safeguarded the Mundari Khuntkatti system. The zamindari was land revenue system introduced by the British government which collected revenue from peasants through agents called zamindars. These zamindars were made owners of the land cultivated by peasants and were given the permission to collect tax or revenue from the peasants. Before the massacre The Munda ryots (tenants) of Dahijira village did not pay rent and others supported them. In September 1935, the Mundas filed a petition with the agent to the Governor General protesting the exorbitant rates of rent. The refractory Mundas also filed several petitions before the Viceroy. Meanwhile, the local government was trying to pacify the rebels of Gangpur. The Tehsildar of Gangpur made rounds around the region persuading the tribal peasants to accept the taxes. The zamindar of Gangpur asked the GEL Church of Ranchi to influence the Mundas and stop them from agitation. The GEL Church sent a delegation that visited rebel villages and persuaded the tribal peasants to pay taxes. The queen, Rani Janaki Ratna toured these villages and requested the tribals to pay the taxes. Soon the Munda rebels started boycotting the meetings with the Rani. Eventually all persuasive actions to calm the rebellion failed. The zamindar resorted to stricter measures to pacify the rebellion. Criminal cases were started against the agitators. Warrants against some agitators with previous crimes were renewed; the lands of agitators were ordered to be confiscated. These measures couldn't stop the agitators, they made covert meetings and gradually Nirmal Munda became an important figure among agitators allover Gangpur. In 1938, a no-rent campaign spread across Gangpur under the leadership of Nirmal Munda. On 9 February 1939, the Queen convened a meeting at Sergipalli to listen to the grievances of the people and to induce them to make payment. Around four to five thousand people from 30 villages attended and presented a charter of demands. The popular demands included not only restitution of the land rent and forest rights of 1910 settlement but also abolition of “Choukidari Tax” and monopoly on the hides. Total abolition of “Bethi, Bheti, Rasad and Magan” was demanded. The no-rent campaign was strengthened with the help of Christian Mundas, the Oraons and the Hindus of Gangpur. Bahadur Bhagat of Andali Jambahal, Tintush Munda and Yakub Gudia of Dahijira were prominent leaders of this movement. The queen of Gangpur, Rani Janaki Rathna Maharjee, also known as the Regent