Rampa Rebellion of 1879
Encyclopedia
Rampa Rebellion of 1879 was an insurrection by the hill tribes in the Rampa region of the Vizagapatam Hill Tracts Agency
of Vizagapatam District against the British government of the Madras Presidency
.
or Oriya
or tribal dialects and paid a regular tribute to a zamindar or mansabdar who was a subject of British India. The then zamindar of the region, an illegitimate son of his predecessor, was an oppressive tyrant. To make matters worse, the Madras government introduced a law making toddy tapping illegal and introducing a toddy tax. This led to a full-scale rebellion in early 1879.
The Madras government responded by dispatching several companies of policemen, six regiments of Madras infantry, a squadron of Madras cavalry, two companies of sappers and miners and an infantry regiment from the Hyderabad army. The rebellion was eventually suppressed and a large number of revolutionaries were sent to the Andaman Jail.
Vizagapatam Hill Tracts Agency
The Vizagapatam Hill Tracts Agency was an agency in the Madras Presidency of British India. The agency was autonomous and supervised by an agent subordinate to the District Collector of Vizagapatam district.- History :...
of Vizagapatam District against the British government of the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
.
Causes
The hill tracts of Vizagapatam were inhabited by hill tribes who led a more or less independent way of life for centuries. These tribes either spoke TeluguTelugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
or Oriya
Oriya language
Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
or tribal dialects and paid a regular tribute to a zamindar or mansabdar who was a subject of British India. The then zamindar of the region, an illegitimate son of his predecessor, was an oppressive tyrant. To make matters worse, the Madras government introduced a law making toddy tapping illegal and introducing a toddy tax. This led to a full-scale rebellion in early 1879.
Events
The rebellion started in March 1879 when the hill tribes of Rampa made attacks on police stations in Chodavaram taluk. Soon, the rebellion spread to the Golconda hills of Vizagapatam and Bhadrachalam taluk. Within a short time, rebellion engulfed the whole district.The Madras government responded by dispatching several companies of policemen, six regiments of Madras infantry, a squadron of Madras cavalry, two companies of sappers and miners and an infantry regiment from the Hyderabad army. The rebellion was eventually suppressed and a large number of revolutionaries were sent to the Andaman Jail.