfid), p.6l, Letter frcm T .. G • .Rutherford, I .. c.s., Sp3cial Cca;;miooionsr, AcJ3ncY ()psrlltions, to the OU.ef Sse. to Govt. ~~, «ft. t.zaltair, 22 August 1924, in M. VGnkatarangaiya, qp.eit., ~.III, p.l66.

445 would also b3 integrated into tho ploins' non-cooperation

~~ Sitarema Raju t0.11 very much activo durinq this pariod

in prapaqating the alcss objcctionnble items of the non-q~

cooperation pra.JI'Emma" among the hill p::ms&ntii. It t:aS oboerved 'Ill

by M. Anrulpuminh that:

In ths t'OOle progr~ of GMdhiji tx;,ycott of courta and liquor cppo:Ued to him. ffi:l stllrtcd in the Agoncy tracts of Gcdovari and Vizagapatem Diatricto a cartpaign oZ prohibition. His piety and devotion attracted huge crowdo around Qim. His tU'd t.l<lO law to the Agency folk. Th3y t:ara quilolass and his eloquent ~ls ~ their ho...:1rts. 'Don • t dance att.end.Elnc:e ot the courts and don • t drink t.ras hi a D"CSS&ge to the villagers. His l~W!s&ge spread liko tlildfire. Not a'lO in tha Agancy but respondsd to hia blglG c:tlll. A net~ cxmsciowmess downed on the innocent folk. People gave~ drink in large numbarn. eourto trore deoort.ed. A llU1\'lber of "panchayat" mutts opranq up in the villDqes &nd justice t::10 t:dministercd loet!lly. Rzlju is reported to havo b!en n regulllr Khadi \bx'M'. Pr:cm the o:mfcsaions in tho "flturi •trialo,. it is clear thot Raju supplied only rondi uniforms ____ .........,.......___...__.. . ...,.._......, ____ , __ , _____ ._._. __ .__... ____ _

92. The Hindu, 0:. 8, 1921.

93. Osni-officicl from F .s.s .. Geo1'9e1 dt.N:lroapnt.am, 28th August 1922, (upto Stb CX:tobar), Pub. Dspt., (Confid), p.2ll M. Venk&tllrangaiya, op.eit., p.366J ~ by M. Anrulpumiah, op.cit., p.234.

94. Report by M. Annapurni&h, op.cit., p.234; Also IJatt.er fran P.W. Sts:mrt, op.eit., dt. 11 Sept., 1922, p.~J Osni­offici&l fran F.s.s. G3:>rga, dt. N:trsapatcm, 28 August 1922, Pub. (Confid), p.23; It taG dxserved by Rutharford that •investigations follo.-dng on inforrration as to neetinc.Jtl etc., obtained frQm captured rebels by the intelligence staff have shcm that the l?aju t:aS lt'llCh nore in COO'ml.lnication m th the plains and non-cooperators there thnn Mr. Happell thought • • • • "Report of Rutherford oo the Cl.luSes of tba R£mpa Fituri, op.eit., p.366J This connection of Raju \'lith tho progrenrre of non-cooperation 't.'aS t.\lDo hinted in a.t4., Pub. ~t., dt. 21st ~. 1922, No.974 (Mio)J Pub. dt. 20th Dec., 1924, No.894 <Mish Pub. 2nd Feb., 1925, No. lOB (Mfs.).

to his troops. Sjt. Rallapalli «asanna, a non­cooperator and t(hadi producer of Tuni, was p~t on trial for having supplied kh!:tki Rhadi uniforms to Shri Rama Raju.

446

It seems that while propagating the Gandhian progrmmna, Raju had

been simultaneously workinq on the idea of raising a rebellion

against British rule, for it t:lS reported by a rebel dlo tmd b3en

caught and examined an oath by Sbmart the A<jancy Ccmtmissioner

"that Raju had bes1 endeavouring to raise the ex>untry six DOnt.hs

age (Janumy 1922), he had El:ddressed a mssting of village 95

headman, dEmanded a poll-tax of four annas a h9eda. He bad

created a scare at Kri8hnad3vipet as EDrly as February 1922 with 96

his intensive propaganda £!nOng the hill folks, consequently, m -·· ~-- ' --· --- ---- 97' ··- --'

had ba3n put under constant police eurveillanea. Thus, it ~

that Raju tl3S using the non"'C('))peration and its nassive progrtllrlme

of establishing panehnyat a:ro.rt.s, propagation of t:.Grperance and

Rhaddar as an effective instrument to cbannellise the vague

awareness of a need for change among the hill paasants into a

rrore concrete political consciousness li~ating Rlm'pa fran

British rule through organised effort. There is no evidence that

he aatunlly balieved in Gandhian non-violence. Rather he used

other aspacts of Gandhian prograuma to integrate the hill

., .. 95.. Dsmi-official Stsart, Ac;ency O::mnissioner, Vizagapatma, dt.

29th August 1922, Pub. Dspt.., (Confid)., p.25, Also letter from St.emt, dt. lltb Sept., 1922, p.4.

96. Dsni-offici&l from F.s.s. Gsor()e, dt. Narsapatam, 28th ~~t 1922, PUb. Dspt., (COnfid), p.23.

97. · DatU. -official fran Stewart, dt. 27th August 1922, Pub. (Confid), p.21J Fortniqhtly Report, Pub. 02pt., OOM. (Strictly COnfid), dt. Ist Sept., 1922, No.7593-l, Public

447 P3QOO!lto into tha broader stre:un of anti -colonial politics of

that P3riod. Annapumiah wos to rightly remark that Raju '\las

not Imam to have any grG:lt oympat.hy with thG non-cooperation

prCX,Jrmcna. Hio subsequent confessions end CXJftduct show violanee.

But h3 patiently vaitecl and allowed rtCn'""CCJJPSl*ation to have its

td.nl. In t.ho wholo progr~ of Gondhi ji Conly) boycott of 98

courts and liquor cppcaled to bim. COnsequently, he caught both

tho Conqress leaderahip end tho Britiah rulora by ourpriso in '

August 1922 tm.en h9 oponly looted thea thre::a police stations and

declared a· t:tr of llb:!ration.

After looting the threa pol1e0 stations in Aug\1.«3t 1922, Raju ~nt

North-tat to Gudem t.i'toro h:3 c:Uebrctcd a fentival. l{is min_

object appears to have h::ml to obtain mre recruits. This took

him to 1.\'ortb-Bant to Ril.mnltota and then to the east to 99

Gongnra~e. Firat official engagement tdth him t::lS

affected. on 3rd of September 1922 by Mr. ~re, tzho tOS

londinq the newly dispatch~ Gov~ polica force em the

Onjeri ghat. In this mc:ounter the rebela cbtainO'l a cbcid::d 100

victory, killing one a:mstablca. Tha pollee forca tried to

mtablish contact again blt in vain, for 0 the locati'on and

following up of the gonq present(ed) c:armiderable difficulty

0".1inq to the nnture of the a:runtry, tihich (Gs) all bills and

98. Report by M. Annapurniah, cp.cit., p .. 234.

-- _.. ... - .... ~.... ----- -• -r -----·rr --- ___ ,... --r-·• -..---, p.4.

100. Ibid.

448 sp:arseness of the <Royal populatiOn nany of t.'hom (t:are) inelift!:!d

101 to ~p tho rebals mth::!r than the forces of Gov'erl'Ulent ••• a

The real victory for Raju was the daring smbush of British

officers at D.:llaanapalli Ghat on 2Sth September 1922. The

District ~istrate reported that "the p.\rty (police) warn

ambushed .in a very bad plcce. Rocks wara rolled on them fraa

abovo and the h3ad constable's ~clearly resulted from n ehot 102

fired fran nl.Bost directly llbova hima. 'rh3 rebels first allowed

the head of column to pass and then opaned fire en tho tuo

Dritioh Officers (SoJtt ~-ard and L.N. Hayter) who tare killed

i.rmmditely. This "made it cle£tr that their hostility (was) mainly 103

directed sqainat the ~lish:ren". Rnju himse}.f was said .to have

chclarcd _to a tnluk amotable, \iho was caught Vhon cpying en

rebelo, that nbs ~ not making war against the polico 104

subordinates but c.gninst the dorllS". This victory not cmly .

enhanced the prootige of the rebalo but also ned3 thG intentions

of Raju apparent' hs intended liberate Rampa if need b:l with a

prolonqed, organised guerrilla ~ in the hills. The

organisational skill of Raju had also becan3 apparent, for by the

end of September 1922 tho rebels had encountered the vclice force

-- t ,.. •• ____ ___..__._ r •••.,. ••~............., ........ ..,........__..,, • •• .-sur rrv• .. ..,_

101. Lettcar from R.A. Graham, Esq., c.s.I., I.c.s., Chief soct. to Gavt., to the ~. to the Gcwt. of India, Han. DEpt., dt. FSG., 16th sapt., 1922, No.7363-l, Public CConfid), p.7.

102 Letter fran C..A. Se.nderson, I.c.s., District fl.a.gistrat.e, Viz&qapatem, to the OU.ef Sec. to Govt.. dt • camp Narsap3tam, 25th Sept., 1922 (Daily Rsport), Pub. Dept., (confid), p.ll.

103. Fortnightly Report, 3rd. october 1922, No.8818-l, Pub., p.4S (Confid).

104. 03ily Report fra:n St.et:nrt, ~ Ck:mtnissioner, dt. 22nd Sczpt., 1922, Pub. nzpt., (Canfid) I p.8.

449

at four plJlc:es end d3fented it • 'l'hs Go'lemr.::nt lQS thus forced

to chanqe their tnctieo. Special ~nbar Pollee ~eo,

trainsl. in jungle 91crrilla v.arfare, tere brou;Jh in equipped with lOS

special mule trnnaport and pack wireless eats. · Thus started the

full-seale guerrilla ~ egainst British rule in tho hills.

Th:l rcb!)llion cxmtinucd for wo Y3tlrO. 'llr.l rcbols bad a. vory

strong socicl baso in tho hills. Even cftcr thoir regular

ot.nngth \aS reduead to 80 or 100 by September 1922, wheneiTQ!' the

reb3ls \'tmt. in the distrubad ragion their ectual tll1n!b:!r used to

mQU two to thr02 fold neatly drawing the locnl trib!:ll rrasoez

into their fold. Offici&lc reported that 0 tbo robelo eppoar to

hove mny l.oeal sy&t!!Xltbisero t!ho join forces mth them on 106

~t c:x:ccsiono and then disperse to their hat:3tl ...... "

.......... "'........... . ............. _.... ..... _..__.__ ... __ .. _______ .................... ~ ... ---105. Fortnightly Report, 3rd o:t., 1922, t<!o.8818-l, Pub.

(COnfid)J 17th Oct., 1922, t~.g()l7-l, Pub. tConfid)J Also Pub. Dspt., GJ:4., ~ 21, 1922, No.l066 (Mish Oct:ober 3, 1922, No •. 798 (Mieh D3c. 13, 1922, No.l046 (Mis).

