Phulaguri Dhewa: First Anti British peasant uprising of Assam

The farmer uprising in the Phulaguri area of middle Assam in October 1861 was one of the early peasant movements in the Indian freedom struggle. It marked a significant shift towards non-cooperation, as the farmers in Phulaguri boldly refused to pay taxes to the British authorities, standing up against foreign oppression.

In 1861, the British government decided to completely ban the cultivation of poppies, which triggered a significant riot in Phulaguri, Nagaon. The farmers, who depended on poppy farming for their livelihoods, were severely impacted. To make matters worse, the British then introduced taxes on betel nuts and leaves. The local community found it impossible to cope with such a harsh tax system, which ultimately led to a rebellion by the peasants from Raha, Barapujia, Saragaon, and Katahguri against the British rule.

The incident triggered a brutal retaliation by the British and 141 persons were arrested as per government estimates and tried at Nagaon and even at Calcutta with many of them awarded death sentences and life imprisonments.