Tilka Majhi

Tilka Majhi (11 February 1750 – 13 January 1785) was a tribal leader and rebel from present-day Bihar and Jharkhand, recognized as one of the earliest figures to rebel against British colonial rule in India. Leading a rebellion from 1771 until his capture and execution in 1785, he mobilized Adivasi communities against the exploitative practices of the East India Company and their allied zamindars and princely rulers. This revolt, often considered the first people's uprising against British rule in India, set a precedent for subsequent tribal rebellions, such as the Santhal Hool of 1855–1856 and other localized resistance movements. He fought against the destruction of forests and the acquisition of tribal lands which they held as sacred commons.