106. Fort.niqhtly R3port, 17th Jon., 1924, No.l43-l, Public, p.l.

450 Raju t:O.S like a "fioh in tqtor enjoying tri.deapread popular

107 Support.,, to quote SUmit Sark.ar. In fact, to carry en ~illa

·,;.)~~ore from cbep \'DXI.s Raju Meded 0:0 things, unflagging

social suport from the tribal masos, and a continuous suply of

· daily provisions. 'lbroughout the p3riod it \!.'3.5 reported by the

officials that tho •locntion and folla.:~ing up" of the rebUs

presented c:cnsidorable difficulty C"Jing ttDStly to the ttnon­

C'OO'peration" of the tribalo ttlo t::Jre inclined to help th3 rebels

rather thlln the (X)lice forces. 'Ibis, in turn, hGlpad the rebels

to bs highly .,nobile end elusive". Apart from superior mobility,

the rebels ware blessed with an intelig~SnCa network which was very

effective and accurate, espacially as OOl'ID!lred with that of the

Governmant intclli-Pnce cbpartm9nt and ta.s llDSUy nanned by tho ~& -

sympathizers in the villagas. Unleas they w:!I'e in the cbep

forests in the hills, the rebels ware sheltered n:DStly by the

vill.o.gara, i.o. whenever they had to rrove down to the plains.

'1he pioliee pursued the rebels like 'bloodllounds • on ll:'3MY

occasions but in vain, for they were often unable to obtain

107 • SWni t sarkar, • J:Opular. Kc::Nements 6 • Middle Class. Leadership in late Cal.onial India: Perspectives & Problems of a •aistory fran aslat1° (C&lcutta, 1983), p.Sl. t-'or instance tltlen .Raju attacked the G\dem Military canp on 26th OCtober 1923, it wan reported that the l:tlol.e of the village participated in it. See, M. Venkatarangaiya.op.cit., Vol.III, p.90, &.eney•s Report to the Chief Secretary to Gavt. of Madras for 27th, 28th & 29th Oct., 1923. Pub. Dept., <cxmfid), pp.316-17

108. Letter fran R.A. Graham, to the secretary to Gavernnent of India, Han. oep., dated PSG, 16th Sspt:eml:xtt 1922, NO. 7363-3, Pub. CConfidh Dsnl-official from F. Armitage, to R.A. Graham, Chief Secretary to the Government of Madras, dated Narasapatam, 18th &;pt., 1922, pub. (confidh Fortni<jhUy reports, 16th NoV. 1922, No. 9985-l, PUb., p.Sl7 1st Feb., 192) 1 No. 1189/A-1, PIJbl .. , p.4J 2nd Jtme 19241 No.l32/o-l, Pub., p.l71 Alao wae, t~ly Reports from Happell to the Chief SeJ. to the Governmant of Madras, dated 30th 03:., 1922 and 5th Jan., 1923, Pub. Dapt., (oonfidh Fortnighly Rzport, 1st Nov., 1922, No.973l/A-l, Pub. p.40

451 o:>rrect infortntion as to their ~t in timo to round them

109 up. Far Sitarama Raju, ~lar social base in tha hills tes, in

fact, a strategic link in bio line of d!:tfcnco, \!:hm'eas the ghats

\!:are stronq footholds for hin offensive attacks. Since .Raju ms

also ll anon of brain• his guerrilla tactics aided by an effect.iva 110

intelligence n3twork bee~ formidable • . In spite of careful planning and CJUerrilla tactics 1 the rebolo

did qat a severo blow from the Government forces ll'Ore than once.

In these circumstances the rebals GVentoolly fell b3.ck lJ!XXl thair

villago bases to recover fran tho shock and lick their munds in

peace. For instance, on Dacemb3r 61 19821 a party of about fifty

of t~nbar Police sucesded in attaching the rebels in a villaqo

called Peddaqeddapl.a. Four of the ~~l~ tl::!re killed, two were

C!lpurad and several ~. 'll'l3 rebels scattered into the hills,

bit ~re foll~ by another p>lice party of fifty. At midnight

in a rocky mtercourse in the billa, a hand-to-hand fiqht ensu~

for &b:>ut an h:nlr in which eight rebels vare killed 1 four

captuared end several mre 11Dunded. It was felt by the Governm::mt

that the •offensive r;xJWer of the gang has been broken 111

and t:.hoy 011n now have only n verty small supply of ammunition a. -. ........... .. . ··--109. For instance, eoo FatnighUy Reports, 2nd Dec., 1922,

No.l0746/A-l, Pub.,p.S3J 1st. Feb.,l923, No.U89/A-l, Pub.,p.4J Dsni-official fran F. Ar:mitage to R.A.Grahem, No.8 Narsapatam, 17th Sept., 1922, Pub. 02pt., (confid), p.42. To quote Hu:Jgins, «~It is clear fro:ll r.tr~ Sw.eney•s reports that a numbar of village munsifs are oot reporting the arrival of tho mbels in their villages and delib3rately suppressif\9 .i.nforrnrltion. Mr. Bl.1rl2 also reports that the rebals have b3en visiting villages all over the Q:dem taluk and right across the hills as far as Gurtedu and Val.amuru, but not a single report has bSen sent in ••• • WS9kly Report from J.R. HU":Jgins; Aqency Cmmissioner, for 30th January 1923, .Pub. Dapt. (confid >, p.lS6.

uo. Report on the Agency Rebellion for 24th o:t.,l922, from A.J. H&ppell, Officer Ccmnandinq, Agency Operations, PUb. Dept., (confid). p.79.

111. Fortnightly Report, 16th December 1922, No.ll200/A-l, Public, p.54.

' 4 52 'rhin 'tC!l to prove wrong. Tbe remaining rebels amazingly

succooded in elu:ling search by the police and catn9 back into tho

scene with an increased nurnb3r. 'lhis wruJ tnSSiblo. Within

a short timo b:!camo, as W3S officially mportcd later, the

villagero fed them and conceo.led t.hair novements fran p:llice ll2

sc:ll'ehes in the villages when tho rebels \GX'G in a bad shape.

Mil:J itary ~'t'esoion

To nlienatO the villaqera 10r tribal nassoa fran the rabsls,

rewards tiGre declared for .information, punitive taxes ware '""

Cosh awards t&re declared to catch the reools. For tho

appr~ension of ~lur:i r;~tar~ Raju &l)_~ut of Rs. __ l,SOO_, .. _for

Gem Gantham Dorn and Gaa Kal.loyn Dora of Gmnarla.palem Rs.l,OOO

e:tch, for •any one ~ has b::!3n actively a::mcerncd in the fituri

or for information which leads to the arreet of any one who has ,

bzon acti.voly concerned in the fitur:i •. Ra.SO, and for a .303 113

rifle or a ~lice musket RD. 50, were declared cs mmrds.

Massive "¢.vil preseure" was brought to b3sr U90D th&

' inhabitants of the villages to aliennte them from the rebals.

Pr:oc.lamation under section 15 of Police Act, a imopo3ing

--------------·---·-----·-·-·-·----··--·--·-··----·-----------------~ ll2. Fortniqbtly Report, lst Fcb.,l923, No.ll89/A-l, PUbllc,. p.4. It was reported that •After the two fights, ·the rebels have SCllttered ond . wo bavo not baen able t:.o trac:o their \lboreabouts ••• nany of the rebels are hiclinq in field aand\as used for guarding crops and are being fed by their relatives ••• ". Letter from J.R. Buggirm, Ag3ncy CCmnisioner, to the Chief Sec. to the Gavt., dated, waltair, 15th Dec., 1922, Wsekly Peport, Pub. ~., Cconficl), p.l64; cmd soma t:are reported hiding in the jungle near their harea. see, Ibid, dated 18th oec., 1922 (Repo.rt fran Happell), p.165.

113. Se:3, tzeekly Report f.rom A.J. flllppell. Officer camm.nding, ~ Oparations, for 28th Dec., 1922 Procloroation of J.a. HU;mins, Agency Camdssionar enclosed therein, Pub. Dapt., CCanfid), pp.l68-69.

453 additional (;X)lice on the (disturbed) area and holding the

b . 1\A inhabitants usp.a for tho cost a uas issued~ Spacial orders war·e

issued forfei ti09 the t~tt.as' whenever tho ~muttadars' were found

helping or harbouring the rebels.

with special ~s to the p.)lioo to put 11eivil pressurea an

P'!QP1~1~ For instance, the Makaram'mutta'was resumad and the 4.\b

rmu.ttadar' was imprisoned for helping the rebels. The village

munsif of Cbintampadu was convicted for 0 helping the fituridars

and failing to give the infomation he was bound to give•. r-my

nore (muttadars' ware suspended and sane like 'muttadar 1 of Gangaraz

Mad9ole and tbe villaqo musif of Damanapalli were prosecuted for \ll

helping the rebels. Perhaps it was felt by the Government that

breaking- the propP.xti·ed claas in the hills consistin~r of· I (\

'lmlttadars. mtifs end beadnen was easier than breaking the tribal

masses • non-o:x;,paration. ibis does not mean ordinary tribals

were spared from prosecutions, which ware rather arbitrary. For

instance, in February 1923 "eight villagers have OOC!n amvieted

and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for harbouring &nd

giving false information inclwing a sentence ot 18 rronths oo a

rascal who harooured the rebels in GW.em and then gave Mr. Huma

false

---.. -~---·--•-••-••--•-•-•·--•-·---·-•-tt-wm•-•-•-----·-•-•-•r•-•----•-•Wrr-u-•r~~~t -~-•

ll4. Fortnightly ~t, 17th t·~ch 1923, t«l. 2816.-I. Pub., p.6. US. Telegram fran A.R. Knapp, dated Narsapatam, 30th

SG,pt.,l922.Pub. Dept., (c:onfid), w.lS-16; G.O.No.3081, Revenue, dated 28th Aug\L~t 1922, p.22 (By order of the Gollernment in Council)J Pub. D!.pt., CGovt. of Madras) dated 23rd Dec., 1924, No. 915 (Mis); Pub. Dspt.,(GoiTt. of Madras) dated April .30, 1925, No. 399 (Mis).

U6. Telegram_ to the AI;J3ncy Ca.mdssioner, - No.lSl6, D/22-l, dated 1st o:tober 1922, Pab. Dept., (oonfid), p.l8t G.O. No.l081, Revenue, dated 2Btb August 1922; Report from Happel.l, for 28th Dec., 1922 , Ses, P'.roclalmation enclosed therein, PUb. 03pt., (confid), pp.l68-69J l?Ub. ~t. (Gart. of Madras) dated, June 11, 1925, No. 566 CMis).

ll7. Report from Bappell, for 28th December 1922, cp.cit., p.l69.

