ABSTRACT
Along with indigo, opium was another widely cultivated and important cash crop in the plains of Bihar in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As, a cash crop Bihar farmers had cultivated opium at least since the seventeenth century. The Europeans, the Dutch and the English were the exporters. Opium cultivation brought the Koiris in close contact with the zamindars or the leaseholders, who tried to impose greater financial burden on them as compared to the cultivator of cereal crops. In 1847–8, the area under poppy cultivation was about 20,315 bigha and the output was about 4,040 maunds. The poppy cultivators worked for both the Tirhoot and Bhagalpur Sub-Deputy Opium Agencies. The opium cultivator despite all his desire to be cooperative did resent iniquitous behaviour. He made his discontent known in clear terms to governmental authorities. Commonality of interest goaded him to join mass action programmes to secure his legitimate demands.
