“Ulgulan” itself translates to rebellion from the Mundari language; it was a movement led by Birsa Munda which took place south of Ranchi on  December 24, 1899. Its proliferation was due to the forceful acquisition of tribal land by the colonial government, which also turned the Adivasi people into bonded labourers. Birsa Munda is regarded as a revolutionary who led the Adivasis to fight for their land rights. While the rebellion also resulted in his death, the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act was also a direct consequence of it.

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The movement began with an attack on Christian missionaries and their property, including the police station and deputy commissioner. The rebels also targeted members of the Munda tribe who had converted to Christianity. The general goal of the movement was to oppose anyone who endorsed the British government, Christian missionaries, and even Europeans.

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The revolt reached its apex when the Munda tribe engaged in guerilla warfare with the colonial authorities, which ended in the death of 20 Adivasis. Birsa Munda, who escaped was later arrested by the British officials and alleged to die of declining health. 

Munda’s movement represents something much more significant, involving the tribal communities’ struggle to retain their land in the light of the government’s attempts to acquire it. 

It should also be emphasised that Birsa Munda was a defender of his tribe, a fight that is often homogenised with the broader imposition of Christianity on Hinduism. The increased prejudice against tribes when compared to upper-caste Hindus is disregarded in this context. The erasure of Munda’s tribal identity is too common, and must be combated.