Indigo Cultivation and Ryotes

Indigo plants thrive in the tropics, and Italian, French, and British textile manufacturers utilized Indian indigo to color textiles. Indigo from India was only rarely available in the European market and was extremely expensive. To make violet and blue dyes, European textile manufacturers had to rely on a different plant known as woad. 

Woad dye was light and dull, but the indigo dye was a deep blue. By the end of the eighteenth century, the demand for Indian indigo had skyrocketed. Indigo supplies from the West Indies and America fell due to a variety of factors while demand for the color increased. Between 1783 and 1789, global indigo production fell by half.

Indigo Cultivation

Indigo cultivation

Nij and ryoti were the two main systems used to cultivate indigo. The planter produced indigo under the nij cultivation system on lands under his direct control. He either purchased the land outright or leased it from other zamindars, and he used hired laborers directly to produce indigo.

Issue with nij farming

It was challenging for the planters to increase the area under nij cultivation. Only fertile lands—all of which were already heavily populated—could support indigo cultivation. It was only possible to buy a few tiny plots scattered across the countryside. In order to cultivate indigo in plantations, planters needed large areas in tightly packed blocks. They attempted to evict the local peasants and lease the land surrounding the indigo factory. But tension and disputes always resulted from this. And it wasn’t simple to mobilize labor. To run a large plantation, many hands were needed. Additionally, labor was required at a time when peasants were typically working in their rice fields.

Large-scale Nij cultivation also required a lot of bullocks and plows. Two plows were needed to cultivate one bigha of indigo. A planter with 1,000 bighas(A unit of land measurement. The size of this area was variable prior to British rule. The British standardized it in Bengal to be roughly one-third of an acre.) would therefore require 2,000 plows. 

The expense of buying and maintaining plows was a major problem. Additionally, it was difficult to obtain supplies from the peasants because their bullocks and plows were occupied with their rice fields at the precise moment the indigo planters needed them. Planters were therefore hesitant to increase the area under nij cultivation until the late nineteenth century. Less than 25% of the land used to grow indigo was managed under this system. The Ryoti system of alternative cultivation was used for the remainder.

Ryoti system

The planters forced the ryots to sign a contract or agreement under the ryoti system (Satta). The village chiefs are occasionally under pressure from them to sign the agreement on the ryots’ behalf. Those who signed the contract received low-interest cash advances from the planters to produce indigo. However, the loan required the ryot to grow indigo on at least 25% of his holding land. The cultivators prepared the soil, sowed the seed, and took care of the crop while the planter supplied the drill and seed.

The cycle was restarted when the crop was delivered to the planter after harvest and a new loan was given to the ryot. Initially drawn in by the loans, the peasants soon realized how harsh the system was. They received a very low price for the indigo they produced, and the cycle of loans never came to an end. There were also other issues. Typically, the planters insisted that indigo be grown on the best soils, whereas peasants preferred to grow rice. Additionally, indigo had strong roots that quickly depleted the soil. The land was ineligible for rice planting following an indigo harvest.

The “Blue Rebellion”

Bengali ryots refused to cultivate indigo. The gomasthas, or planters’ agents, who came to collect rent were beaten severely, and people who worked for the planters were socially shunned. The zamindars and village headmen in the area supported the Bengal ryots in their uprising against the planters. The British government, according to the indigo peasants, would aid them in their fight against the planters.

The British administration was concerned about the likelihood of a second popular uprising following the Revolt of 1857, i.e the blue rebellion. Intellectuals from Calcutta flocked to the indigo districts as the revolt grew. To investigate the system of indigo production, the government established the Indigo Commission. While requesting that the ryots fulfill their current obligations, the Commission also informed them that they may choose not to produce indigo in the future.

Bengal’s indigo production fell off after the uprising. A Bihari peasant convinced Mahatma Gandhi to travel to Champaran after his return from South Africa so he could witness the hardship of the indigo farmers. He went there in 1917, the year the Champaran movement against the indigo planters got started.

FAQs on Indigo Cultivation

What are the two systems used in indigo cultivation?

Nij and ryoti were the two main systems used to cultivate indigo.

What is the meaning of the term bigha?

A unit of land measurement. The size of this area was variable prior to British rule. The British standardized it in Bengal to be roughly one-third of an acre.

How are planters forced under the ryoti system?

The planters forced the ryots to sign a contract or agreement under the ryoti system (Satta). The village chiefs are occasionally under pressure from them to sign the agreement on the ryots’ behalf. Those who signed the contract received low-interest cash advances from the planters to produce indigo.

How peasants have realized the cycle of loans?

The cycle was restarted when the crop was delivered to the planter after harvest and a new loan was given to the ryot. Initially drawn in by the loans, the peasants soon realized how harsh the system was. They received a very low price for the indigo they produced, and the cycle of loans never came to an end.

What are the other issues faced by the peasants due to indigo?

Typically, the planters insisted that indigo be grown on the best soils, whereas peasants preferred to grow rice. Additionally, indigo had strong roots that quickly depleted the soil. The land was ineligible for rice planting following an indigo harvest.