454 118

information •. 'lb3so harsh sentonces oo the villagers ware also

used to create a scare sn:ong others in the villages. Imrmediately

after the prosecution of the 8 vlllagars, A.J. Happell, Officer

Ccmnandinq, Aqancy Oparations, addressed the .*'assembled

r ~~s~ village m.unsife and villa<Jers and explained to them at

length the meaning of punitive p:>lice and made it clear to tham

that this t-as ab3olutGly their last chance (to give infortra.tion ll9

regardinq the rebels for the police)". 'lhis type of santence3 120

continued till tho end of the robelion, ha#3ver, without much

change in the attitude of the villagars.

Simultaneously "economic pressure• was bt"ought to bear upon the

villages •frequented by the rebels• or upon those villages which

rendered assistance to ar ex>ncelaed the rebals in any W!ly. 'Ih9

best srothod adopted to put "econcxnic pressure• was quartering

--------------·------------·---------------------------------118. lbpert of A.J. Happal.l, Officer Ccmnanding, Aqency Operations, on the A9eflCY Reballi.on, for 24th Feb.,l923, Pub. Ds:pt., (confid), p.l99

ll9. Ibid

uo. See, Neport on l:'qancy Ope.rarions, for 26th Feb., 1923, Pub Dept., <oonfld), p.202. For failing to raport the tTOVements of the rebels, the Isradars of Badlaqondi, Tallapalem and 'Kirabu have bs3n esntencad to 6 tronths rigorous imprisonnent under Section 176 IPC. -

Report of swaney fran~ Yelleswaram, for 18th SEpt.,l923, Pub. rmpt., <confid), p.JOo.

en October 13, 1923, it was reported that 13 nore were convicted for harbour.ing rebels, suppressing infoi'n'Btion, or giving false information about the rebels. By 24th Oct.,l923, 13 nore ware amvicted with 6 rronths rigorous imprisomrent and fine of R5.25 to Rs.200. For DDre details see, Report of Sw:.!ney, from camp Narsapatam. for 13th Oct.,l923, Pub. 03pt., (oonfid), p.Jll.J Report from Swaney, for 22m, 23rd and 24th oat., 1923, Pub. Oq>t.., <confid), p.llS; . AlJ:1o sse, Report of S'..«eney, from caxrp Krishnaclevpst, for 19th to 22nd nec.,l923, Pub. Dapt (confid), p. 2311 Report of l"J. R. John Acting Dt. s. P. for 30th Nov., to 2B3 Dec., 1923, Pub.. Dapt. (confid) 1 p.235J Fortnightly Raports, dated 19th Nw. 1923, No.9462-l, Pub., pp.ll-321 dated 17th March 1924, No. 2796-1, Pub., p. 7.

455 oditional {X)lic:o under section 15 af tho Police Act on the

121 l.oallitieo ~ich b"3ro st.rong social basoa for the rebels. In

122 apito of the ~ty of the tribala tir-tlo crusl punitive t:axoo

tmre Q)llectcd, often with tlY.l une of brute force. '1ba .-:-.

~gni-tude of the •eecnanic pressure• exercised upon the poor L

trib3l nnosan ClUl bo casugcd frc:m.l the fact that "t:he estimated '

monthly coot of n forca of 100 men not inclwing officers Cws)

aa. 5;052-8-0 for the t3labar Sp:!Cilll Force and RD.. 4 1 312-8-01

for the F.!lrlt C.O.Ut SJ;XlCial Force. tnclwing officers the CXY.Jt

wuld b3 Rs. 6,353 for the M9laba.r Sp3oial Porco and Rs. 5,603

for the Eant Colst Sp!cial FOrce. 'Ihis estimate inclu:k!s the 123

pay, the travelling allct.:fai\Ce and the rations of the force•.

'l1l3 collection of tho punitive tax ~re often made at 9W1 point,

mstly onece in a 't133k. By 2m June, 1923, the tota.l amount

collected was Rs. 1, 76-l-9 i.e. out of Rs.3,200 for a period of

----Itt-• ·-·-· ·-· 1-W ·-·------..... - .............. Ill J&. I ................... _____ _

121. Official M3l'Orandum No.7l-s, &ltod 7th MU'ch, 1923, .tqmcy Report from R.A. Graham, Olief Sec. to Govt. for lst llnd 2m March, 1923, Pub.02,9t.Coonfid), p.20SJ Also see Govt. of Madras, G.O.No. 231, Public, datad 24th March# 1923.

122. Official Momcr&ndwn No.71-s, dated 7th Jfarch 1923, Ibid., p.206p Also ses Pub. 02pt., (Govt. of Madras), G.O.No.ll4 (Mio), pub. dated 6th Fob., l92S, and G.O .. No.23l 1 Pub. dated 24th Marcll,l923. 'lbe poverty of the inh.tlbitants of this re.;ion \lOG &':scri~ with ca::ar3 Cbtnilo in latter fro::\ I. Vcnkata &yanna Pmltulu, Sub. Divisional I c:lo.Gs Magiatrato Narasapatam, to the Ot.Me.g., ViBa98p!ltam, M.R.C. b!o .. 100/1923, dt. 7th April 1923, found in R. Dio. No. 1288/23 CI, dt. 25.9.1923, dt.collootorate Rscords, Vieagapat.am, pp. 19-21.

123. Letter from J.R. Huqgino, Aqe.ncy C<mnisoioner, to the Chiof Sec. to Govt. dated, C8q:J Narsapatam, 23rd March 1923, PW>. Dept., (confidl, p.21a.

456 124 125

two nonths; by llth June, 1923 it mo around Rs. 2, 764 and by l26

23rd June, 1923, it had reached Rn. 3,571. A total tbmand of

Rs.5, 761 t:aS imposed on the ~ division alone Cexcl\Xling

collections in t.he Gcdavari and Vizngnpatam districts) out of 127

which mly around .Rs. 1, 705 t:are due by 21st · July, 1923.

Md8i119 insult to injury, from August 1923 onwards, the punitive

tax was doubled on those villages which ware once subjected to

punitiw tllX, tllt W'3re viGitod. c:cond tim::l by Raju•a force nnd

prompt inform:ltion about bhieh t2s not sent to the nsareat (I

P/.o1ice posts in spite of tho J.mpo:li tion and collection of (....- ;_ 128 pur(;ive tax earlier. But, even this wenpon of "economic pressure•

proved futile and the Governemnt failed to break the popular non­

cooparation of the tribal masses.

124. tetter f.ram J.R. Huggins, cp.cit., CW33ltly Report) dated, waltair, 2rxl June 1923, Pub. Dept.,(Confid), p.25o, Also see Ibid., dated 19th May 1923, (Ws3Jt1y Report fran t-Jal.tair) and dated 26th May 1923, (Weakly !\epert from Yellavarmn) Pub. OGpt., (Confid), p.249J R.Ois. No.l288/23 Cl, dt. 25.9.1923, Oistr ict Collectorate RIX:Ords, Vizagapatam, therein quoted pub. Dept., K3nO No. 4116-l, dt. 8th May, 1923, p.S2.

125. Letter from J.R. Huggins, cp.cit., elated C&mp Pam:.a, 13th June 1923, (\\~ly Report) Pub. Dept., (c:onfid). p.26S.

126. Ibid.,(W:!ekly Report) dated, waltair, 23rd June,l923.p;269.

127. Ibid., (~ly Reoport) dated, Wal.tair, 21st July, 1923 p.282. 1.'tla 111l41ttas and villages covered by the punitiva tax ware IDtuqedda, Gu1em, Dharakonda, Paddavals, Antada, Koyyuru and Makaram • Muttas • of the GUdem taluk.; the .Kilamkota •mutta' of the Pa.dle. talukJ 38 villages of Cbiem taluiq 6 villages of Golugonda taluk.; Vlzagapatam districtJ the Gurtedu and Pandropolu •muttas• of the Yellavaram talulq 16 villages of Yellavaram taluk; Velangi village of tbe Peddapur talulq Godavari district and Aannavarmn and Sankavaram villages near ghats. seee G.O. rib.ll7, Juiicial (Police), dt.24.3.1923; G.O.No.262, Juclicial (Police), dt.6.6.l923.

128. Report of StianeY dated, J<rishnadevipet, ll th August 1923, Pub. Dspt. (confid), p.286.

457 As a msult tho Governm:mt resorted to police · roprossion in the

villages. Almost any houso in tho villages of Rmnp!l hills \:!aS

subjected to 0 thorOU'-:Jh cenrches a. Th3 min taraqet!J ~re the

houses which funished brebals hranpower) to Raju and bbich W3re 129

inhabited by tho relati vcs of tho rabela.

Unfl.llgqinq Social SUpport of the Masses in the war

---------------------------------------Yet the tribnl mssss did not batrny the rebalo. On the othor

hand, they were mre sct.i ve in helping the rebels once the

repression was stepped up by the police J and en GCXlle crucial

cx:casians t.OOy even fought in the guerrilla war should& to

shoulder with the rebels and Sit.arama .Raju.

One such extraordinary instance W3s that of an~ attack an the post

of Gudem by Raju and his follO'iiOrs on 26th Oct.ob& 1923. C.E. 130

Swaney one of the off icera of the Malabar Police, reported that :

'1be rrost mttraordinary part of this attack is that all in Gudem village participated and rost probably nen fran other villages of the Gudon taluk. Guiem village is now almost deserted and it is boli ved that the male population ms joined the reb3la. 'lbe rclxll front at the t.iJ:m! of the &ttacJt. extended for 150 yards &nd at one time the air t:as singing with the flight of arrows ..... , Since this attack they c:ompletely diSAPJiX!8red.

Due to shear failure in achieving its objective the punitiw tax Ul

was discontinued in Sept:emb2r, 1923. For instead of breaking the

------~~~----·-·---------·--------------------·----------129. Ibid., for 19th, 20th and 21st Ck.'tober 1923, Pub. ~t., (oonfid), p.ll4J Also see Pub.Dapt., (Gavt. of Madras), G.O.No.400 (Mis), dated 14th May 1923.

130. Report .of Sweney, for 27th, 28th and 29th Oet.obar, 1923, Pub. Dept., (oonfid), p.317.

131. Report. from G.R.F. . 'nlttenham, Acting Chief 8ec. to GoVt. datd 27th Oct., 1923, Pub. Dept., (confid), p.331J Pub. ~., (Govt. of Madras), G.O. No.SOB, dt. 22nd Sept .• , 1923.

458 back of the rab3ls it along with mi.Uitnry repreznion forced tho

tribal uasses to c.:oms into tbe qJen and support th9 cause of the 132

rabals. Onlcos tho xebslo •b3c:o1l'e donporato• and made mistakes,

it taa felt by the Gcwerru1m1t that the reb31Uon could not bs

suppressed in roar future, nor could Rnju's social base in the 133

hills be 1.10akend. No \\Otldor it was the capture tmd ldlling of

-----------------------------------------------·-----132. It \lOG reported thnt "t!'3 ~ to m no rumrer tho end of thio bleinesa than wa were a year ago... It will b3 ~en by a pn-uoal of tho abovG p:ap:lrs thot as mu::h as pos!libl.e has been dona in the w:.y of p3rsundinq or ~lling ths inhabitants to exx>porote with tho authoriti03 in combating or betraying tho Rtlju and hi& followoro blt these efforts hava not really boon GUCCOoaful •••• • ~t fran G.R.F. Tottenham. Ibid.

