Civil Uprisings

The word ‘civil’ encompasses everything which is not related to defence/military, but here we have included those uprisings which were generally led by deposed native rulers or their descendants, former zamindars, landlords, poligars (—in South India, holders of territory or palayam, consisting of a few villages granted to them by the rulers—mainly the Nayakas—in return for military service and tribute), ex- retainers and officials of the conquered kingdoms, or sometimes by religious leaders. The mass support generally came from rack-rented peasants, unemployed artisans and demobilised soldiers, although at the centre of these uprisings were erstwhile power-wielding classes.