UPSC Prelims 2026Question 9Modern History

Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct ?

Options

(a)The Eka Movement was throughout supported and organized by the Congress while Bardoli Satyagraha was initially independent of Congress influence and was only in the last stages supported by the Congress.
(b)The Eka Movement was provided leadership by the taluqdars of Awadh, whereas the Bardoli Satyagraha was a movement ofthe landless labourers.
(c)The Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement was a protest against excessive extraction of rents.
(d)The Eka Movement was located in the Varanasi and Mirzapur districts of the present-day U.P., while the Bardoli Satyagraha took place in Saurashtra.

Correct answer: c

Decision rule

Rent is paid to a landlord, revenue to the state; a peasant movement's target follows its grievance — tenants fight zamindars, proprietors fight government.

Explanation

Correct Answer

(c) The Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement was a protest against excessive extraction of rents.

Explanation of the Correct Answer

The Eka Movement was a peasant movement in Awadh / United Provinces during the early 1920s.
It was mainly directed against:
- excessive rents
- illegal cesses
- oppression by landlords and their agents
- unfair practices of revenue collection
The word “Eka” means unity, and the movement emphasized peasant unity against exploitative agrarian practices.
The Bardoli Satyagraha took place in Bardoli taluka of Surat district, Gujarat, in 1928.
It was a protest against the Bombay Presidency government’s decision to increase land revenue by around 22%.
It was led by Vallabhbhai Patel, who later came to be called Sardar because of his leadership in this struggle.

Therefore, the correct statement is that Bardoli Satyagraha opposed land revenue enhancement, while Eka Movement opposed excessive rent extraction and landlord oppression.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

Option	Verdict	Explanation
(a)	Incorrect	The Eka Movement was not throughout supported and organized by the Congress. It initially had links with Congress-Khilafat activists but later moved beyond Congress control. Bardoli Satyagraha, on the other hand, had strong nationalist leadership under Vallabhbhai Patel.
(b)	Incorrect	The Eka Movement was not led by taluqdars of Awadh; it was a peasant movement against landlord oppression. Bardoli was not a movement of landless labourers; it was primarily a movement of peasants/landholders against enhanced land revenue.
(c)	Correct	Bardoli Satyagraha opposed enhancement of land revenue, while Eka Movement protested against excessive rents and landlord exploitation.
(d)	Incorrect	Eka Movement was mainly located in districts like Hardoi, Bahraich, Sitapur, and Barabanki in Awadh, not Varanasi and Mirzapur. Bardoli Satyagraha took place in Bardoli, Surat district, Gujarat, not Saurashtra.

Relevant Supplementary Information

Eka Movement vs Bardoli Satyagraha

Aspect	Eka Movement	Bardoli Satyagraha
Period	1921–22	1928
Region	Awadh / United Provinces	Bardoli taluka, Surat district, Gujarat
Main issue	Excessive rents, illegal cesses, landlord oppression	Enhancement of land revenue
Main social base	Tenants and peasants	Peasant landholders / agriculturists
Leadership	Local leaders such as Madari Pasi; initially influenced by Congress-Khilafat workers	Vallabhbhai Patel
Nature of movement	Peasant protest with oath-based unity	Organized non-payment of enhanced land revenue
Relation with Congress	Initially linked but later moved outside Congress control	Strongly associated with nationalist leadership
Outcome / importance	Reflected agrarian discontent in Awadh	Major success; enhanced revenue demand was withdrawn/revised
Historical significance	Peasant assertion against landlord exploitation	Elevated Vallabhbhai Patel as “Sardar”

Aspect	Eka Movement	Bardoli Satyagraha
Period	1921–22	1928
Region	Awadh region, United Provinces	Bardoli taluka, Surat district, Gujarat
Main issue	Excessive rents, illegal cesses, landlord oppression	Enhancement of land revenue
Nature of demand	Reduction of rent and end of illegal exactions	Withdrawal of increased land revenue assessment
Social base	Tenants, small peasants, lower-caste peasants	Peasant proprietors and agriculturists
Leadership	Local leaders, especially Madari Pasi; initial influence of Congress-Khilafat workers	Vallabhbhai Patel
Meaning of name	“Eka” means unity	Bardoli refers to the place of the movement
Method	Oath-taking, social boycott, peasant mobilization	Non-payment of enhanced revenue, disciplined satyagraha
Relation with Congress	Initially linked, later moved beyond Congress control	Strong nationalist leadership and Congress support
Target of protest	Landlords, taluqdars, rent collectors	Colonial provincial government
Outcome	Suppressed; showed strong peasant resentment	Successful; revenue enhancement was withdrawn/revised
Historical importance	Reflected agrarian unrest in Awadh	Gave Vallabhbhai Patel the title Sardar

Important Peasant Movements in Colonial India

Movement	Region	Period	Main Issue	Important Leaders / Features
Indigo Revolt	Bengal	1859–60	Forced indigo cultivation	Peasant resistance against European planters
Pabna Agrarian Unrest	Bengal	1870s	Rent enhancement and zamindari oppression	Organized tenant resistance
Deccan Riots	Maharashtra	1875	Moneylender exploitation and debt	Peasant attacks on moneylenders’ records
Champaran Satyagraha	Bihar	1917	Tinkathia system of indigo cultivation	Mahatma Gandhi
Kheda Satyagraha	Gujarat	1918	Revenue collection during crop failure	Gandhi, Sardar Patel
Eka Movement	Awadh / U.P.	1921–22	Excessive rents and landlord oppression	Local peasant leadership
Bardoli Satyagraha	Gujarat	1928	Land revenue enhancement	Vallabhbhai Patel
Tebhaga Movement	Bengal	1946–47	Sharecroppers’ demand for two-thirds share	Kisan Sabha influence
Telangana Movement	Hyderabad State	1946–51	Feudal oppression and forced labour	Peasant armed struggle

