Question

Select all incorrect statements about the Kumaon Rebellion.

• A. The Kumaoni villagers began resistance against the British by protesting against the forest department.
• B. The Kumaoni villagers burnt forests used by independent contractors on a large scale.
• C. The Kumaoni villagers refused to perform free labour.
• D. At the conclusion of the rebellion, the British successfully reclaimed the use of natural resources for trade.

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B), (C)

The correct options are
A The Kumaoni villagers began resistance against the British by protesting against the forest department.
B The Kumaoni villagers burnt forests used by independent contractors on a large scale.
C The Kumaoni villagers refused to perform free labour.

• The Kumaon rebellion was a unique rebellion as the main method of protest of people here was incendiarism. Incendiarism is deliberate and unnecessary burning of materials caused by people. Villagers set a number of newly constituted reserved forests ablaze during the rebellion.
• Although hill peasants occasionally used labour strikes to fight the British administration, the burning of forests remained their main method of protest. An estimated 246,000 acres of forest were lost to such fires.
• The British government was forced to change its policies and make the rules less strict. Moreover, in certain areas, they brought in laws which did not allow outsiders to buy the adivasi lands.