Birsa Munda and the Ulgulaan

Birsa Munda came from the Munda tribe of the Chota Nagpur region, in present-day Jharkhand, then part of the Bengal Presidency.

He became a fearless leader of tribal resistance, and the chapter names three things he fought at once: British exploitation, oppressive landlords, and the inroads of Christian missionaries.

Those three were linked. Colonial law changed who owned tribal land, landlords gained from the change, and missionaries pressed on tribal faith at the same time.

So what he promised was also threefold: to restore tribal faith, rights and dignity. He became a prophet of tribal revival, not only a rebel leader.

In 1899–1900 he led a widespread uprising known as Ulgulaan, 'the Great Tumult', bringing tribal communities together to reject colonial rule and take back their land.

Police posts and some churches were attacked. The authorities' response was severe, and many Mundas were killed in an armed clash.

Birsa was arrested in early 1900 and died in jail four months later. He was 24.

And yet the chapter's last sentence about him is about what lasted: "his impact on many tribal communities of eastern India lived long and he remains a revered figure today."