1.1. The
great uprising of 1857 is a Landmark in the history of our freedom struggle. It
was the most severe outburst of anger and discontent accumulated in the hearts
of Indian masses and classes ever since the inception of British rule in Bengal
following the battles of Plassey and Buxar. It has been generally believed that
it was a mere sepoy Mutiny, but recent work and studies have proved that it was
not merely a mutiny but an upsurge of the civil population as well. Jawaharlal
Nehru in his book The Discovery of India says. "It was much more that a
military mutiny and it spread rapidly and assumed the character of a popular
rebellion and war of Indian Independence" It began with a mutiny of the
sepoys. The first shot was fired at Meerut, on 10th May 1857, and soon engulfed
wide regions and people. Masses rose under the leadership of local leaders,
rajas, Zamindars, Talukdars and soldiers and its flames reached Gorakhpur.
First, there was revolt in the army. Then the rajas and zamindars hoisted the
flag of revolt and were given sup- port by the people. Thus it became a civil
opposition to British supremacy.
1.2 The
Chief European Civil and Military authorities at Gorakhpur when the mutiny
began at Meerut and Delhi were. Mr. W. Wynyard who was a Judge, Mr.
W.Paternson, Magistrate and Mr. F Bird who was a Joint Magistrate. Captain
steel was the commanding Officer of the army. The British officials had to face
the rebels. The Babus of Pana revolted and gained control over the
communications of the region. The second center of revolt was Narhrput. The
British had made Balharganj their headquarters with a strong force. The raja of
Narharpur attacked the British and was forced to flee. The British in order to
consolidate their position gained the support of the Sikhs of Nepal and Punjab
and got complete success. Thus Nepal and Punjab were responsible, in curbing
the revolution in Gorakhpur. The Rajas of Satasi and Narharpur gave their
support to the revolutionaries against the British, but the Britishers were
fortunate in gaining the support of the Raja of Bansi.
1.3 During
the time, one Gorkha regiment reached Gorakhpur from Palpa and for sometime
there was peace in the Gorakhpur city and vicinity though there was revolution
in the distant areas. The rising was general and the landed chiefs secretly or
openly supported the rebellion. Eventually, the rule of Mohammad Hasan, the
rebel leader and nazim of Gorakhpur came to prevail. The Hindu Patriot, wrote,
"Mahomed Hussain Khan, who holds the Goruckpore district, has adopted for
his motto High above the stars stands the name of Mahomed Hussain Khan2 His
authority was challenged both by the raja of Bansi and the Rani of Basti. The
widespread idea that the British rule was fast disappearing induced many chiefs
like the rajas of Nagar and Satsi and zamindar of Amorah to take up arms. After
the re-conquest of Gorakhpur on 5th Jan. 1858, the rebels moved westward and
formed a double entrenchment and Amorah in the South Western part of the Basti,
district to obstruct the March of Rowcroft from Gorakhpur.
1.4
Gorakhpur had a population somewhat exceeding three millions. Mohammed Hasan
who had been formerly the Governor of the country lost his office after the
annexation. Symptoms of disaffection appeared there towards the end of May, the
chiefs of Pynah and Narharpur attacked police stations and ferry ghats. News of
the Azamgarh mutiny created great tension especially in the northern and
western parganas of the district. Though martial law was proclaimed by the
middle of June the mounting acts of violence would hardly be checked. The
employment of Gurkha troops, did not improve the situation. The tahsil of
Khalilabad and Captainganj fell into the hands of the rebels on 10 and 12
August respectively, which obliged the Government party to leave the station on
the 13th.
1.5
Gorakhpur passed under the rule of Mohammed Hasan who proclaimed himself the
nizam and attached to himself the loyalty of the landed proprietors. The whole
country was surging with revolt and fortifications or rather loop-holed earthworks
erected here and there forcibly illustrated systematized rebellion. An action
was fought in 26 Dec 1857, at Sohanpur on the Gorakhpur frontier on the west
bank of the little Gandak, between the forces of colonel Rewcroft and the
rebels.
1.6 Letters
found in the possession of Mohammed Hasan show that a large number of
disaffected elements joined him. The raja of Nagar and the raja of Narharpur
deeply committed themselves against the British. Rajkumar Amresh Singh the Rajcumars
on the Jaunpur border Udresh Singh and Chondresh Singh and many others
including the raja of Churda" joined the revolt. Official reports make
casual references to many other leaders who joined the rising at Gorakhpur.
1.7 Muhammed
Hasan successfully started his rule in Gorakhpur He kept the government
treasury safe. The revolutionaries however burnt the house ofBird since he was
the representative of the British government. The raja of Gorakhpur refused to
give land revenue and army was sent against him due to his indiscipline and he
sought shelter in Azamgarh. Those who supported the revolutionaries were
rewarded. Thus the people of Gorakhpur for some duration freed themselves from
the foreign yoke and ruled independently, but this was to be short-lived as the
third regiment of Nepal supported the British and again gained a firm footing
in Gorakhpur. Under the leadership of Ramajang Bhahadur a large regiment
attacked Gorakhpur. The revolutionaries in Gorakhpur did not have sufficient
means of face to the enemy. The Gorakhas mercilessly looted and plundered and
with their help the British were once again able to gain a strong footing in
Gorakhpur. Mohammed Hasan had to flee and his followers made but feeble
resistance when Gorakhpur was reconquered by the Nepal army on 6th Jan.
1.8 The
first work of the British government was to suppress the rebellion, take
revenge from the civil population which had disobeyed the British authority and
to give awards to its loyal supporters People were hanged on trees and it is
said that in Mohala Alinagar, there was a people tree on which quite a few
people were hanged. Many villages were burnt and zamindar of Satasi, Barhuapur,
Chillupar, Shahpur Dhuryapar and several others were confiscated. The zamindars
of Gopalpur, Miya Sahib of Gorakhpur, were rewarded. The state of Dumri was
also confiscated and was given to Sardar Surat Singh a relation of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh.
1.9 It will
thus be seen that in Gorakhpur the rebellion of 1857 was quite wide spread. It
was not only a sepoy mutiny but the civil population also took active part. In
Gorakhpur as well as in several other places the civil population rebelled
against British supremacy. By the end of 1859 the British authority over India
was fully re-established but the revolt had not been in vain. The heroic and
patriotic struggle of 1857 left an unforgettable impression on the minds of the
Indian people and served as a constant source of inspiration in their later
struggle for freedom and paved the way for the independence of our country.
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