Nana Saheb Peshwa II
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Nana Saheb Peshwa II | |
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14th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire (pretender) | |
In office 1 February 1851 – 30 June 1857 (unrecognized) | |
Preceded by | Baji Rao II |
Peshwa from Kanpur | |
In office 1 July – 16 July 1857 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Dhondu Pant 19 May 1824 Bithur, Cawnpore, Ceded Provinces, British India (present-day Bithoor, Kanpur Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh, India) |
Died | Kathmandu, Nepal | 24 September 1859 (aged 35) (disputed)
Parent(s) | Narayan Bhat (father) Ganga Bai (mother) |
Relatives | Baji Rao II (adoptive father & uncle) |
Nana Saheb Peshwa II (19 May 1824 – after 1857), born as Dhondu Pant, was an Indian aristocrat and fighter, who led the rebellion in Cawnpore (Kanpur) during the 1857 rebellion against the East India Company. As the adopted son of the exiled Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao II, Nana Saheb believed that he was entitled to a pension from the company, but as he was denied recognition under Lord Dalhousie's doctrine of lapse, he initiated a rebellion. He forced the British garrison in Kanpur to surrender, then murdered the survivors, gaining control of the city for a few days. After a British force recaptured Kanpur, Nana Saheb disappeared, with multiple conflicting accounts existing of his further life and death.
Early life
[edit]Nana was born on 18 May 1824 as Nana Govind Dhondu Pant, to Narayan Bhat and Ganga Bai. After the Maratha defeat in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the East India Company had exiled Peshwa Baji Rao II to Bithur (near Kanpur), but the Company allowed him to maintain a large establishment paid for in part out of a British pension. Nana's father, a well-educated Deccani Brahmin, had travelled with his family from the Western Ghats to become a court official of the former Peshwa at Bithoor. He had married the sister of one of the Peshwa's wives, who bore him two sons.
Lacking sons of his own, Baji Rao adopted Nana Saheb and his younger brother Bala Saheb in 1827. Nana Saheb's childhood associates included Tatya Tope, Azimullah Khan and Manikarnika Tambe. Tatya Tope, Nana Saheb's fencing master, was the son of Pandurang Rao Tope, an important noble at the Peshwa's court, who had followed his sovereign into exile. Azimullah Khan later became Nana Saheb's secretary and dewan.
Inheritance
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At that time, the British East India Company had absolute, imperial administrative jurisdiction over many regions throughout the subcontinent. The doctrine of lapse was an annexation policy devised by Lord Dalhousie, the British Governor-General of India between 1848 and 1856. According to the doctrine, any princely state or territory under the paramountcy of the imperial Company, as a vassal state under the British subsidiary system, would automatically be annexed if the ruler was either "manifestly incompetent or died without a direct heir".[1] The doctrine supplanted the long-established legal right of an Indian sovereign without an heir to choose a successor. In addition, the British were to decide the competency of potential rulers. The policy was widely resented by Indians as illegitimate. The Peshwa's domains had been annexed in 1818 before the institution of the doctrine, but upon the death of Baji Rao II the Company used the doctrine to deny the previously paid pension to Nana Saheb, given that he was an adopted son. Baji Rao was given 800,000 Rupees (£ 80,000 in those days) pension per annum along with tax free lands, these provisions were taken away after he passed away. Nana Sahib appealed for the restitution of the pension and the funds and sent his advocate (vakeel) Azimulla Khan all the way to London [2] to plead his case. This attempt was unsucessful. Nana Sahib was well known to the British at Kanpur since he used to host parties often for them. Sir Henry Lawerence and Gen. Wheeler treated him with respect. Gen. Wheeler invited him to take over the protection of the British Treasury at Kanpur[3]
Role in the 1857 uprising
[edit]At the start of mutiny, Nana Saheb professed loyalty to company officials in Kanpur and even provided volunteers to protect Europeans in the city.[4] It was planned that Nana Saheb would assemble a force of 1,500 soldiers to fight the rebels, in case the rebellion spread to Kanpur.[5]
On 6 June 1857, at the time of the rebellion by forces of the East India Company at Kanpur, the British contingent had taken refuge at an entrenchment in the northern part of the town. Amid the prevailing chaos in Kanpur, Nana and his forces entered the British magazine situated in the northern part of the town. The soldiers of the 53rd Native Infantry, who were guarding the magazine, thought that Nana had come to guard the magazine on behalf of the company. However, once he entered the magazine, Nana Saheb announced that he was a participant in the rebellion against the company, and intended to be a vassal of Bahadur Shah II.[6]