133. Ibid.

134. Fo.rt.nightly reports. dated ~, 16th May 1924, NO.SJ/Q:~, .w.l4--:-15.r 2m .June .1924, _No.ll2/crl,. w.l6-l7.;. 'l'olegram from the Officer Ccm:nanding, At;pncy Op:lraticns to thE! QU.ef 5ec • Ul Gc::wt. • dated. 1 Na.t'BapD.tam 1 7th liJay 1 1924 1

PUbl. Dept., (confid), p.J74J Telegram from tho IrrJp3Ct.or­Ge.'1ernl. of Police, Ibid., dated, t".adraa, 8th M!.y, 19241 Manorandum from J~ «.rr. Kunchu t-t:non, i.e., Intolligence Pntrol for Sl Alwar Nayudu, to the Off iccr Ccmnanding, Chintllpal.li, Se:!dipalayam, dated 7th M!ly 1924, l\lb. ~t., (confid), P• 377.

In the .nloovo govornmant srour:ce it was recorded that Raju '\as shot <bad ••• wile eacapillCJ". ~,. it Wi113 proved & lie, for a photograph of Raju was published by Raghavaiah (provided by Bantian in 1930* s) in t$Uch 9W1 Ghot wounds on the che.<~t are eloorly visible. 'lbia author alco publlmed on eye witrtess account of the .killing and an altercation that ensued between Baju and the Major Goodall at Mapa village, tmf.lre tha reb:!l loader said to have demanded the prioonor of war treatment. 'Ihis account also says that Raju surrendered on his 0t1n to Major Goodall• s Jamadar of the East Coast. Special Police to save the tribal msses from the militctry suppression but was shot dead by the JG"Ded.ar at the orders of Major Goodall.

Sea, v. Ria9havaiah, Tribal Revolts (Nellore, 1971), pp.44-47. '.this {tlot.ograpn of dead .Raju t:as also published in his edited book, Tribes in India, Vol.. I, (Nmf Delhi, l969).

459 Baju on 7t:h f·hY, 1924 ~ich ultimately gave a doath ~ to the

134 anti -colonial war in the hills.

'Ibus the rebellion dem:mstrated its solid social basa among

tribal masses, but not so nu:h a11Cn9 muttadars. Fran the

beginning, to quote Henderson, District Magistrate, Vizagapatam

that '*bobat of tbe muttadars sean to be trying their best to sit 135

on the fense•. evan though tho munsifs and muttadaro supported

and hslp2d the rebols tmen t:.ha rebellion was at its hsight, t:hay

quickly h9lped the police to find out the reOOls 1 in so.10 cases

they caught ths rebels and in one case they even .killed a reb31,

once the rebels' resistance cracked in 1923-24 under the pressure 136

of police repression and encounters. 'ibis was not so in the cnse

of tho basic tribal masses, for till the end t.hoy supported the

rebels and ll.9Ver betrnyed tbe cause of Raju. In fact, •it had

pJzzlcd ENerY officer on active duty in the Fituri (area) how

this miserable looking populntion has parsiated· in their attitude

of non-cooperation not withstanding the vary considerable

pressure and discomfort of parties of police and the Assam Riflea 137

noving all ewer the country•. Ultinntely it w:1s a clash bstt:3en ----------------·-·-_..,..II ·- 8 I ----~--- lawt I PI 1111 PI f I • ttiWM._

135. Dami-official fran C.A. Henderson, I.c.s., District ~.aqintrnte, Viugapatam, dt. 9th Sept. 1922, Pub. ~t., (confid), p.40.

136.. For instance Gam r.allayya Oorn was captured only when three village munsifs had informed the police an 17th Sept., 1923. See, letter from J .R. Hu39ins dt. wal.tnir, 22n:i Sept., 1923 (weekly Report), Pub. ~t •. (confid~, pp. 301-302.

Yendu Padal was killed by one munsif and his supporters on 26th !ot:1y, 1924. ~ \'Jeekly Report by ~, dt. camp, Olintalllpudi, 31st Mciy, 1924, Pub. Dept., (confid), p. 3841 Also see, Press eatmuniqua, dt.. emnp, ()::)tacanr.md, tho 5th Juno 1924 in cp.cit., Part VII, pp.336-37.

137. Ratherford on tho Clauses of Pampa Fituri, in M. Venkatarangaiya, op.cit., VOl. III, p. 368.

460 tho hill msaeo, who articulated thoir grievances into a

rob3llion, and the oolonial rulers.

!hroughout this period, it was the villagers and in fJ(XD3 c:a.ses

village munaifo headmen and muttadars t'ho ensured a constant

supply of daily provisions to the rebels. Initially, tha Agancy

C<mnissioner folt that •the villagers knew that the fitur1 t.'a&

intended and ~re supplying it with food as it passes through,

psrhaps, willingly, perhaps under compulsion • 'lbere is, llO'IIever,

no general grievance tihich tlOuld mke them support the fituri 138

\".'holeheartedly". 'ltlese assunptions ware to be proved t~.rong by the

later course of events and the official enquiries into the causes

of too rebsllion. ay· the end of Septe::nbar, 1922, in fact, it wa8

_established bayonet doubt that. there. did exist a deep .. rooted

d.islilm of lllld antangonism against colonial rulers in the hills,

which, in turn, hcl.psd the rebels to cxmnand the "*tolehearted

support nnd loyalty of the tribal msses as wall aa propertied 139

groups in the hills. ConsequenUy not only the tirbal masses bu.t

also the village munsifa ware seen •pretty active" in supplying 140

provisions to the rab3ls. Th&e was a harmonious relationship

--------------------------------------------~~~---138. tetter from F .w. Stewart, Aqency Carmissioner in-charge to the Chief Sec. to Govt.. dated camp, Narsapat.am, llth Sept., 1922, Pub. Ofpt., Cconfid). p.S (Rama Fituri 1922 Daily Report).

139. Rutherford on the causes of the Rram:pa Fituri, in M. Venkat.aranqaiya, op.cit., Vol.III, R;>.36S-70: Pub Dept., (Govt. of Mtldras) G.O. No.974 (Mia), dated 21st Nov. 1922J G.O. No. 924 Ct~s), dated lOth NoV., 1922; G.O. No.499 (Mis) dated, 16th 19241 G.o. No. 894 (M.is) dated, 20th oec., 1924; G.O. No. 108 (Mia) dated, 2nd Feb., 1925 CPa~s recorded)J G.O. No. 402 (Mia), dated 30th April, 1925.

140. For ~ instances sea, Lletter from Stewart, Agency CQmlissioner in-charge, to the Chief See. to Govt. dated 23rd sept., 1922, PUb. Dept., Cconfid>, see case Diary No. 13, Chinta.palli, pp.B-11.

46l ~ween the rebels and the villngaro. tbt .rurprisingly, Sitarar.3

Raju nover pumitt¢d •looting of villaqas, although d~inq 141

oupplies for a d!ly or ~'0 fr<Xl villa.g3s h:t p:lSml through". And 142

this probably increased hia "hold on the vill.&~s·.' ~ at th2

might Of dasparation, R!ljU OOUld not allaH the looting of the

countrysid3. For instnnce, when he \fOB in need of n9W recruits,

hG went to t<ond&palli on 2rd to 4th May, 1924. It 't.tls reported

by sano of the cnptured rebels to tho Chief Intelligence Officer

that Raju wont to Kondapalli •to negotiate with a number of

inhabitants of that villnqe U1o are either old fitw:idaro and

dacoita ar the <bscendents of such for them to join hio gnng.

'lbny had apparently mda previous overturoo oot wanted to be

allowed to loot and rob the countryside which the Raju '«)Uld not -----143 - - - - - - -- -

ngrce to•. 'Ibis E»tplaina a strong bond that mdGted between Raju

and the villagars which gave amazing strength to the rebals.

ConseqU!!ntly, \dlenevor, and t,1\erever, the: rebals camped •SS'V'*-rnl

village munsifs and n number of villagera were aloo <seen} with 14~

tho gang•, nupplying food as well and manpower.

145 San5Umss the muttadars also furnished fo:xl suppllen to RajuJ but

141. D3ni-official S~rt,op.cit., dated, camp Viusgapatom, 12th Sept., 1922, Pub. Dept .. , (Confid)' p.35.

142. Ibid.

143. See, Press ccmnuniqtB, dated Fort St. George 16th June 1924, issucad by N.B. Marjoribanks, Acting Chief sec. to Govt. in Rampa Oiaturbancea, Part VII, (from 1st JanUilry to 30th June 1924) Section A - Press Cc:mmunique, Pub. Dept., <oonfid), p. 338.

144 • Report m the Aspnc.y Rebollion from: A .. J. FJ1lppell , Officer Cammldiru.J /tqltncy Operations, for 7th o:t., 1922, Pub. ~t., (c:onfid), p.SS.

145. Letter from F.W. Stewart, Aqency C<mnisaioner i.n-charge, to the chief ~. to Govt. dated, camp Narsapatam, 23rd Sept. 1922, Daily Report (C!aso Diary No. 13, Chintopalli), Pub .. Dept., (Confid), W• 9 and ll.

462 they often later reported to t:.bo Gavernmant that thio was done

146 . under cx:mpu.lsion. M \13 tnve t;x)intcd out all mrlier, unlike

villagera the dclminant group oomprising of 'muttadara ~ OOB.~n

ond munsifs was,in fact, sitting on ttw fence to jlll.q) to the &lfo

side if the reb3llion failed in the fnce of polic~ repression. When

the rabollion wns ot ito height and as long llS the z.-ebela o:Nld

retain their thrust aqainst pollee forces, 'muttadara' and village

munoifo ~o 0 protty active• in supplying and supporting the

re~la. HC1.'/eVer, once t.'le rebels• (X1.'1er \r:a& on the tone, these

daminnnt groups tJOre quick in jumping to the other side of the

fonco. 'Ibere were nany inst.ances of village munsifs being -..,:ary

active in bringing some rebcla for surrender and passing on

information on tho .. mbel.m:Nert13nt.s .. leading .. to the arrest of 147

tmportnnt lend9rs. For instance, Gmn Mallayya Dora could be f

captured easily tbcn ~ was in the house of a Kaldn Dot"tl girl at

Nndimpalcm village oil 16th Septertlber, 1923, tor infomation ws 148

pased on by 111 threo village munsits• to the police. 0 BUt they

146. For inst.oncs, see Report frO!ll the Dharakonda Muttadar on 13th o:t. 1922 to Mr. Saunders, Intelliqcnco Impcctor, in R::!port an the Agency Rebellion, from Happall, op.cit., for 15th Oct.,l922m pub. Dept., (confid~, p.66; Report of the Deputy Tr.hsil.dar, Malkanagirl, to the Aqency Ccmnissioner, dated 13th June 1923 in M. Venkataranqaiya, op.cit., Vol. III, p.387.

