Who were the Sannyasis and Fakirs? Why did they oppose the British?

a. Sannyasis:

Sannyasis of the eighteenth century were descent from the ten branches of Adwaita School established thousand years before by Shankaracharya.

They were also known as Dasnamis.

The Sannyasis were wanderers who moved out from place to place seeing alms. Alongside religious curriculum the Sannyasis also developed skill in the use of arms.

For they believed training in arms was necessary for defense of the religion.

The Sannyasis rebelled when the British government imposed certain restrictions on the movements and some activities of the Sannyasis.

b. Fakirs:

The Fakirs, also known as the Madari Fakirs, were descendents of Shah-i-Madar who introduced a major Sufi order in India in the fourteenth century.

There was much similarity between the Sannyasis and the Fakirs. The Fakirs, like the Sannyasis cultivated combat techniques regularly.

Manju Shah was the leader of the Fakirs, while Bhawani Pathak led the Sannyasis. The Fakirs also burst out in rebellion in protest against the oppressive prohibitory orders issued against them by the British administration.

c. Their Anti-British Stance:

It was, in fact, as a consequence of the East India Company’s drive for enhancement of land-revenue that the Sannyasis and Fakirs broke out in rebellion.

The Sannyacis acquired rent-free lands in different parts of Bengal from small zamindars during the eighteenth century. In lieu of this the Sannyasis gave services as forces to repeal the aggression of other rival zamindars.

In a similar manner the Fakirs also came to acquire rent- free land from various authorities in Bengal.

The British attempt to levy tax, that is to say, impose land-revenue was resisted by the Sannyasis and Fakirs.

The restrictions on the movement of the Fakirs and a ban declared on the carrying of arms by the Sannyasis and Fakirs also constituted other cause that led to rebellion by the Sannyasis and Fakirs.