The Kol uprising, Kol rebellion, also known in British Indian records as the Kol mutiny was a revolt of the indigenous Kol people of Chhota Nagpur during 1829-1839 as a reaction to unfair treatment brought on by the systems of land tenure and administration that had been introduced by British powers in the area. The Kol people were joined by other communities including the Mundas, Oraons, Hos leading to some authors also calling it the Munda uprising. The uprising was a reaction to the appointment of a Political Agent to the Government in South Bihar and recently ceded districts nearby around 1819. This resulted in many people moving into these areas which were the lands of numerous indigenous tribes. These tribes had no rulers and their lands were divided according to families that were bound by "parhas" or conferences. With the application of new land laws, the indigenous Kols were exploited by outsiders moving into the area and taking up agriculture and commercial activities that were alien to tribal culture. Many of the lands of the locals were taken away as securities for un-returned loans. The locals whose languages were unknown to the settlers were physically tortured and mistreated in a number of incidents. Another irritation was the taxation on the movement of products such as salt that were formerly freely moved. Corrupt official practices and lawlessness followed. The masses of common people, of whom the Kols were the largest in number, burnt the houses of the newly settled people in revenge. British historiography treated the rebellious tribals as bandits and treated it isIn 1831, the Kol tribesmen of Chotonagpur who had been exploited by the agents of the colonial rulers burst out in rebellion.The rebel kols were under the leadership of Buddhu Bhagat, Joa Bhagat, Madara Mahato and others. The Kols grew restive over the increasing encroachment on tribal territories by the non tribals like Muslim and Sikhs. The new non-tribal landlords resorted to forced labour, fines, and often "took away their cattle". The Kol insurrection started in 1831 when the farm of two sikh thikadars was plundered and burnt. In 1832, there were clashes between the armed forces and the tribals Kols rebels. Professor Sunil Sen mentions that in a memorable resistance Bhundu Bhagat and his followers fought with primitive weapons until they perished to the last man The characteristic feature of the Kol rebellion was that the Kol tribesmen did not fight alone against the British. Other tribesmen like the Hos, Oraons, and Mundas joined hands with them. The Kol did not hesitate to fight with traditional weapons against the British army who fought with modern instruments of warfare.
