1.Birsa’s Appeal: Birsa emerged as a prophetic leader in Chottanagpur in Jharkhand around 1895. His alleged miraculous abilities and his proclamation that God had chosen him to rescue his community from oppression made him a revered figure.

2.Support Base: While Birsa belonged to the Munda tribe, his influence wasn’t restricted to them. Santhals and Oraons, other tribal groups, also rallied around him.

3.Reason For Reverence: The tribal communities were distressed by the alterations British rule imposed upon their traditional ways of life. Their livelihoods, religious practices, and social structures were jeopardised, leading many to see Birsa as a saviour.

The Concept Of Dikus

The term ‘dikus’ is used in this context to refer to outsiders, primarily British colonisers, traders, and moneylenders. These dikus disrupted the tribal way of life and made them indebted through unfair trade and exorbitant loan interest rates.

Jhum Cultivators: These were shifting cultivators, primarily in north–east and central India. They practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, which involved clearing a piece of land by slashing and burning its vegetation. Once cultivated, this land would be left fallow for several years, allowing them to move and cultivate another piece.