Correct answer: C. Land and debt exploitation
Explanation: Direct answer: Option C is correct. The Santhal Hul was a major uprising in 1855–56 against exploitation by moneylenders, landlords, officials, and other outsiders often called dikus. Santhal communities faced loss of land, unfair loans, high interest, manipulation of debt records, and pressure from revenue and administrative systems. The reasoning is: land was taken or threatened; debt trapped cultivators; moneylenders and outside agents profited; resentment grew; the Santhals rebelled. Option C correctly identifies land and debt exploitation. Option A is wrong because maritime trade rules were not the main cause. Option B is wrong because a municipal tax in towns does not explain this tribal agrarian uprising. Option D is wrong because parliamentary elections were not the central issue. Memory cue: Santhal Hul = land, debt, dikus, and resistance.