A caste based organization, representing intermediate castes like Vellalas, Mudaliars, Chettiars of Tamilnadu, Telugu Reddies, Kammas and Balija Naidus of Andhra and Nairs of Kerala. It was founded in Madras by C.N.Mudaliar, T.M.Nair and P.Thyagaraja Chetti around 1915-1916. Their main objective was against the Brahmins dominance in Government jobs, education and politics. Later it turned political and became JUSTICE PARTY.

A populist and radical movement founded by E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker in 1925. He was popularly known as "Periyar" in Tamilnadu. The movement was basically against Brahmins and advocated for priestless marriages, temple entry for the reserved class of people (dalits), burning of "Manu Smriti" - a law of all social classes - and as a whole atheism was advocated by this. He also founded a Tamil magazine called "KUDIARASU" to propogate his ideologies. The movement now functions as "DRAVIDA KAZHAGAM" with some political lenience.

An untouchable caste of toddy tappers and agricultural labourers known as "Shanans" earlier, emerged as a prosperous mercantile class over the 19th century, reclassed themselves as "Nadars" to claim Kshatriya status. They established a "Nadar Mahajana Sangam", followed upper caste customs and manners, including Sanskritisation and concentrated in the upliftment of their community.

In northern Tamilnadu, the Pallis, a lower caste people, began to claim Kshatriya status from 1871. They called themselves as "Vanniya Kula Kshatriyas" and initiated upper caste customs like the taboo on widow remarriage.

The untouchable Ezhavas of Kerala, led by Nanu Asan - later to be known as Narayana Guru - began a movement to abolish the untouchability and simplify all customary ritual procedures. They attempted to follow some of the upper castes customs and in the later years they became strong supporters of Communist movement in Kerala.

Nair  of Kerala   were intermediate castes in general but numerically the dominant. Against the political and administrative domination of Brahmins in general, they started a strong movement in the 19th century. In 1891, under the leadership of C.V.Raman Pillai, organized the Malayalee Memorial and attacked the dominance of Brahmins in government jobs. He also wrote a famous novel "Marthanda Varma" in 1891 which attempted an evocation of the lost military glory of Nairs.
However, by the later 1890s, they were included within the official elite. After 1900, a more vigorous and energetic movement emerged under the leadership of K.Ramakrishna Pillai and M. Padmanabha Pillai. K.Ramakrishna Pillai edited the "Swadeshibimani" (1906-1919) which attacked on the courts demanding political rights led to his expulsion from Travancore.
On the other hand, Padmanabha Pillai founded the NSS - Nair Service Society in 1914 which worked for the social, political and educational advancement of the Nairs. NSS educational institutions are a testimony to his efforts. The Society is headquarterd at Perunna near Changanacherry, Kerala.

A movement started by Jyotiba Phule to save the lower castes from the hyprocritical Brahmins and their scriptures and to do away the caste system. He experessed his thoughts through his books "Ghulamgiri" (1872) and "Satyashodak Samaj" (1873).

A movement of the untouchable Mahars of Maharashtra, led by Dr.B.R. Ambedkar which gained momentum in the 1920s. Their demands included use of public drinking water tanks, entry to temples, abolition of "Mahar Watan" (traditional services to village chiefs) and separate representation in the legislative councils. Pressing their ideologies they even started burning the "Manu Smriti" as a symbol of a sharper break Hinduism.

A. KAIVARTAS - An economically sound lower caste people of Midnapur West Bengal, called themselves as "Mahishyas" and started a movement called "Jati Nirdharani Sabha " (1897) "Mahishya Samiti"(1901) and later played a major role in nationalist movement.
KAYASTHAS - Kayasthas of North and Eastern India, started All India Kayastha Association and "Kayastha Samachar" a newspaper at Ahmedabad in 1919 to voice their demands. However, Brahmins domination in these regions was less due to other high and forward castes like Rajputs, the Kayasthas in UP and Bihar, Vaidyas and Kayasthas in Bengal were available as buffers. Hence, the movement of Kayasthas, with a subsect of Kayasthas considered as lower caste, did not take off seriously, along with other similar caste based organizations.
NAM SHUDRAS - From Faridpur and Bengal, an untouchable poor peasants started some associations with a few educated men in 1901, which functioned in a small circle of interests.

