Gundadhur
Guru Ghasidas according to believers of the Satnami panth was born on 18th December 1756 and died at the age of eighty in 1836. He was born in village Girodhpuri in Raipur district in a dalit family. Ghasidas was born in a socio-political milieu of misrule, loot and plunder. The Marath the local had started behaving as Kings. Ghasidas underwent the exploitative experiences specific to dalit communities, which helped him the hierarchical and exploitative nature of social dynamics in a caste-ridden society. From an early age, he started rejecting social inequity and to understand the problems faced by his community and to find solutions, he traveled extensively in Chhattisgarh.
The 150 year history of protests and rebellion in Bastar culminated in the Bhumkal rebellion of 1910. This rebellion was widespread affecting more than half of the parganas of Bastar. It symbolized the struggle of tribals against an alien rule attempting to remould the tribal pattern of life. The rebellion was ultimately crushed by strong armies of the British. After the crushing of the rebellion, the local tribals and supporters of the rebellion were subjected to severe abuse. However, the post Bhumkal British policy in Bastar was forced to be more sensitive to the tribals and their traditional way of life.
There were several precipitating factors for the rebellion of Bhumkal. One of the important reasons was the British enforced degradation of the Bastar King, who according to the tribals was an incarnation of God. This led to unrest among the people; even the local elites resented it. In 1908 Panda Baijnat was appointed the Diwan of Bastar, contrary to the tradition of Bastar, where usually a member of the royal family officiated as Diwan. He attempted to completely remodel the administrative structure and the socio-economic order of Bastar. These redical changes were to be implemented without undertaking any groundwork at the societal level.
Several other policies of the state at that time proved extremely oppressive for the tribals of the region and became focal points of the Bhumkal rebellion. Extensive forest areas were declared reserved forests; resulting in the tribals feeling that their inalienable right over forests has been subverted. Due to the excessive revenue demands of the colonial rule, several tribal villages were given on lease to thekedars who adopted extremely oppressive means to collect revenues from the tribals. The monopoly on liquor brewing also was a causal factor for the Bhumkal rebellion. The tribals considered liquor as prasad of Gods, and the order banning liquor brewing, amounted to interference in their religious affairs to them.
The tribals also felt that education imparted in schools would alienate the young from their own culture so were opposed to the education policy. The excesses of the intolerant police were another reason for the tribal uprising. Finally, the increasing usage of begar pratha by the officials set the stage for Bhumkal rebellion. Begar (?) from the local tribals was now demanded by not only forest and revenue officials but also by the police and the schoolmasters. All these working together in Bastar became too oppressive for the tribals and they revolted against alien rule and intrusion.
The leaders of the Bhumkal movement were part of the ruling elites displaced by the British Lal Kalendra Singh was the leader of Bhumkal movement coordinating and organising the rebellion from behind the scenes. Rani Subaran Singh, Kunwar Bhadur Singh etc have also played an important role. The rebellion was led by the charismatic Gundadhur who is still a legend in Bastar. Unfortunately his due place in the history of central india is not recognised. Despite the charismatic leadership of Gundadhur the rebellion was not systematically and strategically planned, which became a critical factor for its defeat. The rebellion did not grow from one region to another nor did the leadership attempt to consolidate control over their areas of influence. Lack of investment (material and strategic) in arms also became a limitation.
During the rebellion on 7 February Rani Subaran Kunwar declared that the British rule on Bastar has been abolished and Muria rule will be re-established. This declaration sums up the Bhumkal rebellion and the protests of Bastar . It articulates the assertion of the tribals to weed out alien rule and protect their traditional tribal way of life.
Source - H.L. Shukla, Batar ka Mukti Sangram, Madhya Pradesh Hinidi Grantha Academy, Bhopal 1995,
Sudhir Saxena Bhumkal Madhya Pradesh, Hindi Grantha Academy, Bhopal 1996.