After taking possession of the Company treasury, Nana advanced up the Grand Trunk Road stating that he wanted to restore the Maratha confederacy under the Peshwa tradition, and decided to capture Kanpur. On his way, Nana met the rebel Company soldiers at Kalyanpur. The soldiers were on their way to Delhi, to meet Bahadur Shah II. Nana wanted them to go back to Kanpur and help him defeat the British. The soldiers were reluctant at first, but decided to join Nana when he promised to double their pay and reward them with gold, if they were to destroy the British entrenchment. His eldest son Baan Rao was killed in the resulting battle
Attack on Wheeler's entrenchment
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The Company forces were not adequately prepared for the attack. Wheeler's wife was a distant relative of the Nana Sahib and so he had asked Sahib's own soldiers to guard the treasury. Furthermore, instead of selecting a well fortified magazine with plenty of weapons and ammunition north of the depot, the British had barricaded themselves in two large barrack buildings, one of masonry and one with a thatched roof, out in the open close to the road to Allahabad, with insufficient fortifications. They had started to build a masonry wall, but at the start of the events, it was only four feet tall and not bulletproof. Sixty years after the events, a large, spacious fortified underground room was discovered at the site of the barracks, but in 1857, neither the British nor the Nana Sahib seems to have been aware of its existence.[7] The barracks held around 900 Europeans, Eurasians and Indians of which only 210 were European soldiers and they were joined by about loyal Indian soldiers[clarification needed][8] whose numbers were bolstered by some 100 armed civilians.[9] The British had five 9-pounders, one brass 3-pounders and a mortar.[10] Initially, Gen Wheeler was confident enough to send part of his garrison as reinforcements to Lucknow. On the 4th of June, the East India company sepoys of the 1st, 53rd and 56th Native Infantry regiments and the 2nd Cavalry regiment rebelled. They plundered the treasury and a few buildings and left Kanpur for Delhi. The Nana Sahib, who hitherto had not openly committed himself to side with the rebellion, on the advice of Azimulla Khan, hurried up the Grand Trunk road on his state elephant and enticed the rebels to serve him and return to Kanpur [11]
On 5 June 1857, Nana Saheb sent a letter to General Hugh Wheeler informing him to expect an attack next morning at 10 am. On 6 June, his forces (including the rebel soldiers) attacked the Company entrenchment at 10:30 am. The British were taken by surprise, but managed to defend themselves as the attacking forces were reluctant to enter the entrenchment. The Indian forces had been led to believe that the entrenchment had gunpowder-filled trenches that would explode if they got closer.[6] The Company side held out in their makeshift fort for three weeks with little water and food supplies, and lost many lives due to sunstroke and lack of water. On the 7th of June, the rebels bought some large calibre guns, manned by pensioners of the East India Company army and the bombardment of the entrenchment began.[12]
As the news of advances over the British garrison spread, more rebel sepoys joined Nana Saheb. By 10 June, he was believed to be leading around twelve thousand to fifteen thousand Indian soldiers.[13] During the first week of the siege, Nana Saheb's forces encircled the attachment, created loopholes and established firing positions from the surrounding buildings. The defending Captain John Moore retaliated and launched night-time sorties. Nana Saheb then withdrew his headquarters to Savada House (or Savada Kothi), which was situated around two miles away. In response to Moore's sorties, Nana Saheb decided to attempt a direct assault on the British entrenchment, but the rebel soldiers displayed a lack of enthusiasm.[6] On the 13th of June, the rebel bombardment set the thatch of one of the barracks, used as the hospital, on fire.[14] The rebels tried to follow up with a charge but were cut down by grape shot directed by Lieutenant Ashe.[15]
The sniper fire and the bombardment continued until 23 June 1857. One of the driving forces of the rebellion by sepoys, was a prophecy that predicted the downfall of East India Company rule exactly one hundred years after the Battle of Plassey (23 June 1757).[16] This prompted over 4000 rebel soldiers under Nana Saheb to launch a major attack on the entrenchment on 23 June 1857. It started with a cavalry charge. Gen Wheeler left his wounded son Gordon in the care of his family and assumed charge. He waited till the cavarly was within 50 yards before raking them with grape.[17] Following this, the infantry, behind the cover of some cotton bales, approached up to 100 yards of the perimeter.[18] However, they were unable to gain an entry into the entrenchment by the end of the day.[citation needed]. The same day, 9 pound round shot fired during the artillery barrage had decapitated Gordon Wheeler. Gen. Wheeler sent desperate messages for aid to Lucknow, but Sir Henry Lawerence was unable to help [19]
Meanwhile, in the city, those associated with the British were killed or looted.[20] Proclamations and plans about the extent of Peshwa's dominions were published and pasted on walls, which suggested that tributes were expected from the Emir of Afghanistan, the Emperor of China and Queen Victoria (who was put down for 5 million rupees tribute).[21] However, sectarian violence started when two Muslim butchers had their hands amputated by Baba Bhatt (Nana's elder brother) for slaughtering a cow and the operation resulted in their deaths.[22] The situation was defused to an extend by Azimulla Khan.
