Q. With reference to the history of India, "Ulgulan" or the Great Tumult is the description of which of the following events? (UPSC Prelims 2020)
Answer: Birsa Munda's Revolt of 1899-1900
Notes: The correct answer is [D] Birsa Munda's Revolt of 1899-1900. The term "Ulgulan" (meaning "Great Tumult" or "Great Commotion") specifically refers to the tribal rebellion led by Birsa Munda in the Chotanagpur region (present-day Jharkhand).

• Birsa Munda's Revolt (Statement D – Correct): The movement aimed at establishing a Munda Raj and independence from British rule. It was triggered by the erosion of the traditional Khuntkatti land system (joint landholding) by colonial laws, the introduction of outsiders (dikus), and the activities of Christian missionaries. Birsa Munda declared himself a messenger of God and led a militant struggle against the British and their collaborators.
• Revolt of 1857 (Statement [A] – Incorrect): While it is known as the "First War of Independence" or the "Sepoy Mutiny," the term Ulgulan is not used to describe this pan-India uprising.
• Mappila Rebellion (Statement [B] – Incorrect): This was a peasant uprising in the Malabar region of Kerala in 1921, primarily involving Muslim tenants against Hindu landlords and the British government.
• Indigo Revolt (Statement [C] – Incorrect): This was a peasant movement in Bengal against the forced cultivation of indigo by European planters. It is famously documented in Dinabandhu Mitra's play Neel Darpan.

As a direct consequence of the Ulgulan, the British passed the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908, which recognized the Khuntkatti rights of the Mundas and prohibited the transfer of tribal lands to non-tribals.