Gen Singh
Gen Singh was a land lord of Paralkot (Modern Pakhanjur). In ancient India Paralkot was a independent state. when the kanker and Bastar state were under control of British and Marathas at the same time the local abysmal Aboojhmarias felt that their culture may be destroyed due to presence of British and Marathas. So these local persons gathered under leadership of Gen Singh. Because they wanted to take revenge from those foreigners. They started to gather in paralkot for revolution. After that they elected their leader Gen Singh. First they fought against Marathas and British in Paralkot. They started to murder of Marathas and British one by one. their aim was to establish independent Bastar. Then an English caption Mr. Agnue ordered to abolishment of this revolution and in end they got success on 12 January. Gen Singh was arrested and hanged till death on 20 January1825
Ram Prasad Potai
Ram Prasad Potai was a Great person of Kanker. He dedicated his each and every part of life to the region and humanity. He was famous for his leadership quality and for bringing social awareness. He was born in 1920 in a wealthy family. His childhood name was Pharso. He got his primary education from Kanhar and Kanker. He went to Nagpur for graduation. In 1944 hee passed the L.L.B. examination.. He was the first tribe of the region who became had passed the L.L.B. In his student life he was a very good athlete in high jump and race. he won the hundred of medals in sports. after being advocate he inspired to new generation fro studies. He used his income for the study of poor students. He always supports them financially. In 1944 he met thakur Pyare Lal Singh a great leader of Chhattisgarh. Then he participated in politics. in 1945 Mr. Jawahar Lal Nehru elected him as a member of constitution preparation committee. In 1950 he became a member of parliament. In 1962 he won the election of M.L.A. as a independent candidate from bhanupratappur. He had very good knowledge of Hindi and English. He was affected by the notion of Carl Marks. He always opposed to British policy. He was expired in October 1962.
Maharajadhiraj Bhanu Pratap Dev
Maharajdhiraj komal Deo expired in the year 1925, prior to his death since Maharajadhiraj Komal Deo had no sons, therefore he adopted his nephew, son of his sister in law Lalit Manjari devi of Ratu, as heir apparent to the throne of kanker and he was named Bhanu Pratap Deo. At the time of his adoption Bhanu Pratap Deo was aged about 3 years and 2 months, having been born on 17th September 1922 to Maharaj kumar Nand Kishor Nath shah Deo of Dewarkhand Pargana of Ratu Zamindari in erstwhile Bihar.
Due to tender age of Bhanu Pratap Deo, the then British commissioner appointed Raghuveer Prasad Shrivastava as minister for administration of the state, and he proved to be a good administrator. Bhanu Pratap Deo was sent for formal education to Rajkumar College Raipur, where he excelled in sports and studies and passed his school in 1937, with best results in school. He was also a keen and gifted sportsman. Later on he went for further studies to Mayo College Ajmer Rajasthan and also attended the I.C.S. training camp at Dehradun and went for a study stint to England Bhanu Pratap Deo was a gifted sportsman and excelled in tennis and football and athletics. He was also a good shot with the gun and upon reports of man-eating tigers from adjoining areas went for shikaar to remove misery of the people. He married Rajkumari Amulya Prabha Devi of Sonepur State in Orissa in the year 1943 and was bestowed with the title of Maharajdhiraj and full ruling powers in 1943. He had one daughter and a son from the wedlock. Maharajdhiraj Bhanu Pratap Deo established the township of bhanupratappur at a distance of 52 kms from kanker being an able and benevolent administrator he formed the home rule committee, ensuring participation of general public in administration of state as winds of independence from British rule had already started flowing.
After independence Maharajdhiraj Bhanu Pratap Deo participated in the democratic system and was elected as member of the legislative assembly from congress as well as an independent candidate from 1952 to 1957 and thereafter from 1962 to 1967. Maharajdhiraj Bhanu Pratap Deo established a degree college in Kanker in the year 1962 by the name of Gramya Bharti College inviting participation from the public at large and also donated agricultural lands for financial support to the college, in addition to a large number of books and furniture and initially started the college adjacent to the palace premises, the first of its kind in the region benefits of the college are there for all to see as many persons of Kanker and adjoining areas after receiving college education are well placed in service in Chhattisgarh and India presently the college is has been named in honour of Maharajdhiraj Bhanu Pratap Deo in lieu of his relentless efforts to bring the fruits of higher education to Kanker . A man ahead of his times, he started the kanker Bus Service and a Cinema Hall in kanker.
Maharajdhiraj was also a gifted photographer and an automobile connoisseur and had a pair of Rolls Royces, in addition to other cars he also patronized sports and club activities of Komal Deo Club Kanker. A man for ahead of his times Maharajdhiraj Bhanu Pratap Deo also started Kanker Bus Service (now Kanker Roadways) and established Mahavir Talkies at Kanker and was also a path breaking member of the governing body of Rajkumar College, Raipur.
Maharajdhiraj Bhanu Pratap Deo Breathed his last untimely and unfortunately on 14th August 1969 at an early age .
