It was exactly 150 years ago from today, that it all started at a place called Barrakpore in Bengal, with aparently a small but not insignificant begining. It was in the afternoon hours of March 29th 1857, that only Twenty-Six year old but already 7 years veteran, a brahmin sepoy in 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry named Mangal Pandey opened the Great Revolt of 1857 from the Parade Grounds of Barrakpore. I visited the Barrakpore Cantonment today to pay my tributes.
On Sunday March 29th 1857, little past 3 in the afternoon, Mangal Pandey came out on the parade grounds wearing dhoti and asking the bugle to be sounded for his men to assemble.
Subsequently, with his charged gun he took shots at three British officers fatally injuring them. When one adjutant Lt. Baugh rushed with his sword, Mangal Pandey too welcomed him with his drawn sword and he seriously injured Baugh who had to make a quick retreat before the fatal blow could fall.
In the meanwhile, only one single native man came to confront Pandey - sepoy Sheikh Pultoo. Sheikh grabbed Mangal Pandey from behind and called on the Jemadar Ishwari Pandey to help him bring Pandey down. The Jemadar never moved an inch; Mangal Pandey wrestled himself free and seriousely wounded Sheikh Pultoo as well. What a shame, the rest of the men of Barrackpore stood and watched as the first struggle of the mutiny was played out before them.
Finally seeing that he was surrounded and outpowered and no other comrades were displaying the same courage that he did, Mangal Pandey sank to his knees, and put his musket barrel to his chest and pulled the trigger with his toe. The shot did not take his life but managed to wound him and he was immediately taken into custody. Also taken into custody was Jemadar Ishwari Pandey.
In the entire court martial that lasted for 3 days, these are the only words attributed to Mangal Pandey in the british records: âI did not know who I wounded and who I did not; what more shall I say? I have nothing more to say. I have no evidence.â
On the Tenth day - on April 8 at 5:30 pm, Mangal Pandey was hanged from a tree in the nearby forest on the banks of Ganga river, in full attendence of his fellow men of the regiment.
Such was the end of Mangal Pandey but beginning of the courage in his fellow men and the spark of the revolt, which spread all over North-West, Bihar, Awadh etc. and lasted until November of 1859.
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Th exact place at the parade ground where that above first event of 1857 revolt was played out by that Hero - no one could tell me where it is today. Entire area today hosts the Police Training College. The cantonment has undergone lots of changes in the last 150 years, and no one seems to have bothered to preserve the place where that event of immense significance for the modern Indian history took place. Of course brits would have left no stone unturnred to obliterate all remaining signs of the event, but even the subsequent governments of 'free' India have not cared to find out?
Anyways, it was disappointing that I could not find any help with locating that place. In all possibilities, the ground is now back to being a part of the forest like the rest of the area. what a shame!
However those trees by the bank of Ganga from one of which Mangal Pandey must have been hanged exist. There is a small statue of Pandey located in a small garden.
Sad though it was - no one seemed to be aware of the important date on the calendar today.
My humble tributes to that brave man.
some snaps that I captured:
The statue of Mangal Pandey at the site: http://travel.webshots.com/photo/292164811...nE?vhost=travel
One of these trees where Mangal Pandey was executed: http://travel.webshots.com/photo/299153661...gt?vhost=travel
This is the bank of Ganga where the execution took place: http://travel.webshots.com/photo/290453565...IY?vhost=travel
Transcript of the Trial of Mangal Pandey
On Sunday March 29th 1857, little past 3 in the afternoon, Mangal Pandey came out on the parade grounds wearing dhoti and asking the bugle to be sounded for his men to assemble.
Subsequently, with his charged gun he took shots at three British officers fatally injuring them. When one adjutant Lt. Baugh rushed with his sword, Mangal Pandey too welcomed him with his drawn sword and he seriously injured Baugh who had to make a quick retreat before the fatal blow could fall.
In the meanwhile, only one single native man came to confront Pandey - sepoy Sheikh Pultoo. Sheikh grabbed Mangal Pandey from behind and called on the Jemadar Ishwari Pandey to help him bring Pandey down. The Jemadar never moved an inch; Mangal Pandey wrestled himself free and seriousely wounded Sheikh Pultoo as well. What a shame, the rest of the men of Barrackpore stood and watched as the first struggle of the mutiny was played out before them.
Finally seeing that he was surrounded and outpowered and no other comrades were displaying the same courage that he did, Mangal Pandey sank to his knees, and put his musket barrel to his chest and pulled the trigger with his toe. The shot did not take his life but managed to wound him and he was immediately taken into custody. Also taken into custody was Jemadar Ishwari Pandey.
In the entire court martial that lasted for 3 days, these are the only words attributed to Mangal Pandey in the british records: âI did not know who I wounded and who I did not; what more shall I say? I have nothing more to say. I have no evidence.â
On the Tenth day - on April 8 at 5:30 pm, Mangal Pandey was hanged from a tree in the nearby forest on the banks of Ganga river, in full attendence of his fellow men of the regiment.
Such was the end of Mangal Pandey but beginning of the courage in his fellow men and the spark of the revolt, which spread all over North-West, Bihar, Awadh etc. and lasted until November of 1859.
===
Th exact place at the parade ground where that above first event of 1857 revolt was played out by that Hero - no one could tell me where it is today. Entire area today hosts the Police Training College. The cantonment has undergone lots of changes in the last 150 years, and no one seems to have bothered to preserve the place where that event of immense significance for the modern Indian history took place. Of course brits would have left no stone unturnred to obliterate all remaining signs of the event, but even the subsequent governments of 'free' India have not cared to find out?
Anyways, it was disappointing that I could not find any help with locating that place. In all possibilities, the ground is now back to being a part of the forest like the rest of the area. what a shame!
However those trees by the bank of Ganga from one of which Mangal Pandey must have been hanged exist. There is a small statue of Pandey located in a small garden.
Sad though it was - no one seemed to be aware of the important date on the calendar today.
My humble tributes to that brave man.
some snaps that I captured:
The statue of Mangal Pandey at the site: http://travel.webshots.com/photo/292164811...nE?vhost=travel
One of these trees where Mangal Pandey was executed: http://travel.webshots.com/photo/299153661...gt?vhost=travel
This is the bank of Ganga where the execution took place: http://travel.webshots.com/photo/290453565...IY?vhost=travel
Transcript of the Trial of Mangal Pandey