On the 25th of June, an Eurasian prisoner, the wife of a city merchant, identified as a certain Mrs. Jacobi [23] approached the entrenchment with an offer of honourable surrender including safe passage to Allahabad. The lack of provisions (the garrison had three days rations left) and reinforcements were cited by the officers as reason to accept this proposal during a meeting with Wheeler and on the 26th of June, he accepted the offer.[24] This led to a truce and negotiations began between Wheeler representing the British and Azimulla Khan and Jawala Prasad, the commander of the Nana's cavalry.[25] It was agreed that the garrison would be allowed to march out with their side arms and sixty rounds of ammunition, but had to leave the artillery behind.
Satichaura Ghat massacre
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On the morning of 27 June, Wheeler's column, consisting primarily of unarmed civilians and including more than 300 women and children, emerged from the entrenchment. Nana sent a number of carts, dolis and elephants to enable the women, the children and the sick to proceed to the river banks. The Company officers and military men were allowed to take their arms and ammunition with them, and were escorted by nearly the whole of the rebel army.[13] They reached the Satichaura Ghat by 8 am. At this ghat, Nana Saheb had arranged around 40 boats, belonging to a boatman called Hardev Mallah, for their departure to Allahabad.[26] However, Nana Saheb's rebels had deliberately placed the boats as high in the mud as possible to delay the boarding, and the Europeans found it difficult to drift the boats away.[27] Wheeler and his party were the first aboard and the first to manage to set their boat adrift. At this point three shots were fired from the direction of Nana Saheb's camp, which was the signal to initiate the attack. The Indian boatmen jumped overboard and started swimming toward the banks.[citation needed] However, according to Mowbray Thompson, one of the few survivors of the massacre, before the boatmen jumped overboard they had "contrived to secrete burning charcoal in the thatch of most of the boats", which set some of the boats ablaze.[28] Though controversy surrounds what exactly happened next at the Satichaura Ghat, the departing Europeans were attacked by the rebel sepoys, and most of were either killed or captured.[13]
Some of the Company officers later claimed that Nana had placed the boats as high in the mud as possible, on purpose to cause delay. They also claimed that Nana had previously arranged for the rebels to fire upon and kill all the Europeans.[citation needed] Although the East India Company later accused Nana of betrayal and murder of innocent people, no definitive evidence has ever been found to prove that Nana had pre-planned or ordered the massacre.[29] Some historians believe that the Satichaura Ghat massacre was the result of confusion, and not of any plan implemented by Nana and his associates.[30] Nevertheless, the fact that sniper fire from cannons pre-positioned along the riverbank was reported on the scene might suggest pre-planning.
Whatever the case, amid the prevailing confusion at the Satichaura Ghat, Nana's general Tatya Tope allegedly ordered the 2nd Bengal Cavalry unit and some artillery units to open fire on the Europeans.[6] The rebel cavalry sowars moved into the water to kill the remaining Company soldiers with swords and pistols. The surviving men were killed, while women and children were captured, as Nana did not approve of their killing.[31] Around 120 women and children were taken prisoner and escorted to Savada House, Nana Saheb's headquarters during the siege. Two ladies, Mrs Lett and Mrs Bradshaw, hid amongst the grass, and disguised themselves and escaped at night.[32] One boat also escaped and the boaters found refuge with Raja Dirigibijah Singh who protected them and later had them escorted to the British lines.[33]
The rebel soldiers also pursued Wheeler's boat, which was slowly drifting to safer waters. After some firing, the European men on the boat decided to fly the white flag. They were escorted off the boat and taken back to Savada house. The surviving men were seated on the ground, as Nana's soldiers got ready to kill them. The women insisted that they would die with their husbands, but were pulled away. Nana granted the British chaplain Rev. Cockey's request [34] to read prayers before they were killed.[35] The British were initially wounded with the guns, and then killed with the swords.[13] The women and children were taken to Savada House to be reunited with their remaining colleagues.
