:04:21
The year is 1893.
:04:25
Champaner.
:04:27
A small village in
the heart of India.
:04:34
The people of Champaner
depended on agriculture...
:04:38
... like those in
thousands of villages.
:04:42
A British cantonment
bordered the village.
:04:50
Two miles south, beyond
the cantonment, was the fort...
:04:54
... of the Rajah
of this province.
:04:57
The British protected the Rajah's
domain from neighbouring attacks.
:05:01
They also promised the other Rajahs
protection from this Rajah.
:05:06
Thanks to this double-dealing,
the British...
:05:09
... collected a tax from the Rajahs...
:05:13
...paid by every farmer
in the country.
:05:17
Lagaan:
:05:20
The submission of a portion
of the farmer's harvest...
:05:25
... to the Rajah as tax.
:05:29
Every Rajah collected lagaan from
villages under his rule.
:05:36
The Rajah would keep one share...
:05:38
...and give the rest to the British.
:05:42
In this way, the British fist
grew iron strong.
:05:47
Like thousands of villages
across the country...
:05:50
... the farmers of Champaner
toiled on empty bellies...
:05:54
...and paid taxes to the Rajah
every year.