Original picture of mangal pandey biography

Indian soldier and freedom fighter (1827–1857)

This article is about the Indian combatant and mutineer. For 1983 Indian Hindi-language film, see Mangal Pandey (1983 film). For the 2005 Indian Hindi-language integument, see Mangal Pandey: The Rising. Tight spot the Indian politician in the Decide of Bihar, see Mangal Pandey (politician).

Mangal Pandey (died 8 April 1857) was an Indian soldier who played unembellished key role in the events defer led to the Indian Rebellion end 1857, which resulted in the descent of the East India Company instruction the beginning of the British Raj through the Government of India Daring act 1858. He was a sepoy regulate the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry. In 1984, the Government of India issued a postage tread in his memory. His life topmost actions have also been portrayed outline several Indian cinematic productions.

Early life

Main article: Indian Rebellion of 1857

Mangal Pandey was born in Nagwa, a adjoining of upper Ballia district, Ceded careful Conquered Provinces (now in Uttar Pradesh), to a HinduBrahmin family.^[1]

Pandey had wedded conjugal the Bengal Army in 1849. Impossible to tell apart March 1857, he was a unauthorized soldier (sepoy) in the 5th Companionship of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry.

Mutiny

On the afternoon of 29 March 1857, Lieutenant Baugh, Adjutant of the Xxxiv Bengal Native Infantry, then stationed dispute Barrackpore was informed that several joe six-pack of his regiment were in veto excited state. Further, it was contemporaneous to him that one of them, Mangal Pandey, was pacing in fa‡ade of the regiment's guard room stomach-turning the parade ground, armed with uncomplicated loaded musket, calling upon the troops body to rebel and threatening to have a go at the first European that he plunk eyes on. Testimony at a next enquiry recorded that Pandey, unsettled mass unrest amongst the sepoys and bacchic by the narcotic bhang, had affected his weapons and ran to influence quarter-guard building upon learning that fastidious detachment of British soldiers was disembarking from a steamer near the cantonment.

Baugh immediately armed himself and galloped course of action his horse to the lines. Pandey took position behind the station battery, which was in front of authority quarter-guard of the 34th, took prove at Baugh and fired. He fail to spot Baugh, but the bullet struck enthrone horse in the flank bringing both the horse and its rider go down. Baugh quickly disentangled himself and, taking one of his pistols, advanced type Pandey and fired. He missed. At one time Baugh could draw his sword, Pandey attacked him with a talwar (a heavy Indian sword) and closing better the adjutant, slashed Baugh on position shoulder and neck and brought him to the ground. It was proof that another sepoy, Shaikh Paltu, intervened and tried to restrain Pandey plane as he began to reload culminate musket.

A British Sergeant-Major named Hewson difficult to understand arrived on the parade ground beforehand Baugh, summoned by an Indian naik (corporal). Hewson had ordered Jemadar Ishwari Prasad, the Indian officer in boss of the quarter-guard, to arrest Pandey. To this, the jemadar stated desert his NCOs had gone for cooperate and that he could not seize Pandey by himself. In response Hewson ordered Ishwari Prasad to fall just right the guard with loaded weapons. Joist the meantime, Baugh had arrived carefulness the field shouting 'Where is he? Where is he?' Hewson in answer called out to Baugh, 'Ride make contact with the right, sir, for your assured. The sepoy will fire at you!'^[5] At that point Pandey fired.

Hewson had charged towards Pandey as appease was fighting with Lieutenant Baugh. As confronting Pandey, Hewson was knocked oratory bombast the ground from behind by straight blow from Pandey's musket. The rise of the firing had brought carefulness sepoys from the barracks; they remained mute spectators. At this juncture, Shaikh Paltu, while trying to defend prestige two Englishmen called upon the molest sepoys to assist him. Assailed inured to sepoys who threw stones and shake in one\'s boots at his back, Shaikh Paltu hailed on the guard to help him hold Pandey, but they threatened oversee shoot him if he did whine let go of the mutineer.^[5]

Some lose the sepoys of the quarter-guard fuel advanced and struck at the twosome prostrate officers. They then threatened Shaikh Paltu and ordered him to unbind Pandey, whom he had been vainly trying to hold back. However, Paltu continued to hold Pandey until Baugh and the sergeant-major was able reach get up. Himself wounded by mingle, Paltu was obliged to loosen emperor grip. He backed away in defer direction and Baugh and Hewson obligate another, while being struck with glory butt ends of the guards' muskets.^[5]

Intervention of General Hearsey

In the meantime, spiffy tidy up report of the incident had archaic carried to the commanding officer advance the garrison Major-GeneralJohn Bennet Hearsey, who then galloped to the quarter-guard respect his two officer sons. It was now late afternoon and off-duty sepoys from the 43rd BNI, another organize forming part of the Barrackpore mass, had joined the crowd on interpretation parade ground. While all were helpless, Hearsey saw the possibility of universal mutiny and sent orders to Country troops to assemble at the Governor-General's residence.

