Indian Rebellion

British Indian Empire

Kheda of Gujarat

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Kolis posed a serious "law and order" problem for the new government of East India Company, British officials to declare that kolis are one of the most "turbulent, predatory tribes in India". Many Kolis resided in villages outside the EIC's territorial jurisdiction but viewed the imposition of new legislation and colonization in the territory as a direct challenge to established local customs.

Koli chieftains and their peasant supporters were threatened by the British government settling the agricultural plains and establishing new modes of governance in the area. In protest, some Koli zamidars filed petitions in the Court (Adalat) in Kheda, stating that, according to local custom, the government had no authority over Kolis. Other chieftains simply ignored the authority of the EIC and organized peasant raids into towns and villages in British territory, claiming a customary right to plunder villages as a form of their own tax collection, or a levy called giras. The district magistrate responded by stating such actions were "evil" and perpetuated by Koli chieftains.

By 1808, Koli chieftains had begun organizing raids into towns and villages in the territory controlled by the EIC, to steal crops and other possessions. The town of Dholka and its neighboring villages became favorite targets. Dholka was in the northern borderlands of British territory, adjacent to land controlled by the chieftains. Groups of armed kolis, numbering between fifty and a hundred Kolis, easily entered Dholka and returned to their respective villages without difficulty. British officials lacked the manpower and local knowledge of the terrain to capture these men. However, there were instances when a chieftain was arrested and jailed for leading attacks on Dholka, as in the case of Bachur Khokani. On 20 February 1808, within a few days of Khokani's capture, a group of fifty Kolis stormed the jail and released their leader. Policemen were killed and six were wounded in the battle, and apparently, on the very same night, Khokani and his men organized another raid on the town.

In an attempt to prevent further raids on Dholka, Kheda's magistrate, R. Holford, coordinated a plan that required local elites within the EIC's control to capture the raiders. Holford recognized the limitations of the EIC's power to arrest individuals residing outside its control, but he believed that British officials could force the elites who had villages within their legal jurisdiction to cooperate. The outcome of the official strategy had some success: in 1810, large numbers of Kolis had been arrested and convicted of crimes against the East India Company. Judge H. W. Diggle recommended that the prisoners to be transported to the British colony the Prince of Wales Island (for merly called Penang), or to a distant jail, for a minimum of seven years. It was argued that such an extreme measure would "overawe" and "check the daring and ferocious nature" of Kolis while simultaneously serving as a deterrent for others. However, as in the case of Bachur Khokani, a group of four hundred to five hundred armed men descended upon the jail at Kheda and released the imprisoned Kolis. Most of the prisoners dispersed into areas outside of British jurisdiction and were saved just days before being transported to the Prince of Wales Island. The raids continued in Dholka, and colonial officials urged the EIC to increase the size of the police force in Kheda. In addition, officials requested the support of soldiers from neighboring Baroda State, who were supposed to have local intelligence networks in the border lands that could be used for recapturing the convicted Kolis and their accomplices. But the outcome of using greater force had a minimal impact on what had developed into a serious law and order problem for the EIC. Colonial officials were not able to prevent Koli rebels. Earlier attempts to press chieftains to cooperate in preventing attacks on gov ernment towns and villages had had limited results.

In 1824, A. Crawford, the district collector of neighboring Ahmedabad, suggested that a new strategy be adopted, including forcibly taking the possessions of Koli chieftains suspected of participating in the attacks or simply having any information about them. In addition, Crawford introduced the idea of using the military to destroy villages where Koli chieftains were hiding. This strategy marked an important departure from the policy of not entering areas that lay outside the jurisdiction of the EIC with the intention of using military force to capture chieftains or other raiders. However, the idea of completely destroying villages as a way to create "future peaceable conduct" did not prevent Kolis from challenging the authority and legitimacy of the EIC, and certainly it did not eliminate the armed excursions into British-controlled territory. In fact, it further intensified the demands of those Kolis who had been claiming that their customs and privileges were being violated by colonial officials.

The raids continued through the 1830s with some regularity. Crawford to British officials, "Some special regulations should be made about the Kolis. No measures of ordinary severity have any effect. We never hear of a reformed Koli, or of one whose mode of life places him beyond suspicion. All seem alike, rich and poor, those whose necessities afford them an excuse for crime and those whose condition places them out of the reach of distress, are alike ready on the first opportunity to plunder. But by the 1840s, the application of colonial policies and the use of military force led to the subsidence of Koli attacks in British-controlled territory. Officials argued that the character of all Kolis-chieftains and peasants had improved, as many kolis had taken up settled agriculture and become hardworking and peaceable. Despite this acknowledgment of the transformation among the Kolis, the early-nineteenth-century encounters continued to influence the implementation of official policies in the district. In begin of 1857 and 1858, the government imposed regulations restricting Kolis from carrying weapons in Kheda district but kolis again raised.

