Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #fightforrights
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On 7th July 1855, a group of Santhal tribals assembled in a field in #Jharkhand and declared themselves free. This act of defiance triggered an armed rebellion. The tremors it created were felt a century later, in a movement that drew the attention of the world. 1/9 
The Santhal Revolt of 1855 pitted the Santhal tribes in the forests of #WestBengal, #Bihar, Jharkhand and #Odisha against local zamindars, who were supported by the #British. For the Santhals, it was a fight to retain the right to their lands. 2/9
These rights had been taken away by the East India Company, which in the 18th century began clearing the forests in which the Santhals lived, to grow cash crops like indigo and poppy. Things grew worse when the Zamindari System was introduced in 1793. 3/9
