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1857 — The Role of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh
Some thinkers say history needs to be rewritten or it becomes mythology. This applies to various versions available of the 1857 upsurge also. There have been some attempts to keep the record straight and correct historical aberrations; otherwise, very few books are available telling the other side (read Indian) of the story. The author has tried to do justice with the subject. He has not only put some new facts to light but also underlined that these areas were equally important centres of the uprising against the British. The author has focused his studies on the areas which had a greater role in the uprising but got less space in history. He has rightly called it an attempt to understand the role of the people of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh in the uprising of 1857. The fact is that about nine hours before the outbreak of mutiny at Meerut (May 10, 1857), the sepoys at Ambala had sounded the bugle of ‘mutiny’. This paved the way for the great rebellion against the British at other places also. The British writers had, however, slandered, libelled and vilified these freedom fighters, as butchers, thieves and criminals. It may be Sialkot in North Western Frontier Province (NWFP), Ambala in Haryana or Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh, the author is of the opinion that history would have been different if the revolt had not misfired at some places because of the black sheep, including a few Indian rulers. Yadav has done a commendable job by piecing together hidden patches of the history using available resources. He has put things in right perspective making study more authentic. Some of his conclusions are very important. He has broken the myth that Punjab during 1857 was peaceful and silent. No, it was not. Second, that except some of the Sikh provinces (Patiala, Nabha and Jind, etc.), which were by and large loyal to the British, entire community stood united against the firangis. Likewise, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have a wonderful history of fighting for freedom. This area was part of the greater Punjab, including Punjab (India), West Punjab (Pakistan) and NWFP. There were many socio-cultural reasons also behind the war of independence. This negates the idea that the use of greased cartridges and communal feelings were the only reasons behind the revolt. It may be Ram Prasad Bairagi of Subathu, Sham Das of Jaito or Sital Prasad Misr of Peshawar, their sacrifices cannot be overlooked. There may be many more such heroes who fought for the cause. This needs to be further researched. The author has taken up the role of Punjab and Haryana in detail, while Himachal has been given lesser space. But the fact remains that the 1857 uprising had its deep roots in the entire area as a whole in the shape of people’s underground movement. The role of fakirs and bairagis in spreading the message of independence through their secret missions makes for an interesting reading. Most of the Haryana was made free from the British by the end of 1857. The author has given vivid description of the heroic deeds of Raja Nahar Singh of Ballabgarh and Rao Tula Ram of Rewari besides others. Gurgaon, being nearest to Delhi, was first to rise, followed by Hansi, Hissar and Sirsa. Anniversaries of great events like the First War of Independence may come and go, but the pioneering efforts made by the authors like Yadav need continuity so that the complete truth is revealed. The single-sided versions of history by the British authors and their Indian ‘bhaktas’ had been mutilating the glorious past of Indian history. This needs further correctives. The National Book Trust is to be commended for bringing out a popular edition of the book.
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WAS
the first war of India’s independence in 1857 limited to certain areas
only, like Barrackpore, Lucknow, Jhansi or Meerut? This question has
repeatedly been asked by students of history. Most of the British
historians have either ignored the facts or continue endorsing the
British point of view, calling it a mutiny that broke out at some
selective places.