INDIGO AGITATION OF BENGAL - It took place between 1859-1869. The movement was against the oppression and exploitation of the peasants of Bengal in the indigo plantations. They refused to cultivate indigo and also took to arms resistance led by Bishnucharan Biswas and Digambar Biswas which also received the support of elite intelligentia. This led to the appointment of "Indigo Commission" in 1869 which removed some of the abuses against the indigo plantation peasants.
PABNA MOVEMENT - Also known as "Peasant Unrest of East Bengal" 1872-1876. Because the movement was centred around Pabna District of Bengal, it was known as Pabna movement. The movement was against the oppressive attitudes of the Zamindars (land lords) like frequent ejection, harassment, illegal seizures of properties, arbitrary enhancement of rent and application of force on all these issues.
Because of this the peasants revolted like non payment of rent and even resorted to violence of higher order. As it was turning violence of worst, armed intervention by the Government alone could bring some suppression and settlement. Later, after due enquiries into the various complaints, the Bengal Tenancy Act of 1885 was enacted to redress the grievances of the peasants like, rent, occupancy rights, eviction and other disputes were settled.
DECCAN RIOTS - 1875 - Imposition of excessive land revenues by the the British on the peasants, which helped the money lenders to exploit the peasants. This led to the peasants uprising, social boycott and later into armed revolt against the money lenders. In the process, the peasants of Poona and Ahmednagar regions, seized the debt bonds, decrees and other documents and set them on fire. The revolt was suppressed by army intervention, and by the enactment of Deccan Agriculturists' Relief Act of 1879 which eased the life of the peasants.
PEASANTS UNREST OF PUNJAB 1890-1900 - Here again the problem was due to the alienation of the lands of the peasants by the money lenders. The uprising and revolt went to the extent of murder of money lenders. The government immediately enacted the Punjab Land Alienation Act, 1902 which not only prohibited land transfers to money lenders and brought the situation under control.

It is a revolt followed by Satyagraha between 1914-1918.

REVOLT - Oppression of the peasants of Champaran, Bihar by the European Indigo planters,. The planters had the lands leased to the peasants by the land lords/zamindars (leasing called "thikadhari") and forced the peasants to grow indigo (instead of food crops) and also imposed unreasonable financial burden like low pricing, enhanced rents and lumpsum compensation for exemption of indigo growing. Because of this, the peasants were forced to absolute poverty. Against these conditions the peasants revolted against the indigo planters and the zamindars.

SATYAGRAHA - Gandhiji arrived here in 1917 along with some eminent nationalist leaders like Rajendra Prasad, Anurag Narayan Sinha, J.B.Kriplani, Mazhar ul Haq and Mahadev desai. His sole aim of this visit was to make the life of the peasants comfortable and has isolated the incident from the other agenda of freedom movement. Gandhiji built an ashram here and proceeded with the Satyagraha. He was arrested but released on public protest. He succeeded in getting the concession required for the peasants.

IMPORTANCE - Arrival of Gandhiji in the national scene. This incident can be considered as the confluence of the nationalist mind set. The British rule also appointed an enquiry commission into the atrocities committed against the peasants by the landlords and the British officials.

1918 - Khairah in Gujarat was experiencing drought and the government was refusing to exempt land revenues or tax. This attitude of the government led to the unrest and revolt. It was joined by Gandhiji, and Vallabhai Patel. On their intervention and persuation, the government suspended the land revenue dues temporarily.

Moplahs were (are) muslim peasants in the northern region of Kerala. Oppression and over exploitation of these peasants by the Hindu Zamindars (called Jenmis) in collusion with the British led to the rebellion in 1921. It got worst with the police raiding a mosque at Tiruthangadi and the situation got further worsened the revolt. The Moplahs indulged in violence of attacking police stations, offices, communications, land lords, money lenders and the violence was getting out of control and even established their own 'republic' under the leadership of Kunahammad Haji, Kalathingal Mammad, Ali Musaliar, Sithi Koyal Thangal etc.,
The suppression action of the British was a bloody affair with 2530 revolters killed, nearly 1650 wounded and 45000 taken into custody. The height of the oppressive suppression was that of shutting 66 moplahs in a ralway wagon at Podanur and allowed to die of suffocation on November 20, 1921.

Bardoli is a district of Gujarat. The main cause of this incident was the raise of land revenue by 22% by the British Government in 1927. This led to the "No Revenue Campaign" by the Bardoli peasants which was led by Sardar Vallabhai Patel. British failed to control the movement and resorted to attachment of immovable and movable live stocks etc. Finally, a committee was appointed to look into the grievances of the peasants and redressal of them as per the committee recommendations.

Around July-December 1923 agricultural labour union was started in Guntur District by N.G.Ranga and by 1935 it spread to the entire South India when the movement became "South Indian Federation of Peasants and Agricultural Labour" in 1935 with N.G. Ranga as General Secretary and E.M.S. Namboothri Pad as Joint secretary. It was followed by First All India Kisan Congress at Lucknow where the "All India Kisan Sabha" was formed in 1936. From that year onwards "Kisan Day" is celebrated on 1st September every year. Their main demand was abolition of Zamindari, graduated tax on agricultural incomes, reduction in debt and interest, occupancy rights to tenants etc.,