|
CONTENTS
A
turning point
by Prof V.N. Datta
The
Rising
by Irfan
Habib
Rebellion
in the hills
by Vijay
Saihgal
People
took charge in Awadh
by Shahira Naim
It started in Barrackpore
by Subhrangshu Gupta
Distant
refuge of Gora Sahibs
by K.
Himmat Singh
British
stifled Indian identity
by Akhilesh
Mithal
Villainy
behind heroics
by M Rajivlochan
Punjab
was not ‘quiet’
by K.C. Yadav
Legitimacy
of the Raj was British concern
by Kamlesh Mohan
There
was no all-India canvas
by Maj-Gen Himmat
Singh Gill (retd)
Freedom
struggle through Hindi films
M.L Dhawan
|
A
turning point
Whatever views we
may hold of the revolt of 1857 — whether it was a sepoy mutiny
or a military rebellion, national or feudal — the fact is that
it offered the biggest challenge to the largest European empire,
says Prof V.N. Datta
The
revolt of 1857 has
been seen essentially as a military rebellion, which was produced
by the British follies of political ineptitude. Some scholars have
interpreted the 1857 revolt as a Muslim conspiracy exploiting
Hindu grievances. |
Delhi, May 11, 1857
|
The
Rising
Largely Hindu regiments elected Muslims as their officers, and vice
versa. One finds it difficult to agree with Nehru’s judgement that
1857 was essentially a “feudal outburst”, says noted historian Irfan
Habib
Until
the rebelling sepoys from Meerut crossed the Yamuna river early in the
morning of 11 May 1857, what had happened to disturb the equanimity of
Lord Canning and his advisers was only a series of incidents of unrest
within the Bengal Army on the issue of greased cartridges from February
onwards at Berhampur, Barrackpur, and Lucknow — all the
"mutinies" having been suppressed, with humiliations,
punishments and disbandment of the affected units.
Rebellion
in the hills
If the hill chieftains had supported the mutineers, independence of the
country would not have taken such a long time, according to Vijay
Saihgal
The
first war of India’s
independence in 1857 by the Indian soldiers of the British army was not
limited to Simla Hill states alone.
People
took charge in Awadh
Shahira Naim, Tribune
Special Correspondent in Lucknow
As
bastion after bastion of resistance to the
British crumbled during those chilly nights of the winter of 1858,
Lucknow steadfastly put up a brave front. Here there was no organised
army led by the local ruler — for just a year ago he had been unjustly
overthrown and his kingdom of Awadh annexed.
It started in Barrackpore
Subhrangshu Gupta, Tribune
Correspondent in Kolkata
Oddly
enough, the Barrackpore
barrack, the venue of the first revolt of the sepoys against the
company rule where the hero of the sepoy mutiny Mangal Pandey was
hanged, does not bear any reminiscences of that heroic event.
Distant
refuge of Gora Sahibs
K. Himmat Singh/Port
Blair
Amidst
the languid and idyllic
tropical paradise of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands lies the almost
hauntingly beautiful Ross Island. It is an 87-acre island where time
stands still, where the sea breeze whispers about a bygone era of a
debauched and charming walk down the Raj days, where sadness seeps
through the decrepit ruins of a place once aptly called the "Paris
of East".
British
stifled Indian identity
Akhilesh Mithal
1857
— the millions killed, the hundreds of thousands made homeless and the
billions worth of property destroyed, the terror (does it continue?)
struck in Indian hearts at the mere sight of a white person — the
conditioned reflex of all Indians deferring to the opinions of the white
man—especially about things Indian—are subjects which should engage
minds in 2007.
Villainy
behind heroics
M Rajivlochan
Mutinies are
testosterone-driven messy events. Often installed in the public mind as
so-called great events through the myth-making enterprise of historians,
most of whom are men too; they involve violence, death, destruction and
much more in the name of some noble quest for justice. Almost as if
there is a consensus that pain begets nobility.
Myth
and Reality
Punjab
was not ‘quiet’
K.C. Yadav
A general
notion persists at the level of both the historian and the layman that
Punjab was “quiet” in the stormy days of 1857. The Punjabis,
especially both the “dominant” communities, the Sikhs and Muslims,
were, it is believed, absolutely loyal to the British, and helped them
in their hour of trial.
Legitimacy
of the Raj was British concern
Kamlesh Mohan
Remembering
1857 is not a mere ritual
for me. It has provoked fresh questions regarding the relationship
between the colonial state and the peasantry, as well as social,
economic and religious elites in this region. How far did its
“paternal utilitarianism” and “stick-and-carrot policy”
influence the development of the people’s attitudes and mental
orientation towards the colonial connection as well as the form of
politics and socio-religious movements in this region as elsewhere in
India?
There
was no all-India canvas
The scene of action in 1857
centred around the Gangetic plain, with the whole of southern India
keeping out of the picture, recalls Maj-Gen Himmat
Singh Gill (retd)
Accepting
that Mangal Pandey’s
attempts at inciting his colleagues in his Infantry battalion, and a
little later the skirmishes in the 3rd Light Cavalry were mere triggers
to later events in Lucknow, Kanpur and Delhi, the question that begs an
answer is whether the first war for independence if it was one, was
actually pre-planned to ignite in this manner and at this moment of time
by those who had masterminded the uprising.
Freedom
struggle through Hindi films
M.L Dhawan
The
freedom struggle that
stretched across a century has been captured on camera by our
filmmakers, some of whom had even participated in this struggle. The
film industry was particularly charged with patriotism during the
struggle days.
|
