Mangarh Hillock is now a ‘monument of national importance’

Context

Mangarh hillock in Rajasthan declared a monument of national importance as a tribute to 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters.

What is Mangarh Hillock?

• Mangarh Hillock is located in Banswara District, Rajasthan. 
• It is situated in the Aravali mountains on the Rajasthan-Gujarat border.
• It is a site of a tribal uprising where a massacre of over 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters took place in 1913. 
• Hence, this place is also known as the Adivasi Jallianwala.

What had happened at Mangarh Hillock?

• Govind Guru, influenced by social reformers like Dayanand Saraswati launched the ‘Bhagat movement among the Bhil Tribals asking them to adhere to vegetarianism, and abstain from all types of intoxicants. 
• The movement slowly took on a political hue and turned into a movement against the oppressive policies of the British. 
• The Bhils began opposing taxes imposed by the British and forced labour imposed by the princely states of Banswara, Santrampur, Dungarpur and Kushalgarh.
• Worried by the tribal revolt, the Britishers and princely states decided to crush the uprising. 
• From October 1913, Govind guru asked his followers to gather at Mangarh hill from where they would conduct their operations. 
• The British asked them to vacate Mangarh hill by November 15, but they refused. 
• On November 17, 1913, the tribals were gathering for a meeting when the British forces opened fire from cannons and guns on the crowd. 
• Over 1500 people were killed and Govind guru was captured and exiled from the area.
• He was imprisoned in Hyderabad jail and released in 1919 on grounds of good behaviour. 
• But as he was exiled from his homeland, he settled in Gujarat where he died in 1931.