Bibighar massacre
[edit]On the advice of astrologers, Nana was consecrated at Baji Rao's heir on 1 July amid much fanfare and a 21 gun salute.[36] Meanwhile, the surviving women and children, along with their Indian supporters, around 120 in number, were moved from the Savada House to Bibighar ("the House of the Ladies"), a villa-type house in Kanpur. They were later joined by some other women and children, the survivors from Wheeler's boat. Another group of women and children from Fatehgarh, and some other captive women were also confined in Bibighar. In total, there were around 200 women and children there. An Indian ayurverdic doctor was allowed to attend the captives and recorded thirty six fatalities (18 British women, 17 children and 1 Hindu nurse) possibly due to cholera on the first week of their capture. Following this, the captives were allowed allowed out of the building, twice a day, under guard.[37] In the meantime, Nana's army had swelled to over 20,000 and the billeting of these caused unhappiness amongst the citizens of Kanpur: sectarian unhappiness was increasing too.[38]
Nana Saheb deputed a tawaif (nautch girl) called Hussaini Khanum (also known as Hussaini Begum) to care for these survivors. He decided to use these prisoners in bargaining with the East India Company. On 9 July, the Nana received news that a company of 700 under the command of Major Sydenham Renaud was advancing along the Grand Trunk road, indiscriminately punishing Indian villages en route.[39] Further Company forces consisting of around 1,200 British, 150 Sikh soldiers, 30 irregular cavalry and 6 cannon had set out from Allahabad, under the command of General Henry Havelock, to retake Cawnpore and Lucknow. Havelock's forces were later joined by the forces under the command of Major Renaud and James Neil. Nana demanded that the East India Company forces under Havelock and Neil retreat to Allahabad. However, the Company forces advanced relentlessly towards Cawnpore. Nana sent an army to check the advance of Major Renaud's forces but they met with General Havelock's army met at Futtehpore on 12 July. The rebels had no answer to the British Artillery and the Enfield rifles which had an accurate range of 900 yards. Tatia Tope had an elephant shot under him by cannon and General Havelock's forces emerged victorious and captured the town with very little casualities.
Nana then sent another force under the command of his brother, Bala Rao. On 15 July, Bala fortified his positions at Aong behind walled gardens with two cannon covering the route of the British. The British mounted patrol was aware of this and this led to the Battle of Aong Major Renaud charged at the head of his forces, was wounded in his thigh which later led to his death.[40] The British artillery cleared the rebel artillery forcing Bala to retreat beyond the Pandu river and cover the stone bridge across it. Sympathetic Indian villagers informed Havelock about this who marched his forces 16 miles under the sun and flanked the bridge from the village of Maharajpore.[41] In the meantime, the Nana Sahib had arrived bought more artillery to the fray. The British advanced under heavy fire, with Havelock's son, Harry Marsham Havelock driving his horse against the muzzle of a cannon just before it fired, thereby saving his company. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for this act. The British infantry charged and siezed the lines and the Nana fled from the field, leaving two cannons behind.[42] On 16 July, Havelock's forces started advancing to Bithur. They managed to rescue a prisoner from the siege, William Jonah Shepherd [43] who provided them with details.
Nana Sahib, and his associates, including Tatya Tope and Azimullah Khan, debated about what to do with the 4 men and 206 women and children held at Bibighar. Some of Nana Sahib's advisors had already decided to kill the captives at Bibighar, as revenge for the executions of Indians by the advancing British forces. Azimulla Khan suggested that the British might turn back from Kanpur had they no hostages to rescue.[44][45] The women of Nana Sahib's household opposed the decision and went on a hunger strike, but their efforts went in vain.[46][47]
On the 15th, after Bala arrived annoucing his defeat at the Pandu river, the 4 male captives, Mr Thornhill, a judge from Fategarh, Col. Smith, Col. Goldie and the 14 year old Greenway were bound, bought out of the Bibigarh and shot by the sepoys.[48]
Within an hour, Hussaini Begum announced to the women that they too would be killed. Jemadar Yousef Khan and his sepoys refused to kill the prisoners. They even disobeyed the oders of Tatiya Tope on the matter.[49] That evening, Hussaini Khanum organised 4 butchers from Kanpur market as well as an Eurasian member of Nana's personal bodyguard to kill the prisoners and in the course of the night, the entire prisoners were massacred. The screams were heard by the citizens who lived nearby.[50] The next morning, the 5 returned with sweepers to remove the bodies. The bodies of the dead and 3 severely wounded boys were thrown into a well 9 feet wide and 50 feet deep near the house.[51][52]
Recapture of Kanpur by the British
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The Company forces reached Kanpur on 16 July 1857. The population, on hearing about their approach along with the news of the massacre, fled.[53] In the early hours of Friday July 17th, the British were at Wheeler's encampment. Two sympathetic Indians informed Havelock about the massacre at Bibigarh [54]and that Nana Sahib had taken up a position at the Ahirwa village. His forces launched an attack on Nana's forces, and emerged victorious. Nana then blew up the Kanpur magazine, abandoned the place, and retreated to Bithur. The women and children imprisoned in the Bibighar all had already been massacred with appalling violence. When the British soldiers, especially Col. Neill came to know about the Bibighar massacre, they indulged in retaliatory violence, including looting and burning of houses.[6][55]