147. Reports fran A.J. Bappell, Officer Ccm:nanding, Agency Operations for 7th NoV. 1922, PUb. Dept., (confid), p. 95J Report for let oec. 1922, Pub. Dapt., (o:mfid), p. l21J tetter fran J.R. Huggins, Agency CO'nmissioner, to tha Chief Sec. to Govt. ~tair, 15th Dec., 1922, (We3kly Report) Pub. Dspt., (confid), p. 164J Report from Happell, for 19th Dec. 1922, Pub. ~t., (confid), p. 165~ Report from C.E. ~ney for 13th June 1923, Pub. (confid), p. 264; Relport fr~ Upandrn Pat.naik, Intelligence Inspector , Ra.javc:xm.angi, to the Officer Can:nanding, Agency Operations, dated Nar.sapatam, 6th May, 1924, in f.J. Venkatarangaiya, op.cit., VOl.IU, p.400.

148. Report of Sweney fran Rrishnadevipet, for 23rd Sept. 1923, Pub. Dept.,. (confid), p.302r Also see Letter fran J.R. Huggins, cp.cit,., dated 22ni Sept. 1923, 'Pub. (confid~, p.JOl.

453 (three village munsifs) wre anxious that. their share in the

matter ohould be kept confidential and rewards be gi,Jen cnly at 149

the close of the fituri •, bacause they were afraid of openly

disassociating from the rebellion t-Jhieh taG still going strong in

tho hills. 'l'be killing of Ymdu Pildal was also the same sad

story of 'elite• betrayal. The village munsif and his henchmen

of Pada Jeruvu near Peddavalasa captured and brough Padal' s con

to the ofticials on 2ltd May 1924. ~ Padal after hearing this

came to the village to rescue his son he was killed by them en 150

26th M.:ly, 1924. In thio caoc the dominant groups opsnly bslp:xl

the Goverrutmlt, for tha! rebsllion had been almost crushed.

'!bus the unflagging social support of the tribals and a I

continuous cupply of daily provisions from the villages hal~

Sitarrue Rilju to carry on his guerrilla war from deep \\IOCXls to

establish "Swarajya• in the hills. Evan qeographica.lly speaking

thG social base of Sitarama .Baju a.'ld his follaNers was vary wide,

for the rebellion had its social roots not ooly in the .AJr-ncy

division b.lt also in th~ oorder villages of Vimgapatam and

Godavari districts. In !>:'.arch, 1923, a Gallernment proclamation

clearly identified the geographical base of Raju in order to

impose pmitive tax. 'nle mutt&s of I.Dtugedda, <.b:lEm, Oharakonda,

Pcddavalasn, Antada, Koyyuru and Makaram of Gudem taluks, the

Gurtedu and Pandropo1u m.uttas of Ynllavarcm taluk and the

Kilamkota mutta of Padwa tal uk ware declared as the nost ' ____ • .....,_ .. _ _.,.................. l ............... --··--~ .. ~--·-·-·-----·-.. ·-··----------... -.

l49. RepOrt of sweney for 23rd Sept. 1923. Pub, 02pt., (confid), p. 302.

150. W82kly Report frtn ~ey, dated, camp Chiiltalapudi, 31st May, 1924, Pub. (confid), p. 384) Also see, Press C<mnuniqua, dated camp OXacamund, 5th June 1924 in op.cit., p.336J Fortnightly Report 1\lo. 132/o-l, dated C8r£q? ootacamund, 2txl June 1924, pp. 16-17.

454 diat.ruOOd arcns. 1hls proclamation further identified a total of

38 v1llaqea in Gudem talult, 16 villages 1n Yallavo.rmn taluk., 6

villabves in Gol~onda taluk of Vizagapatmn diatrict and Velanqi

villa<J(! of .Pa1dopur taluk, Go:lavari district, as ttDSt actiw in . 151

helping Sitarama :Raju. \.

Lastly it is essential to f.X)int out that in oour:na of· the bloody

prolonged gu3rrilla warfare, f.IQ'.n2 individuals fr<rll. ex-nuttadara,

outlatm, l.nndhold~s, and b:lditfl joined the rebel group due to

their om grievances ngainst colonial authority. It t.OUld be,

hQwoVQC, mi.oleading to charlloterise the rebellion in terms of the • 152

inter ants. of these individuals, as has been done by David Amold.

For tho progr.t::Wm3 of Raju wan never • hcqomoniaed • . by the

·aspi-rations- of- t.twse- individunla. •!bey ett.hru:- . cont:.tnued to oorvo

th~ rebellion by GUbcrdinating their pttsonal or group interests

or faded out in cource of the rebellion 'aJ disasoociat.ing from

it.

On3 example of this <as thnt of M:lttadam Virayya Dora, 1d10 had

tried his luck rather \msuccO!,•sfully to restore his claim. to the

G\11(.1U! Patavidi r:tttta by joinin; the La:Jarni rifling of 1915-16.

He Md since them b:!en detained as priooner under Regualtion I.t 153

of 1819 at Vi:danagarnm. In l922, Virayya Dora e:.u:apsd. fra:n

prloon and tried to muster support for his claim over the mutta,

bUt in vain. aa was captured and kept at the .Rajavcmn'lnqi police

--· ·--~~-U-1 -··----·------------------------------------151. G.O.No.l27, Ju:licial (Polica) dated 24th tech 1923, CRampa Disturbancotl-Act v of 1861 - section 15 -.Additional Police -Notification iGsued) (Sy omer of the Govt. in Council), Pub,. Dept., (confid) 1 p.2l6 •

152. David Arnold, op.cit., for instance, p. 137.

153. Letter fran R.A. Graham, I.c.s. Chief secretary to Gcwt. to tho Sec. Govt. of India , l1an3 [);opt. , dt. PSG ,1 16th Sept., 1922, No. 7363-3, Public.

465

otatio.'"l from tsttn-re he \\t\e released by Sitarama Raju oo 24 154

Auc,JUSt, 1922. "It -wao at first supposed• bl' tho gavernm=nt that

"the object of the rising might be to restore him (Virayyo. Ddora)

to his mutta. It appears, hcMQver, that he was not at all willing

to go with the rebellious band t~ soon separated fran it tmd was lSS

recaptured•. R!lju r."'igbt have reloancd Virayz•a Dora with the hope

that hs would join him in tha cause, or, m.:>rc probabaly, he might

have bean influenced b}r the "public fe3ling in Gudem mutta t:Mt

Muttadnm Viroyya Dora was not being trollted fairly (and released

him) from custody at Rnjavatmangi where his case has been posted 156

for trial on the 24 Augu.st •. Ult:i.mately, though Virayya Dora

.. _failed tp ~gciat~ _wi~ Raju•o ~lion, the rebels' g30ture of

releasing him frM the police lock-up probably onhanced Raju' G

preotiqe a::1 a • justice giver • among the psople in that area. It 157

certainly enabled him "to raise recruits fran that mutta•. It is

interesting that in spite of Government's s.paculation that

Virayya • s rescue was . aim.ed at restoring him to his mutta,

Sitarama .Raju did not resort to restorative justice of this. sort

which would bave ultimately forced him to qat involved in

internal biekerinqs of r.nuttadars and thet'eby 'endanger the wider

cause of anti-a:>lonialism. In other words, Baju did not ...... ___....,......_ ___ . ___ _._.._,....,.,.. _________________ _ 154. Ibid. Letter from F.w. stewart, l.c.s., Agancy Catmissioner,

to t.'le O'lief sec. to Gol1t., dt.. camp, Naroapntam, 11th Sept., 1922, .Pub. Oept .. ,(confid), p.4J Also see, Fortnightly Report, Govt. of Madras, (Strictly catfid> dt. lst Sept., 1922, NO. 7593-1, Public.

155. letter from Grabnm dt .. 16th sept .• , 1922, No. 7363-3, PublicJ Fortnightly Pql()rt.dt. lst &!pt., 1922, No. 7593-1 Public.

156. Letter from Stewart, dt. llth sept.., 1922, Pub. Dept., (confid), p.4.

157. Ibid.

466 canpranisa with ~1uttadars to get tht.lir support. ~ aimed at

DDbilising these al.ements by integrating their grievances with

the wider cause of lil:m'ating Ratt;Ja tribals from the Bbritish

yoJte. 'Ibose \\\ho got involved in the wider cause joined the

rebellion and others like Virayya Dora \fiho had not beleived in

it, left .Raju.

Political Ideology of the Rebellion

Turning towards the character of tho reb3llion and its linkn with

nationalist ideology in th3 plains, it is essential to go through

• the scattered opinions oo the objectives of the r.abellion, to

form n vague picture of tihclt the rcools and .Raju actually st.cxXi

for in their upriaing again.~t Britioh Rule.

Initially tha Officials h2ld diverse views regarding the object

of tho fituri. According to ~. it was to t!3tablish Raju •ao 158

king of ~an, bin kingdan extending throughout Gudem tnluk". He

was said to have addressed a maating of vilLage headmen,

•demanded a poll-tax of four annas a read and said that he was 159

going to establi!~h his Odn kingdan•. Sane of the rebels captured

in the e!lrly rtDntlu:i of the roballion were reported to ho-w aaid

that "'the Govermmnt ban not done jU3tlce to Rttju by not

recognising him no lting af Gl.:dem" and that., hence, they 160

sympathised with :P.o.ju. !-wever, some of the off iciala ...... ·-· ... " ............. --------·--·---~~·-·---·--·-·-------

158. Letter from F.W. St:e,;art, to the Olief Sec. to Govt., date:i ewnp, Nar~patam, llth sept. 1922, Pub. O:::tpt., (a:>nfid), p.4J Letter from R.A. Grnham, to the sec::. Govt. of India, Hane Dept., dated PSG,. 16th sept. 1922, !ib.7363-3, Public tconfid), p.6

159. Dani-official Stewart, Agency camdssioner, Vizagapatam, dated 29th August 1922, Pub. Dept., (confid), p.2SJ Dani­official, C.A. Hs."''dcrson, op.cit., dated, lrd &apt. 1922, p.29.

160. Demi-official St.emtrt, dated 12th Sept., 1922, Pub. Dopt., (confid), p.35

467

had a different views ol! tho moti't~ of the rebelliorl. Ao::«3rdil1tj

to sccro intelligence sources "tho :t'ol:»ls w-do said to havo· troved

tQoiards JS')'PQX'G via Arutntngir! W1d ... • (there was) rumour that

the Raju has raiood this eh<Yd to got guns and am:nunition for non­

cooparation in norther India, nnd tl1o.t he intends to mke tracks 161

acros!l tho CGntral Provinces \1han ha 009 got enough". Thc!3o

contradictory opinions \'."ere the rmtural outcane of tho ini tiQl

b:.:railcisi'msnt mld "cxxn.?lcto ignorance of tho m:.>tiva!l and 162

objectives of the gang", for neither Raju nor any of the rebels

were vocal about their object! ves. CQ'lsoquently, the Governrr.ont

oaems to haw txU.ei ved ~oours and t11~ht. thn~ -~ ~~!-:ion 1-i<lG

•n sort of quani-raligious megalomania Which actuatP.d the 163

Pachipenta fituri•.