Movement	Region	Period	Main Cause / Issue	Leadership / Feature
Indigo Revolt	Bengal	1859–60	Forced indigo cultivation by European planters	Peasant resistance; supported by intelligentsia
Pabna Agrarian Unrest	Bengal	1870s	Rent enhancement and zamindari oppression	Organized tenant resistance
Deccan Riots	Maharashtra	1875	Moneylender exploitation and rural indebtedness	Attacks on debt records and moneylenders
Champaran Satyagraha	Bihar	1917	Tinkathia system of indigo cultivation	Mahatma Gandhi
Kheda Satyagraha	Gujarat	1918	Revenue demand despite crop failure	Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel
Moplah Rebellion	Malabar, Kerala	1921	Agrarian grievances mixed with religious and anti-colonial tensions	Moplah Muslim peasants
Eka Movement	Awadh / U.P.	1921–22	Excessive rents and illegal exactions	Madari Pasi and local peasant leaders
Bardoli Satyagraha	Gujarat	1928	Enhancement of land revenue	Vallabhbhai Patel
Tebhaga Movement	Bengal	1946–47	Sharecroppers demanded two-thirds share of produce	Kisan Sabha influence
Telangana Movement	Hyderabad State	1946–51	Feudal oppression, forced labour, high rents	Peasant armed struggle

Key Takeaways from the Tables

Eka Movement = Awadh peasant protest against excessive rents and landlord oppression.
Bardoli Satyagraha = Gujarat peasant satyagraha against land revenue enhancement.
Bardoli was led by Vallabhbhai Patel, who earned the title Sardar.
Eka Movement had local peasant leadership and was not fully controlled by Congress.
Both movements show the growing importance of agrarian issues in India’s national movement.

Point	Explanation
Eka Movement = rent issue	It protested against excessive rents, illegal cesses, and landlord oppression.
Bardoli Satyagraha = revenue issue	It opposed the colonial government’s enhancement of land revenue.
Eka was not fully Congress-controlled	It began with nationalist influence but developed strong local peasant character.
Bardoli was highly organized	It was a disciplined satyagraha under Vallabhbhai Patel.
Rent vs revenue distinction is crucial	Many agrarian questions depend on whether the grievance was against landlords or the colonial state.
Peasant movements were central to nationalism	They connected rural economic distress with the wider anti-colonial struggle.

Context and Current Relevance

These movements show that the freedom struggle was not only political but also deeply connected with agrarian distress.
Peasant movements exposed colonial revenue pressure, landlord exploitation, and rural inequality.
Bardoli became a model of disciplined mass satyagraha and strengthened Patel’s national stature.

Table: Gandhi-Era Agrarian Movements

Movement	Year	Place	Main Issue	Important Leader(s)	Nature of Struggle
Champaran Satyagraha	1917	Bihar	Forced indigo cultivation under tinkathia system	Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Prasad, J.B. Kripalani	Satyagraha and enquiry into peasant grievances
Kheda Satyagraha	1918	Gujarat	Revenue collection despite crop failure	Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel, Indulal Yagnik	Non-payment of land revenue
Eka Movement	1921–22	Awadh / U.P.	Excessive rents and illegal cesses	Madari Pasi, local leaders	Peasant unity and protest
Bardoli Satyagraha	1928	Gujarat	22% enhancement in land revenue	Vallabhbhai Patel	Organized non-payment of enhanced revenue

Table: Rent, Revenue and Agrarian Exploitation

Term	Meaning	Who Collected It?	Associated Movement(s)
Land revenue	Tax demanded by the colonial state from landholders or cultivators	Colonial government	Kheda, Bardoli
Rent	Payment made by tenants to landlords / zamindars / taluqdars	Landlords, zamindars, taluqdars	Eka Movement, Pabna
Illegal cesses	Extra unauthorized charges imposed over and above rent	Landlords or intermediaries	Eka Movement
Begari	Forced unpaid labour	Landlords, officials, feudal authorities	Telangana, many local peasant struggles
Debt burden	Indebtedness due to moneylenders and high interest	Moneylenders	Deccan Riots
Forced cultivation	Compulsory cultivation of a crop such as indigo	European planters	Indigo Revolt, Champaran

Table: Common Confusions in Peasant Movements

Confusion	Correct Understanding
Eka Movement was fully Congress-led	It had initial Congress-Khilafat influence but later moved beyond Congress control.
Eka Movement was led by taluqdars	It was directed against landlord/taluqdar oppression; local peasant leaders played a key role.
Bardoli was a movement of landless labourers	It was mainly a movement of peasant landholders against enhanced land revenue.
Bardoli took place in Saurashtra	Bardoli was in Surat district, Gujarat.
Eka Movement was in Varanasi-Mirzapur region	It was mainly in the Awadh region, especially districts like Hardoi, Sitapur, Bahraich and Barabanki.
Rent and revenue are the same	Rent was paid to landlords; land revenue was demanded by the colonial state.

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