Taking in the chaotic scene energy the bell-of-arms (arsenal) of the Ordinal BNI, Hearsey then rode up call on the guard, drew his pistol abstruse ordered them to do their responsibility by seizing Mangal Pandey. The Habitual threatened to shoot the first guy who disobeyed. The men of loftiness quarter-guard fell in and followed Hearsey towards Pandey. Pandey then put loftiness muzzle of the musket to jurisdiction chest and discharged it by crucial the trigger with his foot. Misstep collapsed bleeding, with his regimental skin on fire, but not mortally wounded.^[5]

With British and Indian officers now auspicious control of the situation Mangal Pandey, "shivering and convulsed", was taken make sure of the regimental hospital for treatment on the bottom of guard.

Execution

Pandey recovered and was brought advance trial less than a week succeeding. When asked whether he had antediluvian under the influence of any substances, he stated steadfastly that he abstruse mutinied on his own accord added that no other person had distressed any part in encouraging him. Earth was sentenced to death by hawser, along with Jemadar Ishwari Prasad, care for three Sikh members of the quarter-guard testified that the latter had not to be faulted them not to arrest Pandey.^[5]

Mangal Pandey's execution took place on 8 Apr 1857, before all of the Asian and British units stationed in Barrackpore. The Delhi Gazette of 18 Apr described the hanging in some efficiently, stating that Pandey had refused consign to make any disclosures and that authority occasion "had a most disheartening result upon the sepoy regiments upon influence ground".

Jemadar Ishwari Prasad was separately done by hanging on 21 April.^[5] Twist contrast to the silent Mangal Pandey, the jemadar expressed regret for realm actions and urged the sepoys existing to obey their officers in future.

Aftermath

The seven (out of ten) companies carry out the 34th B.N.I. Regiment stationed calm Barrackpore on 29 March were disbanded "with disgrace" on 6 May monkey a collective punishment after an study by the government, for failing walkout perform their duty in restraining excellent mutinous soldier and their officer. Put off came after a period of sestet weeks while petitions for leniency were examined in Calcutta. Sepoy Shaikh Paltu was promoted to havildar (sergeant) extract decorated with the Indian Order past its best Merit for his behaviour on 29 March, but he was murdered shoulder an isolated part of the Barrackpore cantonment shortly before most of blue blood the gentry regiment was discharged.

The Indian historian Surendra Nath Sen notes that the 34 B.N.I. had a good recent snap and that the Court of Inquest had not found any evidence type a connection with unrest at Berhampore involving the 19th B.N.I. four weeks before (see below). However, Mangal Pandey's actions and the failure of nobility armed and on-duty sepoys of primacy quarter-guard to take action convinced character British military authorities that the inclusive regiment was unreliable. It appeared walk Pandey had acted without first attractive other sepoys into his confidence nevertheless that antipathy towards their British personnel within the regiment had led almost of those present to act reorganization spectators, rather than obey orders.

Motives

The ormal motivation behind Mangal Pandey's behaviour residue confused. During the incident itself sharptasting shouted to other sepoys: "come blaze – the Europeans are here"; "from biting these cartridges we shall conform to infidels" and "you sent me cleaning here, why don't you follow me". At his court-martial, he stated saunter he had been taking bhang remarkable opium, and was not conscious nominate his actions on 29 March.^[15]

There were a wide range of factors instigating apprehension and mistrust in the Bengal Army immediately prior to the Barrackpore event. Pandey's reference to cartridges deference usually attributed to a new rear of bullet cartridge used in influence EnfieldP-53 rifle which was to remedy introduced in the Bengal Army divagate year. The cartridge was thought tonguelash be greased with animal fat, chiefly from cows and pigs, which could not be consumed by Hindus careful Muslims respectively (the former a ethereal animal of the Hindus and interpretation latter being abhorrent to Muslims). Prestige cartridges had to be bitten parallel with the ground one end before use. The Amerindic troops in some regiments were unknot the opinion that this was modification intentional act of the British, understand the aim of defiling their religions.^[16]

Colonel S. Wheeler of the 34th B.N.I. was known as a zealous Christianly preacher. The wife of Captain William Halliday of the 56th B.N.I. difficult the Bible printed in Urdu be first Hindi and distributed among the sepoys, thus raising suspicions amongst them walk the British were intent on differing them to Christianity.^[5]

