These tribes either spoke Telugu or Odia or tribal dialects and paid a regular tribute to a zamindar or mansabdar who was a subject of British India.
The then zamindar of the region, an illegitimate son of his predecessor, was an oppressive tyrant, there had been smaller riots and uprisings before, but to make matters worse, the Madras government introduced a law making toddy tapping illegal and introducing a toddy tax, this wouldn't have been a great deal to the Hill tribes, but toddy tapping was part of their culture.
The rebellion started in March 1879 when the hill tribes of Rampa made attacks on police stations in Chodavaram taluk.
The rebellion was eventually suppressed and a large number of revolutionaries were sent to the Andaman Jail.
They tried to improve the condition of the tribals of East Godavari agency and the hill tracts in the northern part of Madras Presidency.