'lhc miot started clearing alee tl:le intelligence officers began to

probe into the <:aWJ03 of tho rebellion. It wam noti- felt that tho

leader W3.s, in foct, "actuated by ideals inopircd by tho non­

cooperation movement•. It was alleged in the M:drna ~ilative

Council that o SUb-Inspector of Polics h.:1d earlier reported that

a non~ator W3B preaching rebollioo 1n the hills hut the

161~ Dani-offieial, !'.S.s .. r:Jeo~a, Dated, ~capatar:~, 28th .A~st

1922, .Pub. Dept., Cconfid), p.2l.

162. D::mi-otficW C.A. lknderson, dated lrd. Sept.. 1922, Pub.

Dept., (confid) 1 p.29

163. Ibid.

·civil authorities had allOWEd him to go <Jl.- 'lhls t;reachet as no 164

other than Sitarama Raju. In February 1924, answering a

question by s. Satyamurti, a Member of the Madras Le;Jillati ve

.CounCil, Sir Arthur Knaw, Hm:e Ml!!lnb8r in the COUncil, was quite

categorical in character ising the rebellion. •'I'n9 cause... ia ,

undoubtedly to a very large extent the activities of a certain

party (Raju) \lfilich has been advocating non-<XX"Jperation with

GoVern~mnt •. ArrS "it is ttue that there were oompaint1 xegardi.ng

the treatment of latourers at the hands of certain dffieero.

It is MSO true t})at there were c:omplaints in connection with

podu cultivation. But these ccrnplaints had nothing to do with

the le.'!lder o! the fituri, RIJ.ju, who waa neither oppressed by

-----··-------------------------------------------------

164. Madras .r..eqislative COUncil Proceedings, 1:bird Session, 13th

Nov. , 1922 , Vol. IX, NOS • 1 to 5 , p. 538 •

our Off ioors nor has anything .to do with [X>du cultivation, and 1

attrib.&te his action to t.'le political mot.ivas to which I have 165

already aUuied". (anpbassis added).

In a personal letter dated 16th SqJtember, 1922, wcitten to his

friend in '1\lni, ~viting him to join the rebellion, Raju had

written that. "I co.~ced tnttle ••• thinking that battle is 166

inevitable in tho interests of the CO\mtt'y'o w.:2cty"" 'l11e rain

object of tho rebellion was said to tmvc been the c;tablishment

of S\1orajya. Thi~ fnct w.ln C!)rroboratcd by th~ testimony of

a. Sub-Irnlpxt.cr C. Shrini va.sarao, in the court at the trial of

the rebels. Others deposed before the court that Raju had

delivered the mesoagc of S\ara.jya to his lloutinents, the Gam 167

Brothers. AnnaP'.lrniah in hio report to Gandhi_, reproduced a

discusoion that Raju had with e non-o:lOper.ator in 1\."lnavaram, East 168

GcXtavari district on 18th Aprll, 1923, tbich clearly brings out

the political objective of the rebellion :

Non-coopP..rator. : \>lith tibet object are you ru."'1.'1ing this cn..,;ni gn ?

Raju : For the freedan of our mtherland.

Non-cooperator : By what mMns ?

Raju ' Unless wa m<J3 war against the bureaucracy we cannot win &arajya.

---·-~·-·-·-··-·b-----------------------------------------------165. Madras Is]islati ve Council · Proceedings, lat se:J:Jion of the second t.eqislatiw Council, 5th Feb. to 9th Feb., 1924, VOl. XVI, Nos. 1 - 5, p. 418

166. Dem.i-official F. Armitage, I .. G.P. to R.A.Grahllll, Chief Sec. to Gcwt. No.8, dated, camp, tmeapatam, l7tll Sept. 1922, enclosed a translated letter therein. Pub. ~., (confid), p.42

167. Report ~ r-t. Annapurniah, op.cit., p. 235.

168. Ibi<lJ Also acs Dantuturi Vcnka.ta Rama Raju, op.cit., pp..17l-74J 1\rrlhra Patrlkn, 21 Jt.pril 1923.

Non-cooperator

Raju

Rllju

470

: Do you really belci ve you would thus cr-t &.-.urajnyn?

' Undoutcdly, in two yearn wa do gst SW'arnyaja.

: Hew do you hope to 93t Swarajnya. in b:o years ? Io it through your present m&ula ?

: Yes, ~tically yes. I have a <:JrGat following ; there is no dearth of In2fl for m:l but I want a:rr:nunition. I am in S04Ch of that.

He wao so confident of winning tho war that h3 was reported to

ha.ve said t:hnt 11he did not care if the Govarnm:mt sent lakhs .. , . . of : troops aqainot him, he had followers all over In::Ua and was

169 quite prepared to deal with any forces oent by the Governm:ant.

lhus, the objective of the Manyam rebellion was much wider than

that of establishing 11his kingdan in Gudem" actuated •only by his 170

ambition to set himself up l1:3 an :;.ndcpcndcnt chief •. It wtlS

undboubtedly anti -colonial in character and thereby poll tical.

Neither the tribals nor Raju were isolated from tho major

political movements sweeping the plains. 1hore ware instances

of • Prachllrakas • (propagandnists) , eant by tho Congress, spreadinq

the progrmro~e of non-o."X>peration in the ~ region and also

the G:mdhian promi.so of 'Swaraj in one year', at a timn when non-

169. REport oo the Agan.cy rebellion for 7tlt ();t. 1922, sent by A.J. Happsll, Officer Co:n.-nanding, Agancy ~at:ions, Pub. Dept.., (confid), p.sa

l70. Madras Legislative Council Proceedings, 13th ~. 1922 , Vol. IX, Nos. 1 - 5 , p. 543.

471

cooperation m:werrent was rad.icali.sing the nationalist politics 171

in the plains. In tha Ol'Jll\9 period Raju was seen actively wotking

among the tr ibals for the spread of khnddar, anti-drink campaign, 172

estalishme.'lt of panchayat courts, etc., of COngress progran:mes.

It is not at all surprising to ses such a militant nan raising

slogans like •Gandhi-ki-jai • after looting the Chibntapalli

Police StationJ and at ~ other ocassions he •spoke highly of 173

Gandhi •. 1his IIX!.'lnS that Raju was in "close ocmnunication with 174

the plains• and the min currents of the nationalist D:DVen'l:3nt

led by Congress. In course of his dicusssions with tile Deputy

'Iahsildar, t<lalkanagiri en 11th June, 1923 he reported to have

said after praising Gandhi that •violance is necessary. Be t~ill

continue his canpaign till • swaraj • is established. He has no

faith in the (British} Governtn2nt. He desires to visit

Rajahmundry and other plains villages to test if he could ~t

sufficient following, mite a bold stand against G;Jovernment

------------------------------------------------------171. Daily Report on i\<pncy Rebellion for Oth Oct., 1922 fran A.J. Happell , Officer Caltn.<lnding, Aqency Operations , Pub. Dept. (o::mfid), p.59J tetter fran T.G. Rutherford dated 22nd Augus.t 1924, in M. Venkatarangaiya, op.cit., Vol. III, p. 3661 The Hindu December a, 1921.

172. M. Venkatarangaiya, Ibid., p.366; Demi-officia1 fran F.s.s., George, dated Narsapatam, 28th August 1922, (upto 5th Ck:tober) Pub. Dept., (confid), p.23; !A!tter fran P.W. Stewart, op.cit., dated, Narsapatam, llth sept. 1922, p.4; Gavt. of Madras, Pub. Dept., dated Novembi!:r 21, 1922, No. 974 (Mi.S)J December 20, 1924, No. 894 (Mis); Feb. 2, 1925, No.108 (Mis); Madras Legilative COUncil Proceedings, 13th Nov. 1922, Vol. IX, Nc&. 1 - 5, P•. 538

173. Letter fran Stewart, op.cit., dated llth Sept., 1922, p.4; Weekly Report from Huggins, dated 23rd June 1923, enclosed report fran Deputy Tahaildar Malkanagiri, to the Agency Omnissioner, dated 13th Jtlle 1.923, Pub. Dept., (eonfid), p.270.

174. Madras Legislative Council Proceedings, 13th ~., 1922, Vol. IX, Nos. 1 - 5, P• 535.

472 175

forces. He hopes to get help from PUnjab". Ono Intelligence

Off icar 1 Mr. saunders 1 quoted an interesting report from the

Dharakonda ~t.adar oont on 13th Q:tober, 1922, in which it WllS

said that "Raju was talking of m::wing on towards Gurtedu,

Addatigala, Rampa Chodaua.ttmn and the Papi Hills, then to Bastar.

After touring in Bastar that he would return wi tb a large a.n:ey 17G

and establish • swaraj • •.

If not in the interior, at least in the surrounding plains

villages there waro m::my "non-cooper&tora11 who "without doubt" at

heart sympathised with Raju' s rebellion and his objective of 177

One non-cooperator and a khaddar

propagandist, Shri Rai Jagpathi varma Raju of Pithapurmn,

Ga:lavari district, observed in his interview in Ck.tobar 1922 ~

with an officer of c.r.o. Special Branch that "several

influential estate-omers and others living in and around the

Agency were expected to help the present fi turi rebellion for

political reasons; b.lt Alluri Srirama Raju, the leader of the

rebels, precipitated natters by bringing it amut tefora the

materials for a general republican nDVIE!ment in the country was 178

ready". Tthe people fran the plains villages may not have

actually participated in the rebellion, but at least they were in

sympathy with the cause of the rebels. Th9y hslp::d the

rebels materially, for it was reported in the ----.. ··-··· ............. ____________ _ 175. weekly Report fran Huggins, dated 23rd J'une 1923, op .. cit,

p.270; Also see DT!i-Official from G.T.H. .Bracken, District Magistrate, Godavari , to R.A. Graham, Qlief Sec. to Govt. dated 26th Oct., 1922, Pub. 03pt.. (confidl, p.l49·

176. Report on Agency Rebellion for 15th October 1922, fran Bappell, Pub. Dept.. (c:Onfid), p.66.

ln. DeDi-official Bracken, Dt. Magistrate, Galavari, op.cit., dated 26th o:tober 1922, p.l49·

178. C.I.D. Note by J. Moore, dated lith OCtober 1922, Pub. Dept., <eonfid), p.l42.

473 Goverlll'IXmt files that Raju' s supply of country 9Uns and

anmunition came fran •hio non-<::XX>peration friends in the Gcdavar:i 179

district •. So Raju was not showing ~ely the •ranantic 180

idealism of his class", when he claimed to ba gathering follmvers

all over India. This claim ~ at least his basic

understanding of the political developments in the plains.