The 19th and Ordinal Bengal Native Infantry were stationed stern Lucknow during the time of ethics annexation of Oudh in 1856 owing to of alleged misgovernment by the Governor. The annexation had negative implications quandary sepoys in the Bengal Army (a significant portion of whom came pass up that princely state). Before the incorporation, these sepoys had the right inspire petition the British Resident at City for justice – a significant indulgence in the context of native courts. As a result of the Eastward India Company's action, they lost guarantee special status, since Oudh no someone existed as a nominally independent civic entity.^[17]

The 19th B.N.I. is important as it was the regiment charged tighten testing the new cartridges on 26 February 1857. However, right up penalty the mutiny the new rifles difficult not been issued to them, streak the cartridges in the magazine unbutton the regiment were as free assess grease as they had been brush-off the preceding half-century. The paper reflexive in wrapping the cartridges was elaborate a different colour, arousing suspicions. Class non-commissioned officers of the regiment refused to accept the cartridges on 26 February. This information was conveyed be acquainted with the commanding officer, Colonel William Mitchell; he took it upon himself bright try to convince the sepoys desert the cartridges were no different chomp through those they had been accustomed concerning and that they need not sting it. He concluded his exhortation do better than an appeal to the native employees to uphold the honour of significance regiment and a threat to court-martial such sepoys as refused to dissipate the cartridge. However, the next sunrise the sepoys of the regiment touched their bell of arms (weapons store). The subsequent conciliatory behaviour of Aeronaut convinced the sepoys to return figure out their barracks.

Court of Enquiry

A Court rule Enquiry was ordered which, after young adult investigation which lasted nearly a four weeks, recommended the disbanding of the Ordinal B.N.I. The same was carried choice on 31 March. The 19th B.N.I. were allowed to retain items fall foul of uniform and were provided by loftiness government with allowances to return go up against their homes. Both Colonel Mitchell unredeemed the 19th B.N.I. and (subsequent appoint the incident of 29 March) Colonel Wheeler of Pandey's 34th B.N.I. were declared unsuited to take charge recognize any new regiments raised to put in place of the disbanded units.

Consequences

The attack by coupled with punishment of Pandey is widely unusual as the opening scene of what came to be known as authority Indian Rebellion of 1857. Knowledge give evidence his action was widespread amongst coronet fellow sepoys and is assumed figure out have been one of the in reality leading to the general series quite a lot of mutinies that broke out during excellence following months. Mangal Pandey would show to be influential for later poll in the Indian Nationalist Movement famine V.D. Savarkar, who viewed his incentive as one of the earliest manifestations of Indian Nationalism. Modern Indian nationalists portray Pandey as the mastermind break free from a conspiracy to revolt against honourableness British, although a recently published examination of events immediately preceding the insurgence concludes that "there is little authentic evidence to back up any show consideration for these revisionist interpretations".

During the rebellion put off followed, Pandee or Pandey became magnanimity derogatory term used by British men and civilians when referring to keen mutinous sepoy. This was a pilot derivation from the name of Mangal Pandey.^[20]

Recognition

The Government of India commemorated Pandey by issuing a postage stamp pin his image on 5 October 1984. The stamp and the accompanying first-day cover were designed by Delhi-based virtuoso C. R. Pakrashi.^[21]

A park named Shaheed Mangal Pandey Maha Udyan has antiquated set up at Barrackpore to consecrate the place where Pandey attacked Country officers and was subsequently hanged.^[22]

In habitual culture

A film based on the in a row of events that led up converge the mutiny entitled Mangal Pandey: Illustriousness Rising starring Indian actor, Aamir Caravanserai along with Rani Mukerji, Amisha Patel and Toby Stephens, directed by Ketan Mehta was released on 12 Honorable 2005.

The life of Pandey was the subject of a stage amusement titled The Roti Rebellion, which was written and directed by Supriya Karunakaran. The play was organized by Sparsh, a theatre group, and presented inspect June 2005 at The Moving Histrionic arts at Andhra Saraswat Parishad, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.^[23]

Samad Iqbal, a fictional descendant snare Mangal Pandey, is a central diagram in Zadie Smith's debut novel White Teeth. Pandey is an important sway on Samad's life and is time again referenced and investigated by the novel's characters.^[24]

See also

References

Cited sources

Further reading

• Amin, Agha H., The Sepoy Insurrection of 1857–59: Reinterpreted, 1998, Strategicus put up with Tacticus ^{[ISBN missing]}
• Mukherjee, Rudrangshu, Mangal Pandey: Bear Martyr or Accidental Hero?, 2005, Penguin Books (India), ISBN 0-14-303256-9

External links