Neill started to force the captured rebels to clean the blood in Bibigarh prior to executing them.[56] On the 18th of July, Havelock heard about Neill's punishments and put an end to the indiscriminate killing. He had one British soldier hung [57] On 19 July, General Havelock resumed operations and left Bithur to save Lucknow, leaving Neill in charge at Kanpur. Nana Sahib had already escaped with an army of 12,000. Major Stevenson led a group of Madras Fusiliers and Sikh soldiers to Bithoor and occupied Nana Sahib's palace without any resistance.[58] [59] Very few relics of Nana Saheb are known but a silver mounted sword seems to be one of the more interesting. Many British search parties tried to capture Nana Saheb but all failed to prevent his escape. A detachment of the 7th Bengal Infantry came very near to capturing him but he managed to escape just in time. In his hurry, he left this sword on the table, where he had been dining. Major Templer (later Major General) of the 7th Bengal Infantry brought home the sword. In the 1920s, the family loaned it to the Exeter Museum, until 1992 when it was sold at auction. The present whereabouts of this sword are unknown. Around 4000 rebels reoccupied Bithur and threathened Havelock's lines of communication at Bashiratganj by the 13th of August.[60] They were chased from their positions and regrouped at Bithur where they were joined by the experienced Gwalior contingent and sepoys of the 42nd Infantry. The Madras Fusiliers, Highlanders and Sikhs charged the defenders, chased them off and captured the artillery. Havelock's forces suffered over 50 battle casualities and 12 from heat stroke, but the rebels were driven out of Bithur. After leaving a small force in Kanpur, Gen. Havelock marched to Lucknow where he broke throuhg the lines but got besieged in the residency on September 25th, where he later succumbed to dysentry [61]. Sir Colin Campbell was put in charge of the British forces in the area. Kanpur itself was peaceful owning to the British garrison, with scant news about the Nana Sahib. It was rumoured that he was trying to link up with Tatiya Tope at Fatehpur Chaurasi or that he was in Chandemagore trying to get French assistance [62]. Campbell left for Lucknow on November 9th, leaving behind a garrison of 500 British and Sikh soldiers under the command of the inexperienced Major General Windham [63]. Tatia Tope's counter intelligence unmasked the Indian spies who were working for the British; they were mutilated and sent back to the British lines as a warning [64]. Tatya Tope tried to recapture Kanpur Second Battle of Cawnpore in November 1857. He arrived with 6000 soldiers and 18 cannon, with increasing numbers of volunteers and stragglers joining him. On November 24th Windham advanced intending to chase Tope, but the British lost the resulting battle and withdrew to the newly fortified barracks. On the 27th of November, Kanpur was back in the hands of the Peshwa and the bombardment of the British lines began. Wounded British offiers left in the field where hanged from the branches of the very banyan tree where Neill had hung suspected rebels earlier [65]. He managed to take control of all the routes west and north-west of Kanpur. Bala Rao, Jwala Prasad and Rao Sahib set up their headquarters in the European quarter of Kanpur, though it is unclear whether the Nana Sahib and Azimulla Khan were with them. In the meantime, Sir Colin Campbell had retrieved the British forces from Lucknow and had taken them to Allahabad. By December 5th, he had reached Kanpur with his men. Tatia Tope's army had been reinforced too and had over 14,000 men including the Gwalior contingent and 40 cannon [66]. On the 6th of December, the British started with an artillery barrage and Gen Mansfield attacked the left flank of the rebel army and defeated them. [67]. On December 7th, the British reached Bithur palace. The Nana had fled, apparently just prior to the arrival of the British cavalry. He had taken a lot of his treasure with him, however, he had left treasure worth millions of rupees, guns, elephants, silver howdas and camels which were all siezed by the British. Following extensive excavations to retrieve any hidden treasure, they set Nana Sahib's palace on fire [68].
Disappearance
[edit]Nana disappeared from Bithur after the company's recapture of Kanpur. The British offered a reward of Rs 100,000 (£10,000) for his capture. Thereafter, his movements cannot be ascertained for certain and he was always a step ahead of his would-be captors. On 10th February 1858, Nana was said to have entered Bundelkhand [69]. Anghad Tiwari, a capable intelligence officer of the British, tracked him to a small fort in Fatehpur Chaurasi on the 17th of February from whence he escaped just prior to the arrival of the British cavalry. At the start of April, the British were informed that he crossed the river near Bithur with an escort of 500 cavarly, but he evaded the patrols sent byh General Hope Grant to apprehend him. Towards the end of April, the Nana had retreated back to Shahjahanpur. On the 29th of April, the Nana had written a letter addressed to Queen Victoria in which he stated that he had murdered none and the murders were carried out by rebels or budmashes [70]. In the meantime, Bala wrote a letter blaming his brother for the situation, stating that he was innocent [71].
In September 1857, Nana was reported to have fallen to malarious fever; however, this is doubtful.[72]. He had also pretended to have committed suicide at the Ganges earlier, so he might have just been trying to cover his tracks [73]. Rani Laxmibai, Tatya Tope and Rao Saheb (Nana Saheb's close confidante)[dubious – discuss] proclaimed Nana Saheb as their Peshwa in June 1858 at Gwalior. In December, both the Nana and the Begum of Oudh were said to be in Bahraich [74]. On the 30th of December 1858, the British won the battle of Banki and though a lot of rebels surrendered, it was understood that Nana and his brother forded the river into Nepal with eight elephants loaded with treasure when the fight began [75]. Both the rebels and the pursuing British suffered casulaties when they tried to ford the river [76].
