Birsa Munda

Back when India was fighting for its independence, there were many freedom fighters from various backgrounds, one of them being Birsa Munda. Birsa Munda was a tribal Indian freedom fighter. He was best known as a ‘folk hero’ among his people. Also, Birsa Munda was a religious leader who belonged to the Munda tribe of Chotanagpur. 

We present this content, to upgrade the knowledge of the students of another popular freedom fighter, the Munda rebellion – called Birsa Munda. We will study this freedom fighter, in the form of Birsa Munda biography. Also, we will learn about some interesting facts about his early life, Birsa Munda history, a new religion, revolts, and legacy. 

Birsa Munda Biography

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As for Birsa Munda’s information, we will start by answering when was Birsa Munda born?

Birsa Munda was born on 15th November, 1875 to Sugana Munda and Karmi Hatu in a place called Ulihatu, in Bengal Presidency (currently known as Jharkhand). It was said, Birsa got his name from the day when he was born, that is Thursday. Birsa Munda and his family moved to places like Kurumbda, Bamba in pursuit of employment. They were ready to work as laborers or crop-sharers, but they were not able to find any suitable work. Situation worsened.

Poverty in their family down poured, for this Birsa Munda was sent to his maternal uncle's village in Ayubhatu. Munda lived in that village for around two years, during that course he was surrounded by the Christian missionaries. The Christians there wanted to convert people into their religion. 

Conversion into Christianity 

At his maternal uncle’s village, Ayubhatu, Birsa Munda began his study in a missionary school and his teacher encouraged him to study further as he saw potential in Munda. He was advised by his teacher to get enrolled in a German Mission School, but for this, he needs to be admitted into Christianity first. Thus, Munda was forced to convert to Christianity. Birsa Munda was renamed Birsa David and then to Birsa Daud after the conversion of religion. Birsa left the German Mission School after gaining knowledge for a few years.

Reverted back to their Tribal religion 

During the time of 1886-1890, when the German and Roman Catholic Christian agitation began, Birsa stayed at a place called Chaibasa. When the freedom struggle started, Munda's father withdrew him from his school and soon they left the place. The family also renounced the religion of Christianity and they got converted into their original tribal religious customs thereafter. 

The above discussion was done in regard to Birsa Munda’s history. Now we will focus on the revolts fought by him and him being a founder of a new religion. 

Birsait – Birsa Munda the founder

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Birsait was a newly found religion by this freedom fighter Birsa Munda. His religion believed in only one God. This encouraged their own belief to revert back to their original religious beliefs. People from his community started referring to him as the economic religion healer. He was also known as a miracle worker and a religious preacher. There were mass people visiting this new prophet. Tribal people of Mundas, Kharias, and Oraons started paying a visit to Birsa Munda in order to find a solution to their problems. Some of these tribal people from Oraon and Munda changed themselves to Birsait. He was referred to as ‘Dharti Abba’ and people started singing many folk songs which consisted of the praises of Birsa Munda and his influence on the tribal people.  

Role of Birsa Munda – in the freedom struggle

Birsa Munda not only limited his capacity to preaching his tribe a new religion but also extended and formed the famous Guerrilla Army with his people to end the British rule in India. 

Threatening Slogans

He drafted threatening slogans for the Britishers. Those slogans are still popular today in Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, and also in Madhya Pradesh. One of the threatening slogans was 'Abua raj seter Jana, maharani raj tundu jana' this simply means - Let the kingdom of the queen be abolished and our kingdom will be established. The kingdom of the queen is British rule.

Birsa Munda Revolt

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Late in the 1890s, Birsa Munda ended the feudal system that was introduced by the Britishers in their Adivasi Forest. In this system, poor migrants from other states were being invited by the British to work over the tribal lands and to deliver the profits in their own pockets. This resulted in the deprivation of the owners of their own proprietary rights over the land. For this, they were left without any means of livelihood. So, for this breakdown in agriculture, Birsa and his tribe revolted against the Britishers. 

Followers of Birsa Munda started attacking the British police stations, shops. In their attacks, they killed two police constables, razed the houses of British locals, and attacked commissioners and deputy commissioners.  

The British then set an award of Rs. 500 to attack the Munda rebellion. The British had sent an army of 150 people who had crushed the Guerrilla Army at Dumbari Hills and in that process killed hundreds of the Birsa people. That time, Birsa managed to escape anyhow but later he was caught and sent to jail.  

Birsa hence started a Birsa Movement which consisted of Munda rebellions. This movement unfortunately ended after the death of their leader – Birsa Munda. Birsa Munda's death date is 9th June 1900.

Birsa Munda Movement

Birsa Munda started a movement which came to be known as the 'Ulgulan', or 'The Great Tumult' movement. Birsa Movement was initiated against the exploitation and discrimination which the tribals faced. This movement resulted in a big hit against the British government. They feared the Munda uprising and hence the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act was finally passed in the year 1908. 

Birsa Munda revolted against the Britishers at the mere age of 25, then he died in a prison in Ranchi, after he was arrested from Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur.  

Birsa Munda Leaving his Imprint on our Life

Birsa Munda is still alive in the minds and hearts of the tribal peoples from Karnataka and Jharkhand. People from these states celebrate his birth anniversary every year, in this way they honor this great freedom fighter. There were many institutions and organizations like Birsa Agricultural University, Birsa Institute of Technology, Birsa College Khunti, Birsa Institute of Technology Sindri, Sidho Kanho Birsha University, Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium, Birsa Munda Airport, Birsa Munda Central Jail, Birsa Seva Dal, Birsa Munda Tribal University—are all named after this great freedom fighter. 

A film named 'Gandhi se Pehle Gandhi' is based on the life of Birsa Munda was released in the year 2008. The movie was directed by Iqbal Saran. 

Mahasweta Devi also wrote a novel named 'Aranyer Adhikar', this was again based on the life of Birsa Munda and the Munda rebellion, rebelling bravely against the British Raj. This novel of Mahasweta Devi won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Bengali literature in the year 1979. 

The role of Birsa Munda is never to be forgotten. Indians will ever honor him for his courageous deed.

Did You Know? 

• The tribal folk hero was similar to God to his people at the only age of 25. 

• Birsa Munda was a folk hero and later became a tribal freedom fighter who was hailing from the Munda tribe. Birsa Munda was the spearhead behind the Millenarian movement which arose in Bihar and in the Jharkhand belt in the early 19th century. This happened under British colonization. 

• According to the folk songs sung by the tribe, it said that Birsa used to play in the sand and dust with his tribal friends.

• Birsa Munda was a real expert in playing the musical instrument called flute and he also used to carry an instrument made from the pumpkin.

• He was very sharp in academics. 

• Birsa Munda started to preach and propagate the principles of the Hindu religion and also, he advised getting converted to tribal people in order to read their original religious system thoroughly. 

• Birsa Munda became an important and respected figure among the tribal people, thus they used to seek his blessings, they believed he cured their miseries. 

• In the 19th century, Birsa Munda also started a tribal religious Millenarian Movement in the Bengal Presidency, which is known as Jharkhand.