Early Agitations: the early part of British rule was marked by an exploitative revenue system and zamindari system. Many small cultivators lost their rights over their hereditary land and resources. The famines and natural calamities during this period increased Indebtedness and exploitation This led to massive discontent among farmer Several revolts like the Deccan riots against money lenders, the upsurge by Bengal tenants against Zamindari, the Punjab Kisan struggles against money lenders, etc, took place during this period, two peasant struggles led by the National Congress the Champaran Struggle in Bihar against Indigo planters and the Satyagraha movement of the peasants in against collection of land revenue in a situation of crop failure

The emergence of Kisan Sabhas: many Kisan Sabhas were organised in Bengal, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh to revolt against the initiative taken by the Congress party to support the interests of landlords. The Kisan Sabha movement started in Bihar under the leadership of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, to oppose zamindari system Two struggles of the peasantry of the Bardoli district (Gujarat) broke out in succession which resulted in the formation of the All India Kisan Sabha (ALKS) at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress in April 1936. In Punjab, the farmers’ movement erupted under the leadership of Raja Mahendra Pratap. The Ghadar party played a very important role in mobilising farmers and peasants of Punjab together. In Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi led the struggle of poor farmers against the British government in Kheda. In the Southern belt, the struggle erupted against the Forest Law. This phase is also characterized by the worsening of peasant position.

Post-Independence period: During this period the unrest was felt in the States were agriculturally, commercially developed States like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, the movement became more organised, under Charansingh He opposed heavy mechanisation.the Bharatiya Kranti Dal (BKD) and the Bhartiya Lok Dal (BLD) in 1974. In 1973 a convention of farmers was held in New Delhi, followed by another convention in 1978. Which presented a 20-point charter of demands to the government like representation of farmers on decision-making bodies, bridging the imbalance between agriculture and industry, etc., In 1980, the formation of the Shetkari Sangatana under the leadership of Sharad Joshi and Karnataka Rajya Ryot Sangh under the leadership of M. D. Nanjundaswamy are milestones in the Farmers’ movement in India. With the processes of industrialization and globalisation, conditions have changed rapidly for farmers. In March 2018, thousands of farmers from different parts of Maharashtra got together to march to Azad Maidan (Mumbai), to convey to the government their grievances and frustrations.