Nepal connection
[edit]By 1859, Nana was reported to have fled to Nepal.[77] .Letters purported to have been written by Bala and Nana asking for terms of surrender were sent to the British from Nepal.[78] Perceval Landon recorded that Nana Sahib lived out his days in western Nepal, in Thapa Teli, near Ririthang, under the protection of Sir Jang Bahadur Rana, the Prime Minister of Nepal. The final confirmed letter written by Nana, stamped with his own seal was from the 13th of May the following year [79]. His family also received protection, in Dhangara, eastern Nepal, in exchange for precious jewels.[80] In February 1860, the British were informed that Nana's wives had taken refuge in Nepal, where they resided in a house close to Thapathali. Nana himself was reported to be living in the interior of Nepal, because he did not trust the Rana.[81] . Thereafter, the Nana disappeared from recorded history. In October 1860, the British resident at Kathmundu was informed that the Nana had passed away on the 24th of September due to malaria [82]. Some other government records maintained that he died in Nepal after a tiger attacked him during a hunt on 24 September 1859 but other record differs on the matter.[83] Nana's ultimate fate was never known. Bala too was said to have died of fever in the jungles of Nepal [84].
Venkateshwar, a Brahmin interrogated by the British, disclosed that he met Nana Saheb in Nepal in 1861.[83] Up until 1888 there were rumours and reports that he had been captured and a number of individuals turned themselves in to the British claiming to be the aged Nana. As these reports turned out to be untrue further attempts at apprehending him were abandoned. There were also reports of him being spotted in Constantinople (now Istanbul).[citation needed]
Sihor connection
[edit]Two letters and a diary retrieved in the 1970s accounted that he lived as an ascetic, Yogindra Dayanand Maharaj, in Sihor in coastal Gujarat until his death in 1903.[citation needed] Harshram Mehta, the Sanskrit teacher of Nana Saheb, was addressed in the two letters probably written by him in Old Marathi and in black ink dated 1856 and signed Baloo Nana. The third document is the diary of Kalyanji Mehta, brother of Harshram.[citation needed] In Old Gujarati, the diary records arrival of Nana Saheb to Sihor with his colleagues after failure of rebellion. Kalyanji had raised Shridhar, son of Nana Saheb changing his name to Giridhar, as his own son and got him married in Sihori Brahmin family. His diary also records death of Nana Saheb in 1903 in Dave Sheri, Kalyanji's house in Sihor. The place still displays some articles of him. Keshavlal Mehta, son of Giridhar, recovered these documents in the 1970s and his descendants still live in town.[83]
The authenticity of documents was accepted by G.N. Pant, former director of the National Museum, in 1992 but the official recognition was never given.[83]
Belsare's account
[edit]K. V. Belsare's book on the Maharashtrian saint Brahmachaitanya Gondavlekar Maharaj claims that after the lost battle, Nana Saheb went to Naimisharanya, the Naimisha Forest in the vicinity of Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, where he met Brahmachaitanya maharaj, who assured him safety. He lived there from 1860 until his death in 1906. According to the book, he died between 30 October to 1 November 1906 and Shri Brahmachaitanya maharaj performed his last rites.[85] The authenticity of the claims in the book is not established.[citation needed]
Initially Nanasaheb was very much upset from losing the kingdom in battle with the British. But Shri Gondavalekar Maharaj explained to him the "Wish of God". He said, "It is very sad that Nanasaheb had to lose the battle and the kingdom in such a tragic way, but fighting with the British is totally different than fighting with Mughals. People from the middle class who know the British language will lead the next freedom war against British. Soon they will come into the picture. Your role as King or warrior has finished, and now you need to focus on the 'internal war'." Initially it was very difficult for him to accept this fact, but slowly, Nanasaheb accepted this and made progress on the path to God.[86]
Aftermath
[edit]Jwala Prasad, Nana's brigadier was apprehended and hung at Kanpur. Prior to his execution, he had stated that he was present at the Nana's cremation in Nepal [87]. Tatia Tope, the Nana's commander, was betrayed in April 1859 by Man Singh, the Raja of Narwar who handed him over to the British. On the 18th of April, he was executed. Rao Sahib was betrayed to the British in 1862 and hung at Satichaura Ghat on the 20th of August [88]. Hussaini Begum was said to have fled with the Nana's entourage to Nepal where she disappeared from history. However, the bodyguard whom she had employed to carry out the massacre at Bibighar, Sarvur Khan, was arrested in February 1858 along with Muhammed Ali Khan, a courtier who had travelled to England in the entourage of Azimulla Khan. Owing to the fact that a British officer, Forbes-Mitchell, had treated them courteously up to the time of their execution, Muhammed Ali Khan provided more information about the events. He blamed Hussaini Begum for the Bibighar massacre, stating that she had some issue with the British which she took out on the hapless captives [89]. Baba Bhutt and Azimulla Khan were observed near Kolkotta. Afterwards, their fate is uncertain. Azimullah was said to have died of small pox in Bengal; alternatively, it was also said that he escaped to Istanbul with an English lady, a certain Miss Clayton, where they lived up to old age. In this narrative, Khan was murdered in Istanbul by some locals after her death of old age [90].
