TITU MEER'S REBELLION 41 After returning to his village, Titu began to organise the Muslim peasantry by propagating two major themes. First, veneration of pirs, erection of dargahs, holding of faita in memory of the dead, etc, were un-Islamic practices and should be abondoned by the true Muslims. Although these were part of the tradition of folkish Islam of Bengal, yet when Titu pointed out to the poor cultivators that these practices benefited only the parasitic mollahs who enjoyed the patronage of Muslim landlords, the peasants saw the point. Charging interest on loans was un-Islamic, but the mollahs had never protested against it. Secondly, the rule of the infidel Britishers with the help of oppressive ^amindars and talukdars had accentuated the plight of the peasantry. At that time, the poor peasants in the Barasat sub-division consisted of Aslaf Sheiks or Jolahs as well as the low-caste Hindus like Bagdis and Kaivarftas. Th^ local zamindars and talukdars, along with their naibs and gomasthas, were predominantly Hindus, though there were some Muslim talukdars with Saiyad, Pathan and Mughal connections. The mahajans or money-lenders were mostly Hindus. The Jolahs, the most depressed stratum of the local Muslim society, were the first to respond to Titu's call. Though Titu was occasionally speaking for the peasantry in general, Jlis emphasis on Islamic fundamentalism could not draw the poor Hindu peasants at the outset and they remained neutral. But it is noteworthy that the landholders, both Hindus and Muslims, as well as the mollahs reacted sharply against Titu Meer's preaching from the beginning. In June 1830, provocative action was unleashed by Krishnadeb Ray, the talukdar of mauja Sarfarajpur, who imposed on the bearded Wahabi peasants a special tax of Rs 2^ per year with the possible motive of isolating Titu Meer's followers. He sent out a force of 300 armed guards to collect the tax forcibly. The peasants rushed to Titu for advice. An enraged Titu declared that the tax was both a religious offensive and an economic pressure on the poor Muslim peasants who should refuse to obey the talukdar. The peasants responded to the call and none turned up to pay the tax. "With reference to Mr. Colvin's Report regarding Kishan Dev Rai, the Zemindar", his "oppressive and illegal exactions appear to have first aroused the Ryots to opposition".10 A frustrated Krishnadeb led a party of more than 100 followers (armed with sticks and lances) and burnt down a number of cottages of the Wahabi peasants after destroying a mosque. The peasants put up a stiff resistance and the confrontation was inconclusive. Krishnadeb immediately fled and remained in hiding at Calcutta for a few days. Shortly afterwards, both the parties lodged complaints at the local Baduria police station. Meanwhile Krishnadeb had heavily bribed Ramram Chakraborty, the concerned officer-in-charge, and made him submit a report favourable to him. Ultimately the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Barasat dismissed both the cases, but he extracted an unilateral bond from the peasants to the effect that they would not