Explain Indigo Movement.

The Indigo Movement was a peasant uprising that took place in the Indian subcontinent during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in the Bengal region. It emerged in response to the exploitative practices of British indigo planters, who forced Indian peasants to cultivate indigo, a cash crop used for dye production, under oppressive and unfair terms.

Peasants were subjected to the "Tinkathia" system, which obligated them to grow indigo on a portion of their land and surrender the entire harvest to the planters, often at prices below market rates. Additionally, they were burdened with exorbitant taxes, arbitrary fines, and coercive methods of debt recovery.

Led by figures like Dinabandhu Mitra, Rajnarayan Basu, and Digambar Biswas, the Indigo Movement mobilized peasants to resist these exploitative practices through nonviolent means, including boycotts, protests, and refusal to comply with indigo cultivation. The movement gained widespread support, drawing attention to the plight of indigo cultivators and galvanizing public opinion against British colonial oppression.

The Indigo Movement ultimately contributed to the passage of the Indigo Commission in 1860, which investigated the abuses of the indigo planters and recommended reforms to protect the rights of peasants. Although the movement did not eradicate all injustices, it marked a significant milestone in the struggle for agrarian rights and social justice in colonial India.