The Popular Uprising and The Intelligentsia- Bengal Between- 1855-73 (An Old and Rare Book)

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The book studies the socio-economic mores from which the Bengali intelligentsia acquired their peculiar traits and tendencies. With these they faced the Santal uprising, Great Revolt, Indigo uprising and Pabna Rent uprising which broke out in metachronic succession either against the British Raj or the structure it erected, adversely affecting the life of the mass of people. This episodic approach to the intelligentsia's role shows a clear differential stance towards the emeutes depending upon the nature of the events. The lukewarm attitude towards the anti- British and anti-diku Santal uprising, the exhibition of loyalty with discontent simmering within during the Great Revolt, the moral and material support to the Indigo peasants in 1859-60 and the failure to whole-heartedly advocate subaltern cause during the Pabna Rent movement featured the intelligentsia's involvement in the popular uprisings during 1855- 1873. The existentialistic considerations inhibiting intelligentsia they facto the vanguard of the benighted mültitude.

An alumnus of Tata College, Chaibasa and Patna College, Patna, Dr. Asoka Kumar Sen has a uniformly brilliant academic career. He did his M. A. in History in 1964 and Ph. D. in 1972 from Patna University. He began his teaching career in 1965 at Tata College, under Ranchi University, where presently he is the University Professor and Head of the Department of History.

The author has contributed research papers to the Nineteenth Century Studies, Journal of Indian History, Quarterly Review of Historical Studies, Journal of the Asiatic Society and Dr. S. C. Sarkar Centenary Commemoration Volume, besides having presented papers at the Indian History Congress and all-India Seminars.

Besides the history of Modern Bengal, his other field of interest is the Tribal history of Chotanagpur. He is the author of The Educated Middle Class and Indian Nationalism and has edited a research monograph entitled Singhbum: Some Historical Gleanings.

An earlier version of the essay on the Santal uprising was presented at a Seminar on the Tribal History of Eastern India sponsored by the ICHR and organised by Ranchi University in November 1980 at Ranchi. Essays on the Great Revolt, Indigo Uprising and Pabna Rent Movement have developed out of a chapter from author's doctoral dissertation entitled "The Role of the Middle Class Intelligentsia in the growth of Nationalism in Bengal between 1800 and 1885".

The publication of the Subaltern Studies and the growing emphasis on the subaltern problems, to approach history from below, in spite of the ensuing debates, no doubt call for reconstructing history from the view point of the vast multitude forming the base of the society. The present work takes up four popular uprisings taking place in metachronic succession either against the British Raj or against the structure it erected affecting adversely the life of the mass of people. The author does not, however, attempt an appraisal of the uprisings as such, but concentrates on the attitude and role of the Intelligentsia, the inchoate social category surfacing under changed circumstances with the establishment of the British rule, towards these popular outbreaks. So it is a study of the time not from below, but rather of below from top, by an erstwhile insignificant and subordinate category trying to become a coordinate ruling group.

The term intelligentsia has been taken to mean that segment of the Indian society which took to education either indigenous or western, formally or through private efforts. A section of this category by virtue of higher education came into contact with the progressive ideas and ideologies of the time. This inspired them to interpret society, religion and polity from a new angle. They realised that they had a role in making and modifying the world of their existence and also the opportunity to do so in a changed situation. This 'productive' or core group formed their consciousness which they transmitted through the public associations, newspapers, books and tracts to the periphery or the area of the 'reproductive' intelligentsia.