Plants are also associated with British colonial rule in India and have been linked to some revolts on Indian soil. Choose the one that is also associated with one of the great freedom fighters.
- A*Pyrus malus*
- B*Indigofera tinctoria*
- C*Azadirachta indica*
- D*Ficus indica*
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: (b) *Indigofera tinctoria*
Explanation
*Indigofera tinctoria* is the indigo plant, the source of the blue dye. In colonial Bengal and Bihar, European planters forced farmers to grow indigo on poor terms. This led to the Indigo Revolt (Neel Vidroha) of 1859–60 in Bengal, shown in Dinabandhu Mitra's play *Neel Darpan*.
In Champaran (Bihar), farmers were forced to grow indigo on part of their land under the tinkathia system. In 1917, Mahatma Gandhi led the Champaran Satyagraha against it, his first satyagraha in India.
The others: *Pyrus malus* is the apple, *Azadirachta indica* the neem, and *Ficus indica* the banyan.