General James Neill was killed in action during the relief of Lucknow on 25th September 1857. Major General Sir Henry Havelock died of dysentry in Lucknow in November 1857 after the garrison had been rescued. Sir James Outram died in March 1863 in France. Sir Colin Campbell, enobled as Baron Clyde, died in August 1863 in Kent [91]
After the independence of India in 1947, Nana was hailed as a freedom fighter, and the Nana Rao Park in Kanpur was constructed in honour of Nana and his brother, Bala Rao.
In popular culture
[edit]- Nana Sahib, a drama in verse by Jean Richepin with incidental music by Jules Massenet, opened on 20 December 1883 at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin in Paris.[92]
- Nana Sahib (based on Captain Nemo) is the principal character of the 1975 Soviet film Captain Nemo, his role is played by Vladislav Dvorzhetsky. He is also seen in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties as Nanib Sahir.[citation needed]
- Jules Verne's novel The End of Nana Saheb (also published under the name "The Steam House"), taking place in India ten years after the 1857 events, is based on these rumours, and not historically accurate – for example, the novel claims Nana Saheb had been married to Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi.[citation needed]
- In The Devil's Wind, Manohar Malgonkar gives a sympathetic reconstruction of Nana Saheb's life before, during and after the mutiny as told in his own words.[93]
- Another novel Recalcitrance published in 2008 the 150th anniversary year of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and written by Anurag Kumar shows a character similar to Sahib receiving blessings from an Indian sage who also gives him a special boon connected to his life and the rebellion of 1857.[citation needed]
- The character of Surat Khan in the 1936 film The Charge of the Light Brigade seems to be loosely based on Nana Saheb.[citation needed]
- A novel by Donald Cirulli titled The Devil's Wind was published in 2018 described, among other things, the siege of Wheeler's Entrenchment at Cawnpore and the British attack of Delhi (both in 1857).[citation needed]
- The character of Nana Saheb is portrayed by Bhupinder Singh in the DD National TV series 1857 Kranti.[citation needed]
- In Bharat Ek Khoj character of Nana Saheb was portrayed Anang Desai.[citation needed]
- In Satyajit Ray's Feluda novel Bombaiyer Bombete, a necklace belonging to Nana Saheb from Kathmandu is smuggled into India.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Keay, John. India: a history. New York: Grove Press Books, distributed by Publishers Group West. 2000 ISBN 0-8021-3797-0, p. 433.
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, Richards DS, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 28
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, Richards DS, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 29
- ^ "British Empire: Forces: Campaigns: Indian Mutiny, 1857 – 58: The Siege of Cawnpore". britishempire.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ Brock, William (1857). A Biographical Sketch of Sir Henry Havelock, K. C. B. Tauchnitz. Retrieved 12 July 2007.
- ^ a b c d e "The Indian Mutiny: The Siege of Cawnpore". Retrieved 11 July 2007.
- ^ Red year, M Edwardes, 1973, ISBN 0351159975, page 70
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 54
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 40
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 38
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 37
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 42
- ^ a b c d Wright, Caleb (1863). Historic Incidents and Life in India. J. A. Brainerd. p. 241. ISBN 978-1-135-72312-5.
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 48
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 49
- ^ Mukherjee, Rudrangshu (August 1990). "'Satan Let Loose upon Earth': The Kanpur Massacres in India in the Revolt of 1857". Past & Present. 128 (128). Oxford University Press: 92–116. doi:10.1093/past/128.1.92. JSTOR 651010.
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 57
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 58
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 52
- ^ Red year, M Edwardes, 1973, ISBN 0351159975, page 71
- ^ Red year, M Edwardes, 1973, ISBN 0351159975, page 72
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 59
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 60
- ^ Red year, M Edwardes, 1973, ISBN 0351159975, page 72
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 61
- ^ "Echoes of a Distant war". The Financial Express. 8 April 2007. Archived from the original on 21 January 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Wright, C. & J. A. Brainerd (1863). Historic Incidents and Life in India. p. 241.
- ^ Thompson, Mowbray (1859). The Cawnpore Man. Leonaur. p. 93. ISBN 978-1-84677-573-4.
- ^ Hibbert, Christopher (1978). The Great Mutiny: India, 1857. Viking Press. pp. 194. ISBN 0-670-34983-6.