If we integrate the "folk tradition" with other rraterials on

Manyam rebellion, it 'IIIOUld appear that Raju wao not ooly aware of

the tetionalist rrove.msnts under the lendership of

Gandhi/ COngress bUt was ll'OSt probably in touch with the terrorist

novement in India. It was observed in the official sources in . February 1924 that Paju was • a member of SCXI19 calcutta secret

Society which has) engaged in the manufacture of bc:mbs, etc. and

that having ocine under the notice of the police, he returned to

his native haunts, and the Non~ration M::Nement being in full

swing at the time. He, with the help of Noo-ccoperation friends,

decided that stir (ring) up the Ag'ency villagers muld be a good 181

rove as regards snbarrassing Gcwernment". He claimed m:>re than 182

once that •oo had followers all aver India •, and he hoped to get Ul 1~

help from "Punjab", "Central Provinces" as also from the

------------·----------------------------------------------179. Report for 9th July 1922 fran Krishnadevipet sent by C.E. sweney, Pub. Dept., (confid), p.l42.

180 • David Arnold. op .cit., 135.

181. Weekly Report from 5Waney dated 9th Feb. 1924, Pub. Dept., Cconfid), pp 351 - 52.

182. Report on the Agency Rebellion for 7th O:t. 1922, by Happell, op.cit., p.S9e

183. See Footnote No. 175~

184. Dani-Official, F.s.s. George, op.cit., dated 28th August, 1922, p.23~

474 185

adjacent plains villages and regions like •aastar*' and towns 186

like 0 Rajahmundry11• According to popular tradition in course of

the all In:lia tour ~ich R.llju undertook to acquint himself with

conditions under colonialism, he attended me underground

revolutionaries' maeting in Chittagong and was convinced of . the

necessity of waging armed struggle to llbsrate India fran 187 ':\

British rule. Tf'is conviction of Raju was likely to have been

stroo~ened. further by the widespread disillusiontrtent among the

peasants as wall as middle classes in the plains once the non­

coopsration IB)Vament ~ mthdrawn rather abruptly by Gandhi in

March 1922, that too at a time when peasants • pressure fran belcm

was radicalising the tone of nationalist polities in Andbara.

Raju probably thought that there wuld soon occur rebellions all

aver Irdio consequoot upon the disillusionment with non-violent

ex>ngreas );Xllitics, and he could then link hie war of liberation

with the other Indian rebellions. In reality his revolt did not

cross the boarders of ~, barring a few adjacent plains

villages, obviously due to the successful eneirclmant of tl1e

region by the British army. _....._ ______ ,,..,_ .. --------------·--- --·· ·---185. REport en Agency Rebellion for lSth O::tober 1922, fran

aawell, pub, D:3pt., <confid), p.66 o

186. Weekly Report from Ru9gins, dated 23rd June 1923, op.cit., p.270·

l-87. '1be JX>pular version of •folk tale• on Manyam rebellion was published in a drama by Padala, Alluri Sito.rama Raju ('l'elgu) .'l'his drama originally written in late 1940s is still very popular in An::lhara villages, Alao see, Yerramilli Narasimha Rao, Sri Alluri se2tharama Raju Charitra (1922-24, Paju Vilapavam> ('l'elugu, Pub. by Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Not dated.); A 1"8Cent historical film "Alluri Seetaramaraju" ( Telugu, scope, colour, 1975, Padn'alaya) is the beat avaiable account based on both historical arnl folk tradition mixed. in a balanced way.

4.""/5 10 Raju' s utter diooppoint:.m31t, mile t.ll3 reaction of t.he , Congress in the pl.ainn \'t.le hootile, the respory_e fra:n other

political elezmmts ms either p:assivc or ~gntiva. For insttmco,

no doubt that a prominent nationalist pap:n-, Andhara Pntrika,

dsmimdcd an imnediata enquiry into the grievances of the hill

tribals, blt it t:as also the first to disclaim that Raju had My I

links with the non""'(XX)peration movement under the leadership of 188

Gandhi in the plains. After Paju' s dooth the· same papar

observed in its editorial that "the Fituri conducted by Raju is

once again illustratea that violence is quite a uselo:Js ~pon.

'

Hence all will do wall to adopt the exce\lent non-violent non-

cooperation preached by Mr. Gandhi. The Rampa Fituri is a good

example to illustrate that the adoption of violent msthods lika

revolutions and fiturio not only prove self-destructive but aleo 189

prove vary harmful lx>th to the people and to the CX)untry•.

4,~ so-calle::i "mi.litWlt" 'l'elgu Journal, the Conqroso, wae (..:.._

openly hostile ~'hen it wrote that it would bs •gratified" if tbe 190

•aampa Pituri • could be ccropletely put down~ And the -Kistna n

Patrika "-l'lB not an exception. It dtmotfod the Manyam rebellion

and was, in fact, a step ahead in criticising Government's

failure to supply rrore "arms" to the people and the •police 191

stationa• to fight the rebels. It justified the brutal • • •- •-••-• . ....,___._ ••• ---,-------·-• -• _,_u-11a -••:&-••---•·-----188. Andhra Patrika, 2Bt.~ 1\ugust & 5th D:!Cemoor 19227 15th June

19231 8th, 9th, lOth, 11th and 17th M:ly, 19241 Aslo see, PNNPM, Reel No.27, 19123, pp.l09B-99 for the translation of one rep()rt fran Andhra Patrika which demanded for an enquiry.

189. Andhra Patrika, 17th M:ly 1924, this English para ia taken fran RNNPM, Reel No. 28, 1924, p.70l.

190. 5ee Congress, 5th April and llth October 1923, in RNNPM, Real No. 27, 1923, P.P• 1335 and 1486-87.

191. :ttlstna Patri.ka, taken from R:-."NPM, Ibid., p. 752.

476 suppression of tbe rebellion. It was rather uneasy till Raju w:1s

192 put to death. Similar hostile reaction against Raju• s reb3llion

~ ~ 193 could be seen in all other ~a nowspapers.

\.!... "-'

Once Raju was shot chad and thG rel:xlllion was ruthlesnly put .A

dCMn, mny of the +dhra nationalist pap&s and journals W3rO ~ 194

quick in rananticising him as a great "national hero•. 'lhoy 195

elevated him to the level of •sru. vaji and RmJa Pratap•, and in 196 ' .

one case ha e::ts prnis:!d ao "Ienin•. 1Andhra Patri,ka.'oo::tto'.1cd upon

him th3 •bliss of Valhall.o11 and hop::d that "Raju ~ill enjoy the 197 1:

H33ven of berosa". 'Ib3 ~ya~i canpa.red Rllju with Gsorge .198

washi119ton.

192. Jtistna Patrika, .14th OCto~ and 2nd Sept. 1922; 5th K:ly 1923; 24th May and 25th October 1924; especially see· RNNPM, 1924, pp.l443-45, nlso reproduced in M. Ven.katarangaiyn 1

op.cit., Vol. III, pp.404-QS.

193. Janmattlumi, 15th May 1924; Andhravani (Ber~), 29th October 1922 and Go:Ulvari Patrika (Rajah~), 31st October 1922, in RNNPM1 Reel No. 26 1 1922, pp.l433-34; Simhapuri (Nellore), lOth May 1923; Guntur Patri•k<X (Guntur) 1

8th and 15th l4ay 1923; and Pinakini Patrik.a (Anantapur) 1

19th May 1923, in Ibid., 1923, pp.99, 669-70, alco C(..~ PP• 82, 486, 671, 752, 1098-99 '> 3150 and 1443; Sw.:ltantra (W3Skly 1 Rajahmundry) was ~ hnrsh and said that "such people (Raju) should die". ~ 13th May and 20th May 1924, in Ibid., Reel No .28 11924 , w. 70-71 and 765-66, sana of the extracts are available in M. Venkatarangaiya, op.cit., Vol.III, pp.389-90, 392-95 and 401-07.

194. Ambra .Patrikll, 8th and 17th May 1924 •

195. COngress, 17th November 1923 in RNNPM, Re3l t.!o. 29, 1925, p.l506J 22nd DecembGr 1925, in Ibid., Roo! r~.lO, 1926, p. 78; 21st July 1931, in Ibid., 1931, p.l052; *agrahi, 15th July 1919, quoted in .K.SUbrmmmyam •emt.e.mporary ~papers Opion oo Alluri Sitha Ram Ra.ju", in Itihas, Vol. VIII, No. 2 19BO, p.as.

196. Palleturu (Nidubrolu), 9th May 19241 in RNNPM, 1924, p. 731.

197. AB.'lhra Patritca, 17th May l.924. t:

198. ~agrahi, 8th July 1929, quoted in op.cit.

""""' 477

On 20th Cloctober, 1984, in the ~a Provincial u.-

Co'lference, a

resolution was proposed by Mr. A. Kaleswara Rao 1 to the effect

that "while condemning the violence of the late Alluri Sitarama

Raju, the Fituri leader, this Ccnference places oo. record its

appreciation of his patriotism, courage and self-sacrifice and

prays that his soul may rest in peace". Ho'tlever, since there

were ruitOurs to the effect that Raju was alive, an "amendnent

proposing the adjournment of discusion on the resolution" was 199

passed. 'lhe resolution on Paju was probably put off not because

of doubts regarding his death 1 but awing to cpposi tion fran other

COngressmen. '!his opposition was reflected, for example, in same

conments passed by Kistna. Patrika oo this issue. It said that

"these resolutions express the same kind of mental perversity as

was shown by the resolution expressing admiration for the conduct 200

of the anarchist Saha in Bengal n (emphasis added). 'lbere was a

similar hostile reaction in the Madras Legislative council, where

majority of the ~s pleaded with the Government to put an 201

early end to the rebellion.

It is ironic that the rebellion, which was seen as "very harmful

both to the people and to the cotmtry" 1 when the rebels were

engatged in a prolonged guerrilla war against the British c:::aire to

be seen, once it was stamped down, as a peoples war and its

leader as great as Shivaji, Rana Pratap, Lenin and George

washington, Talking about this hostile atti t\Xie to the

199. '!be Hindu, 21st October, 19241 also reproduced in M. Venkatarangaiya, cp.cit., Vol.III, p.365.

200. Kistna Patrika, 28th October 1924, in RNNPM, 1924, t:P-1445-46.

201. See, Madras LeJislative Council Proceedings, 13th Ktn., 1922, Vol. IX, Nos. 1 - 5, w. 535-44; March 1923, Vol.XIII, Nos. 1- 10, p.2784-91.

