The Chuar Rebellion took place in the south-west region of West Bengal’s Bankura district. The rebellion peaked during 1798–1799, and it was primarily aimed at the exploitative land revenue policy of the British colonizers.
The Chuar rebellion was led by the Chuars (local tribesmen) and Paiks (hereditary policemen). The Chuars, who had held their lands since the Mughal times, were infuriated by the colonial policy of resumption of their farmlands, while the Paiks, who had served as policemen and guards for generations, were thrown out of their jobs. In June 1798, a group of 1500 Chuars revolted by torching the market and kachahri of the Raipur region. The English reinforcements sent to take control of the area were attacked by local rebels, and even the zamindars who were housing the Chuars in their mud forts refused to cooperate with the British authorities. Durjan Singh led this rebellion, during which nearly thirty villages were raided and burned. The Chuar Rebellion gained traction in 1799, when the Ambikanagar and Supur parganas were also attacked. After witnessing complete chaos in the district, the British Collector called for a transformation of the police establishment to prevent the region from devolving into anarchy.
The Chuar Rebellion of 1798–99 was a culmination of the economic grievances of the ordinary peasants and hereditary workers; however, the ramifications of the rebellion took a political turn, as it transformed into a protest against British rule at large.
Source: Indian Culture Portal