Khanpur of Gujarat

In July 1857, the Kolis of Maliwad clan in Khanpur of Lunavada State challenged the British rule under their leader Surajmal after death of surajmal, kolis again raised and attacked the British troops under new koli chieftain Jivabhai Thakor of Khanpur.

In December 1857, Captain Buckle attacked the Khanpur and captured some of the rebels and rest escaped to nearby hills and forests. They gathered again and attacked the British troops with more vigour. Lt. Morey, Jamadar Nurmohmad, Sheikh Cheda and Emamuddin pursued the Kolis and killed some of them. Then the Kolis fled to the bushes and ravines of the river. The two kolis were shot by the order of Buckle but British army also lost three horsemen. The koli prisoners of Khanpur were transported to life, while non-koli prisoners of Khanpur were released after they witnessed the execution of their koli chieftain.

The Kolis paid a huge price for their resistance to British rule. They were not only defeated in battle and punished for having dared to resist. but, in the aftermath, these communities were marginalized by the rest of society as outlaws. Being arms-bearing community, they too were disarmed in early 1858 and also forced to practise agriculture. A majority of kolis were unable to adapt the lifestyle and norms of settled agriculture and were forced to give way to agriculturalist communities like Kanbi or Patidar in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

Chandap of Gujarat

In September 1857, Kolis of Chandap (Chandup) raised against British rule under Koli chieftain Nathaji who led the 2000 kolis of Angar, Dubbora and Pratabpur in Mahi Kantha. the Nathaji and Yamaji was Koli brothers, rulers of Chandap and were tributary to Gaikwad of Baroda and Rao of Idar.

On 16 September 1857, the Maharaja Gaekwad of Baroda State issued a proclamation not to rise to the people of Chandap under the Mahikantha agency and posted the 10 horsemen but Nathaji resisted the posting of horsemen so the kolis assembled together instant and attacked the Thana of that place in which a sowar of the Gaekwad Government was killed and two wounded and property plundered. The rising of Kolis affected the law and order situation in Vijapur, Kheralu and Vadnagar Taluqas of Baroda. At the end of year, koli rebellion was crushed by the combined forces of Baroda State and British troops who destroyed the Chandap village. The kolis with stiff attitude under Nathaji continued their resistance from the hills.

Peth or Peint of Maharashtra

In December 1857, Nashik district was effected by the Indian independence movement and the Peint Jagir became centre of rebellious activities. The rebel Kolis plundered the Harsol market on the sixth of December and captured the Mamlatdar. From there they attacked Peint where Koli rebels numbering about 2,000 captured the Lieutenant Glasspool and his 30 officers. The Koli Raja Bhagvantrao was suspected and arrested by British government. He was also a "correspondent" of Nanasaheb Peshwa. After a trial, koli king and fifteen officials were sentenced and hanged on 28 December 1857. In response, the kolis attacked at the court in Peint and then went to the Raja to pay their respects to him. Kolis plundered the treasury of Dharampur State, a comrade state of British rule. The Thane police then seized two of the leading men in the gang who plundered the treasury in the Dharampoor Raja's territory. there was resistance and one of the policemen was shot by an arrow through the chest and one of the insurgents received a bayonet-wound in the stomach. British official Mr. Boswell started disarming the kolis and suggested that a strong party of police be posted at Peint to guard the treasury and prevent the further disturbances. Later it came out that the rising of the Kolis was planned five or six weeks ago by the late Raja and the Dewan of Peint and the Rani who lived in Nashik. Kolis disliked the Disarming Act and resisted the government. On the hearing that the troops were approaching to peint, kolis withdrew to the jungle in the neighbourhood. On Thursday, the Lieutenant Glasspool arrived with troops and started operations against the insurgents. But his troops being too weak to go out and attack the Kolis in the jungle and at the same time to defend the court and the town, Lieutenant Glasspool could not take any step for nearly a week. But the glasspool was joined by Captain Nuttall's forces coming from Trimbak. On the arrival of this new force, Kolis retreated to the south. They played hide and seek for a few days. Occasional fights took place. the Kolis lacked of weapons so they dispersed and hid themselves in different villages. They were gradually traced out and caught. Many of them had migrated to the State of Dharampur where the Raja's forces caught them and handed them over to the Government officials. All the insurgents having been apprehended the rising was ultimately put down. The property of the late Raja was ordered to be annexed in British India and the revenue of his villages was ordered to be collected for Government.

Surat of Gujarat

During the Quit India Movement of Mahatma Gandhi in 1942, A large number of 3,000 Koli cultivators from Matwad, Karadi, Machhad and Kothmadi in Surat District fought against British soldiers at Matwad with lathis and dharias on 21 August 1942. In this fight, four persons including one policeman died. The kolis also snatched away four police muskets and two bayonets. Kolis smashed up the Jalalpore Railway Station, removed the Rails and burnt down the post office. After this, situation in the neighbouring villages of Borsad, Anand and Thasra taluqas became so aggravated that British troops was marched through the villages between 22 and 24 August 1942.