The Santal rebellion on the background of Indian religion in the 19th century

The chapter aims to fit the innovations brought to Santal religion by Sido and Kạnhu into the larger context of South Asian religious and social reforms during the 19th century. It is argued that some basic premises, such as the importance which Sido and Kạnhu attributed to the concept of truth (sat/satya), were prominent in later religious reform movements in 19th century India. Here Sido and Kạnhu were the first to stress that the present age would end imminently and would be followed by an age where truth would prevail. This application of ancient Puranic ideas to the 19th-century context was a major innovation that, until now, has not been acknowledged.