International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development

Peasant movements constituted an important component of the social and political history of colonial India. In Karnataka, agrarian resistance developed in response to land revenue demands, indebtedness, tenancy problems, restrictions on customary rights, forest regulations, exploitation by intermediaries and the wider economic pressures created by colonial rule. The nature and intensity of peasant resistance varied across different regions because the areas that constitute present-day Karnataka were historically divided among the Bombay Presidency, Madras Presidency, princely Mysore and other administrative units. Consequently, agrarian movements developed within different revenue and administrative systems. Important forms of resistance included local opposition to revenue demands, struggles against moneylenders and landlords, forest and tribal resistance, and organised peasant mobilisation during the twentieth century. The influence of the Indian National Movement and Gandhian politics further transformed agrarian grievances into organised political action. Movements such as the Mulbagal and other local agrarian struggles, the forest-based resistance of the Western Ghats and the mobilisation associated with the freedom movement demonstrate the diversity of agrarian resistance in the region. This paper examines the major causes, forms, leaders, regions and consequences of peasant movements in colonial Karnataka. It argues that agrarian resistance played an important role in challenging colonial economic policies, strengthening rural political consciousness and contributing to the emergence of organised mass politics in Karnataka.

Dr. Mallikarjuna S A,"Peasant Movements and Agrarian Resistance in Colonial Karnataka: A Historical Analysis" International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development, V9(1): Page(2210-2216) Jan-Feb 2026. ISSN: 2581-7175. www.ijsred.com. Published by Scientific and Academic Research Publishing.