Author:

Rohit Roy

Research Scholar
Department of History
Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan
Birbhum,West Bengal,India

Email: royr31204@gmail.com

Abstract: The Chambal ravines, which run through Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, have long been seen as the center of Indian banditry. Dacoits prospered in this inhospitable terrain from pre-modern times to the colonial era, bolstered by socio-economic marginalization, agrarian distress, and caste identities. Banditry in Chambal changed from being a crime to a way for people to protest and get justice. In post-independence India, however, the continued existence of dacoity was a direct contradiction of the democratic state’s ideals of order, legitimacy, and modern governance. This study examines the Indian state’s response to Chambal banditry through coercion and persuasion, integrating police operations, village defense groups, and prominent surrender missions spearheaded by reformers such as Vinoba Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayan. During the post-colonial era, dacoit authority was initially upheld by violence and fear, but technological advancements, infrastructural development, and rural modernization gradually diminished their power. By the end of the twentieth century, the way of life of the dacoits seemed old-fashioned and not able to last, as the modern state grew stronger. This paper analyses Chambal’s evolution from a bandit stronghold to a representation of the state’s assertion of authority, positioning banditry at the nexus of culture, politics, and resistance.

Key Words:Banditry Chambal, Dacoits, Post-Independence, Surrender Violence etc.