Ranchod Vira, “Letter”: Reading and Discussion Questions.

1. How many times does Ranchod mention “Government” in the letter? What can we conclude about Ranchod’s interpretation of the “Government”? (Which Government is Ranchod writing about?)
Ranchod mentions the word “Government” 3 times in the letter. He is writing about the Raj, or rule, of the British Government. Ranchod is calling his native people of the village of Chaklasi in Western India to stand up against the British Topiwallahs (hat-wearers), a reference to Europeans from as early as the 1780s, as opposed to the Indians, who were referred to as puckery wallahs, “turban-wearers.” By the end of the nineteenth century, however, the term Topiwallahs had referred to anyone working for the government, not just the British. When Indians where recruited by the state, they became “government-men.” This depicts the extent to which civilians and government officials opposed each other through symbolic classifications.

2. According to Ranchod, what started (“commenced”) once the “authority of the Government ceased”?
According to Ranchod, once the British rule ceased, so begun the full moon of the Madgh-Samwat 1956, a reference to the Vikram Samwat era adopted in the Hindu calendar, with the year 1956 corresponding to the year Ranchod wrote his letter, 1898. With this came the beginning of the Satyug (Era of Truth). What this means essentially is that Britain’s fervent anti-religious rule has come to an end with Ranchod’s relgion-supported/inspired uprising. One of the reasons Ranchod’s rebellion was able to persist for so long without government intervention was because it was assumed to be a gathering of peasants simply participating in innocuous religious activity based on the monthly punem festival that was popular locally.

3. If you had to guess, what is the opposite of the Era of Truth (satyug)?
By best guess to the opposite of satyug would be kudharo, an uncivilized way of life (opposite of sudharo), also mentioned by Gandhi. This would probably refer to the British rule in India and its basis on material wealth and power, or artha, one of the four endso f human existence as noted by Gandhi.

4. According to the letter, what are people supposed to do in the Era of Truth?
During Satyug, people are supposed to refrain from lying, or performing wrongful acts or sinning. Ranchod warns that if anyone goes against Satyug, the wheel of Ram (a Hindu deity) will appear from the sky and decapitate the sinner.

5. What are the punishments for violating the principles of the Era of Truth?
The punishment for violating the principles of the Era of Truth as noted by Ranchod is decapitation by Ram, a Hindu deity that would “pass above the ground and cut off the heads” of those who transgress.

6. Is Ranchod’s letter religious or political? (Or, both?) What makes it religious? What makes it political?
Ranchod’s letter is a testament of attaining certain political and religious rights, through political means, on religious grounds. Ranchod’s basis for exiling the British government is his faith in the Hindu religion. The fact that he wrote a letter claiming his actions means he took a more politically appropriate approach to the issue.

7. Is it possible to tell who is Ranchod’s intended audience?
Ranchod’s letter declaring the end of the government was forwarded not just to his fellow villagers, but to government officials too. Of course, as self-proclaimed peasant king, Ranchod made no secret about his intended revolution. He informed his own fellow anti-government Village Headman, Patel Kashibhai, that “If [people] want to inform [their] their Government, [they] may do so.” This implies that people who are supposed to pay taxes to the British government should heed from doing so and even tell the British government that they support Ranchod if they so wish.

10. Does Ranchod’s use of “Truth” have any similarities to Gandhi’s use of the word?
Ranchod and Gandhi both talk about truth. Although they both would like to protect their religious faith and rights from the infringing British rule and would like to achieve certain political goals, their methods differ. Gandhi’s approach is to swaraj is through ahimsa (non-violence) and passive resistance, while Ranchod takes the more European physical revolutionary approach.

11. What kind of information is revealed in the “Source”?
It is made known that Ranchod Vira’s letter had been saved as a political document in the Maharashtra State Archives in Mumbai, a city in the Gujarat, a state in Western India home to the city in which Ranchod lived, Chaklasi (on the east side). This is important because it establishes the large effect Ranchod’s relatively small revolution had. Because Ranchod grew up as a farmer in the village headman’s land in Chaklasi, located in the plains of central Gujarat, Ranchod was a simpleton un-involved in political affair throughout most of his life. He would have remained relatively unknown bhagat (village priest) if it wasn’t for his uprising revolution, initiated when he was already a 50-year-old peasant living with his wife, son and grandson. On January 9, 1898 he declared the end of British Raj and proclaimed himself king of a new form of polity.

12. If you were asked to develop a research project based on this letter, where would you begin? What kinds of questions would you ask? Which literature would you consult?
If I were to develop a research project on this letter, I would ask questions such as:
How big was Ranchod’s revolution? How many people were involved?
How long did his reign as peasant king last?
Who did he influence?
Was there a response to his letter?
Did he have any effect on the geocultural politics of India?

For more information on Ranchod Vira see The Making of a Peasant King in Colonial Western India: The Case of Ranchod Vira by Vinyak Chaturvedi
and lecture notes https://eee.uci.edu/programs/humcore/Student/Spring2008/LectureNotes/LNWk6-2_RanchodVira_S08_printerfriendly.htm