Patharughat: The forgotten peasant uprising of Assam in 1894:

Patharughat peasant uprising took place on January 28, 1894 in Assam.

The unarmed peasants were protesting against the increase in land revenue levied by the colonial administration, when the military opened fire.

What led to the Patharughat uprising?

After the British annexation of Assam in 1826, surveys of the vast lands of the state began. On the basis of such surveys, the British began to impose land taxes, much to the resentment of the farmers.

In 1893, the British government decided to increase agricultural land tax reportedly by 70- 80 per cent. Up until then the peasants would pay taxes in kind or provide a service in lieu of cash.

In Patharughat, despite these gatherings being democratic, the British perceived them as “breeding grounds for sedition” and opened fire.

Why was the incident significant?

For the larger Assamese community, Patharughat comes second only to the Battle of Saraighat, when the Ahoms defeated the Mughals in 1671.