This research article critically examines the major peasant struggles that emerged in colonial South India between 1850 and 1950, situating them within the broader framework of agrarian history, colonial exploitation, and socio-political transformation. While conventional nationalist historiography has frequently interpreted peasant movements as peripheral or supportive components of the larger anti-colonial freedom struggle, this study argues that the agrarian uprisings of South India possessed an autonomous historical significance rooted in the lived experiences of rural communities. These movements were not merely reactions against British colonial policies such as excessive land revenue demands, exploitative tenancy systems, and economic extraction, but also represented organized resistance against deeply entrenched indigenous structures of oppression, including feudal landlordism, caste discrimination, bonded labour, and the practice of vetti (forced labour). By examining three major agrarian movements the Moplah Rebellion of Malabar (1921), the Rampa Rebellion (1922–24), and the Telangana Armed Struggle (1946–51) the article demonstrates that peasant resistance evolved through distinct regional, social, and ideological contexts while sharing a common aspiration for justice, dignity, and equitable access to land and resources. These movements reflected the active participation of marginalized peasants, tribal communities, agricultural labourers, and lower-caste groups who challenged both colonial authority and indigenous systems of domination. The study further argues that, for the peasants of South India, the concept of Swaraj extended far beyond the attainment of political independence from British rule; it embodied a broader vision of agrarian democracy, redistribution of land, abolition of exploitative labour relations, social equality, and freedom from caste-based oppression. By integrating colonial records, regional histories, and contemporary historiographical debates, this article highlights the multidimensional character of South Indian peasant struggles and emphasizes their crucial role in reshaping the social, economic, and political landscape of modern India. It concludes that these agrarian movements should be understood not merely as nationalist revolts but as transformative social revolutions that simultaneously challenged imperial domination and indigenous hierarchies, thereby contributing significantly to the discourse on social justice, democratic rights, and the making of modern India.