- ^ Nayar, Pramod K. (2007). The Great Uprising. Penguin Books, India. ISBN 978-0-14-310238-0.
- ^ G. W. Williams, "Memorandum", printed with Narrative of the Events in the NWP in 1857–58 (Calcutta, n.d.), section on Cawnpore (hereafter Narrative Kanpur), p. 20: "A man of great influence in the city, and a government official, has related a circumstance that is strange, if true, viz. that whilst the massacre was being carried on at the ghat, a trooper of the 2nd Cavalry, reported to the Nana, then at Savada house, that his enemies, their wives and children were exterminated ... On hearing which, the Nana replied, that for the destruction of women and children, there was no necessity' and directed the sowar to return with an order to stay their slaughter". See also J. W. Kaye, History of the Sepoy War in India, 1857–58, 3 vols. (Westport, 1971 repr.), ii, p. 258. (This reprint of Kaye's work carries the title History of the Indian Mutiny of 1857–58.)
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 68
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 77
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 75
- ^ Brock, William (1858). A Biographical Sketch of Sir Henry Havelock, K. C. B. Tauchnitz. pp. 150–152. Retrieved 12 July 2007.
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 80
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 81
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 82
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 83
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 8
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 88
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 90
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 91
- ^ Red year, M Edwardes, 1973, ISBN 0351159975, page 73
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 92
- ^ V. S. "Amod" Saxena (17 February 2003). "Revolt and Revenge; a Double Tragedy (delivered to The Chicago Literary Club)". Archived from the original on 5 August 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2007.
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 92
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 92
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 93
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 93
- ^ Red year, M Edwardes, 1973, ISBN 0351159975, page 74
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 94
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 94
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 97
- ^ "India Rising: Horrors & atrocities". National Army Museum, Chelsea. Archived from the original on 18 July 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2007.
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 100
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 101
- ^ Pratul Chandra Gupta (1963). Nana Sahib and the rising at Cawnpore. Clarendon Press. p. 145. OCLC 1077615.
- ^ :Indian war of Independence by Savarkar, http://savarkar.org/en/encyc/2017/5/22/2_03_34_24_the_indian_war_of_independence_1857_with_publishers_note.v001.pdf_1.pdf
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 106
- ^ Battles of the Indian mutiny, Edwardes M, 1963, ISBN 0 300 02524 4
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 109
- ^ Battles of the Indian mutiny, Edwardes M, 1963, ISBN 0 300 02524 4, pp 115
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 115
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 118
- ^ Battles of the Indian mutiny, Edwardes M, 1963, ISBN 0 300 02524 4, pp 118
- ^ Battles of the Indian mutiny, Edwardes M, 1963, ISBN 0 300 02524 4, pp 118
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 108
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 189
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 190
- ^ The Indian Mutiny, David S, 2002, Penguin books
- ^ "The South Australian Advertiser, Monday 12 March 1860". South Australian Advertiser. 12 March 1860. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
- ^ The Great Indian Mutiny, Hibbert C, 1978, Penguin books
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 191
- ^ Red year, M Edwardes, 1973, ISBN 0351159975, page 76
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 193
- ^ Letter, The Times, (London), 28 December 1860.
- ^ Red year, M Edwardes, 1973, ISBN 0351159975, page 77
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 194
- ^ [Perceval Landon, "The Later Days of Nana Sahib", Under the Sun. New York, Doubleday, Page & Co. (1907), pp. 272–288.]
- ^ Wright, Daniel (1993). History of Nepal: With an Introductory Sketch of the Country and People of Nepal. Asian Educational Services. p. 64. ISBN 81-206-0552-7.
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 194
- ^ a b c d "1857 revolt hero Nanasaheb Peshwa's life remains a mystery". India Today. 26 January 2004. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ The Indian Mutiny, David S, 2002, Penguin books
- ^ K.V.Belsare, Brahmachaitanya Shri Gondavalekar Maharaj – Charitra & Vangmay
- ^ Belsare, Keshav Vishnu (1931). Brahmachaitanya Shri Gondavalekar Maharaj – Charitra & Vaagmay (in Marathi). KV Belsare.
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 196
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 189
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 197
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 198
- ^ Cawnpore and Lucknow, DS Roberts, 2007, ISBN 1-84415-516-1, pp 198
- ^ Demar Irvine (1994). Massenet: A Chronicle of His Life and Times. Amadeus Press. ISBN 1-57467-024-7.
- ^ Manohar Malgonkar (1972). The Devil's Wind. Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 0-241-02176-6.
Further reading
[edit]- Gupta, Pratul Chandra (1963). Nana Sahib and the Rising at Cawnpore. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-821523-1.
- Shastitko, Petr Mikhaĭlovich; Savitri Shahani (1980). Nana Sahib: An Account of the People's Revolt in India, 1857–1859. Shubhada-Saraswat Publications.