Neemuchana Massacre

Neemuchana Massacre (14 May 1925) was a mass killing of Rajput farmers in Neemuchana village, Alwar princely state (present-day Rajasthan, India). It is considered one of the deadliest peasant massacres in Indian history after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. According to official records, around 250 farmers were killed and more than 600 injured when the state forces opened machine-gun fire on unarmed protesters opposing increased land revenue and revocation of hereditary land rights. Some unofficial accounts estimate the death toll to be as high as 1,500. Mahatma Gandhi described the massacre as "Dual Dyarchy," condemning it as more brutal than Jallianwala.

Background

Prior to British colonial rule, Alwar was a princely state where land ownership was divided between the state (khalsa) and Rajput biswedars (hereditary cultivators). Many Rajput farmers were biswedars who held permanent rights over their lands and were obligated to provide military service to the state in exchange for certain privileges and tax exemptions.

In 1923-24, the Alwar state introduced new land revenue policies which included the confiscation of biswedari rights from Rajput farmers and an increase in tax rates by up to 50%. This policy shift was seen as a betrayal by the Rajput community, undermining their social status and economic security.

Movement and Protest

The Rajput farmers of Thana Gazi and Bansur tehsils organized to resist the increased taxation and revocation of their land rights. In October 1924, they held meetings in multiple villages to plan tax refusal and protest. The movement sought wider support and, in January 1925, 200 Rajputs from Alwar participated in the All India Kshatriya Mahasabha session in Delhi, appealing for solidarity.

Despite appeals to the Alwar government and Governor-General's agents, the state authorities took a hardline stance. Attempts to seize crops from non-compliant farmers were resisted by force, and the protesters began stockpiling weapons, escalating tensions.

Massacre

On 7 May 1925, the state government imposed restrictions on carrying weapons in affected areas. A commission sent to negotiate in Neemuchana failed to resolve the conflict. On 13 May, Alwar forces surrounded Neemuchana village. Early on 14 May, without warning, state troops opened fire with machine guns on the assembled villagers. The firing continued until the village was devastated and hundreds were killed or wounded. The village was later set ablaze.

Official records cite 250 deaths and over 600 injuries; however, unofficial estimates claim up to 1,500 fatalities. Victims were predominantly Rajput farmers, but members of other castes were also affected.

Aftermath

The massacre caused widespread outrage across India. National newspapers condemned the Alwar state’s actions. Mahatma Gandhi called the massacre worse than Jallianwala Bagh and labeled it as “Dual Dyarchy,” criticizing the oppressive governance by princely states under British colonial rule.

In response, the Alwar government withdrew some punitive measures and provided compensation to victims' families. However, political dynamics post-independence led to the massacre being largely marginalized in official histories and public memory.

Historical Significance and Legacy

Despite its scale, the Neemuchana Massacre remains relatively unknown in mainstream Indian history and is often omitted from textbooks and public discourse. This neglect has been attributed to political marginalization of Rajput communities, limited historical documentation, and social factors within Rajasthan.

Recent research by the Ministry of Culture and Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) has uncovered details of the event and compiled lists of martyrs, seeking to restore its place in the narrative of India’s freedom struggle and peasant movements.