478 rebellion, David ArnOld observes that the •basic reason for the

.--:1

hostility of the ~a Congressmen was that they repreoented v

procisely those interests - the trad0rs, money-lenders,

contractors, J.m:nigrant ~ivators, and lnwyers -whose hold on 202

the hills the fituridars ware fighting to overthrow•. Hare again

Arnold is wrong for, first of all, the rebellion was neither in •

the beginning no.r in the. end aimed at •0\l'erthrowinq• . the

•interests• of the plninn ~oople. Rather Rnju was very Jm:Ch

successful till the end in subordinating all tlle contradictions

with plains p.wple to the basic anti""(X)lonial ~r. Ka have seen

above that many of the plains people were in sympathy with the ";\.

cnuse of rm:;el}e tut could not come out in its support, for the \.!-- "'- ,..., "

~y of Gond~nn nationalist ideology and "~an paradigm

was very strong in the plains. secondly, it is wrong to

characterise the COngress as solely representing a few interest

groups and hence to use this charactrisation aa an

explanation of its hostile reaction to tho •Rl,de Koyas". 'J.be

"" clllSs base of the Cmgress in ,.ndhra was much wider \....-

~-..... -.. -·· .... 202. David Arnold, op.cit., p.l39.

203. In 1929 in courso of an Aandhra tour, a Potrait of Raju was pre...CJCJ'lted to Gandhiji. Re3cting to this at a later date, he wrote "though I have no symp:1thy with and cannot admire armed rebsllion I cannot withhold my homage fran a youth so bravo, so sacrificing, so simple and so noble in character as young Shd ~~a Raju.. •.• Raju was (if he is r~lly d3ad.) not a 'fituri • wt a great h3ro. WOUld that the youth of the oountry cultivated Shri Rama Raju•s daring, couraga,devotion and resourcefulness and dedicated them for the attainment of SWaraj through strictly non-violent means. ~ me it is daily growing clearer that if tho teGming millions whom W3

the articulate middle classes have hit.herto suppresed for our ~lfish purpose are to b3 raised and roused, there is no other way save through non-violance and truth. A nation numbering millions needs no other neans0

.' Young India., July 18, 10929, Vol. XI, No. 29, p. 2~4.

479 >

than is assum:sd by Arnold. In reality, its hc:\!-ile reaction was

consistence with its bour9eois nation.nlist ideology and the 203

nature of the b&sic ~of struggle it adopted which wa have

analysed elsewhere.

Conclusion

'l'he tribala \'IOrk:ed, lived and conceptualised the world under

such oppressive colonial socio -GOOnani.c conditions that the

emergence of a domirmnt strand of anti -oolonial consciousness

was inevitable. Their alienation from their old forms of

processes of production which hnd hi thorto guaranteed their

exietenceJ their alienation from the old forms of justice and

forced &'!p:mdance on an alien form of (British) law and order and

judicial adndniatratian which was consistently weighted against

them, the imposition of •unjust" and "jubOOrdust" rule by.

notoriously corrupt forest bureaucrats, and so on, explain the

pervasive &nti-o>lonial consciousness which underpinned the

collective action of the tribals during the Manyam rebellion

1922-24.

Thus, in our views, the Manyam rebellion wn.s basically a radical

reaction against British rulo and was based on a anti-colonial

consciousness among the hill peasants. Unlike in the earlier

decades, the grievances of the hill peasants had acquired a

different social ueaning in the face of the eolonial rulers •

monopoliotic ~citation of hill resources which threatended

the very existence of the tribal •nnral• econany and society

during the first dscades of tho 20th century. 1be pessents •

perception of this objective reality obviously changed the

direction of their hostility towards the 0 Jubberdust0 British

rulers, the psrpetuators of the exploitation in the hills. 'Ibis

480 newly acquired p3I'Ccption of peasenta/tribala under colonialism

has not been adequately qrasped by Sumi t Sarkar and David Arnold

in their annlysis of this rebellion. For instance, SUmit Sarkar

argues that .. the gr iBVancea wre very similar to those which had

already inspired SC> many reballions in the same region -

l'IX)tl(!ylender acploitation, forest restrictions, use of Wlpaid 204

tribal labour by officials". Even Ollvid Arnold mia$eS this {X)int ' . ~5

and dismisses the analysis of the grievances in a few lines. we

hope wo have, on the other hand, de!tonstrated in the earlier

sections that what io really • striking• is not juzt tho

continuity of the grievance~, b.lt the new maaning which they

acquired by the beginning of the 20th century in the colonial

context and the oonaeqU!l.mt pushing into background of the

internal grievances. It is not at all surprising that not a

single shot was fired at the native police, plains • merchants,

· landholders and so on. Naithor any plains <Indian) exploit4:trs

were attacked in course of the two years war nor any grievances

associated with exploitat.ion by the plains people were brought

into the rebellion be it directly or indirectly. 'll1e sole object.

of the rebellion was to driV!! out of the hills the British \!Jho

threatened their very existence • . 'lh!l!l the rebellion was not a simple response to a localised

problem Of the dominant groups in the hills rather it was an -· .......... ..........__, _________________________ _ 204. SUmit Sarkar, 'Popular ·~t... op.cit., p.Sl he has

also ar9ue on the sa.'t\e lines in bis article •Primi ti ve Rebellion and M':xlern Nationalism• A note en Forest Satyaqraha in . the Non-c<X.')peration and Civil Disobedience ft>Vements•, in K.N. Paniltkar (ed), National and Left Movemantsin India (Vikas, 1980), p.l6.,

205. David Arnold, ap.c:it., p.l34·

481 org~ised reaction to a najor dislocation at societal level by

sri tish rule. In this rebellion, the leadership was invariably

provided from outside by radical elements, for the tribal.n were

handicaR}ed in passing fran objective recognition of colonial

wrongs to orqanised political action as a m:38ns for setting them

right. Thus, when the radical political elements like Si~amo.

Raju lit the torch of rebellion, the edifice of the hill u

society, already sm~daring and ready to take fire, naturally

produced a f~ war against British rule in the hills.

We therefore do not agree that it was, as has be::m argued by 206

David Arnold just an extension of a "fituri tradition (?)" into a

war by the I:anipulatiw opt;X)rtunisto and idealists fran the

plains for their wn ends. For the earlier 0 fituris" in this

region ware directed against the localised problems created by

local dominant groups such as succession to 'muttas) bJ.t not

against a distant superior or oppressor. Moreover, popular

participation in these "fituris• was far less and often even

absent. On tho other hand, the r.n.nyam robcllion of 1922-24

emerged out of an anti-colonial consciousneas in the popular mind

Which made it a war against Bitish rule in the hills. It ~

thus an anti-colonial war due to pressure from below, which no

doubt used the "fituri tradition" as well as other forms of

beliefs and myths to rally the tribal masaes behind this '*just ..

war. Unlike the earlier "fituris• the popular participation in

Manyam rabellion nnde it a form of hill peasants • protest from

below.

What oakes this rebellion all the m:>re interesting was its direct

and indirect links with nationalist ideology and. m:>VE:ments in the

-----·-·--~--------·-• .. -·-·-·--~--------·-·-•-••--------••·-----------------·----•a-•-• 206. Ibid., p.l4l

482 207

plains. 'l1le indirect and to sane extent even direct - influance

was that of revolutionary ter.i:orimn of Bengal and Punjab throll9h

ita leader Raju. Both •folk tradition• and official sources ":) >

suggest that Raju had ~s links with ter~ori~s and

revolutionaries i.tr\ far off North Indian t,a·...::>t'\.S.

At another lewl tho rebellion had a direct links with the non- (

CCX)pa:ration ~t undm- tho leadorship of the Congreoo in the

plains. First of ill, the trib!ll masses wre activiced by the

COngreso pracharakas mo kindled hop3 in tho popular mind with

their slogan of "swara.j" in one year". Later, Raju himsolf wao

acti va in spreading the tssai va prograurne of Noo-cooperation -

establlsllrlslt of Panchayat courte, anti-drink camvaign, khaddar

etc. - in the hills. tmn Gandhi called. off Non-cooperation in

1922, liko mny paasants and middle class per nona . in tho plains,

both Raju and tribal nooses must have also felt disillusioned

with Congress p:>litics, for n3ither swaraj W<ls established nor

any grievances of the peasnnts and tribals were re:novcd.

Especially Raju,

have psrcai ved this

due to his radical ideas, was likely to

disillusiOtlile'lt as l1t'l ideal opportunity

to ra.iso the mas~ against British rulo and establish 208

•swaraj". Ha also attended, in the disguise of a Punjabi

youth, the Oiotrict. Congress

---·-·--------··---•-•-··-·-----•-• ------------------------·------·--------·-----·-uu-• 207.. 'IbiD in fact proves that Arnoldi a aeswrption of •t.erritorialitya acting as a strong break in eKtension of the rebellion into plains is wrong. Ibid., w.l40-42.

208. Arnold argues that Raju started the war •in keeping ~th his Kshatriya Traditions'' and also due to the fear of his arrest by police in January 1922. Ibid., W• 135-36. But \OJe have clearly shown how Raju had d3vel.oped his CMn political ideology before starting the anti-British war in the hilla. Surprisingly, Arnold ignoreG the role of Raju' s political ideology and the infl 1.1$lCOS on the formation of that radical ideology.

463 Conference in 1923 and enphasiscd tho necessity of a Wllr to

liberate the country from foreign rule. He was very specific in

saying thtlt tY-3 W3S not against Gandhiji, bUt his path was

different from that of the Congres~ and Gandhi. The failure cf +

Raju in tran~rming this vision into reality was due to the might

of the Sri tish army in the i.nln:!diate sense. At an ideological

level Raju failed to psrceive the strength of the Gandhian

paradigm and the nationalist m:wem:mt under· his leadership in the

plains. For, neither the daninant political forc<!S t."''rc rendy to

aerge with the Manyam rebellion, nor tCS there any kind of

0.. spon~us or organised peoples' rebellion against British <onco

they ware loft by the COngress leadership without achieving

anything in concrete terms) oo the horizon.

MXeover, the national IIDVem::mt b!lsed on the Gandhian paradigm

\'aS very nn.rh against any form of violent rebellions and hence

the hostile reaction ·fran the plains against Manyam. rebellion.

True to their loyality to the Gandhian leadership, the 209

contemporary press was against the Manymn rebellion. The

dominant sx>litical groups in the plains want to the extent of

pressurising the Government to put an early end to Raju and . his

band of national rebels. Yet they \t--are readl' to romanticize Raju

as a •national hero" at a later stage in order to intec}rate the

tribals into their form of political action in the 1930's. ----·---··--, ........ ~-- - ,. ..... ·~-... ··--... Fl FQ ... MV 1 d F ... IM.JlUIIIil •• 'WI'

209. Talking aoout Ccngress • s hostile reaction Arnold argues that "a more basic reason for the hostility of the Andhra Congressmen was that they represented ~ecisely those interests - the traders, m:mey-lendera, contractors, inmigrant cultivators, and lawyers - whose hold on the hills the fi turidara were fi<jhting to overthrow", Ibid., p.l39. First of all his assunption of the Cmqressnten • s narrow social cla.ss base is wrong. Secondly, the rebal.s ware not fighting to overthrow the · plains • interests' , for the obje.cti ve of Raju was to drive the '111hite • men out of the hills but not the plains people.