Mangal Pandey turned ‘greased cartridge’ into a weapon of 1857 revolt; scared British hanged the revolutionary 10 days early: The spark from Barrackpore shook the Empire, ending the Company Raj
On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Mangal Pandey, the hero of India’s first war of independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a heartfelt tribute to him. PM Modi wrote on X, “Heartfelt tributes to the great freedom fighter Mangal Pandey on his birth anniversary. He was a pioneering warrior of the country who challenged British rule. His story of courage and valour will continue to be a source of inspiration for the people of the nation.”
In his message, the Prime Minister not only commemorated Mangal Pandey’s bravery, but also called upon the countrymen to take inspiration from his sacrifice. Mangal Pandey’s sacrifice sparked the first major rebellion against the British in 1857, which we today refer to as ‘India’s First War of Independence’. Let’s find out in this special report, the story of Mangal Pandey’s life, his rebellion, how the British caught him, why he was hanged 10 days early and what the British were afraid of.
Mangal Pandey: From an ordinary soldier to a revolutionary
Mangal Pandey was born on 19 July 1827 in a simple Brahmin family in Nagwa village of Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. Some historians say that he was born in Sururpur village near Ayodhya, but his family was from Ballia. His father’s name was Diwakar Pandey. The financial condition of the family was not very good. Yet Mangal was a passionate patriot since childhood and wanted to fight against injustice.
In the year 1849, at a young age of 18, Mangal became a soldier in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry of the East India Company. At that time, the number of Indian soldiers in the British army was significantly high, but they were undervalued. The soldiers were angry with low salaries, discrimination and the arbitrary attitude of the British. Mangal Pandey also shared this anger, which later became the reason for their rebellion.
First War of Independence of 1857 and the role of Mangal Pandey
The revolt of 1857, which is called the First War of Independence of India, was not a one-day event. It was an explosion of anger that had accumulated over the years. The British had taken away the kingdoms of Indian kings, imposed heavy taxes on farmers and mistreated Indian soldiers. But the final spark behind the revolt was the cartridges of the new Enfield rifle.
In the 1850s, the British gave this rifle to Indian soldiers, but a rumour spread that its cartridges were laced with cow and pig fat. These cartridges had to be bitten with the mouth and loaded into the rifle, which would hurt the religious sentiments of Hindu as well as Muslim soldiers. This news spread like wildfire and created uneasiness among the soldiers.
Mangal Pandey lent a voice to this disquiet. On 29 March 1857, while he was posted at the Barrackpore Cantonment in West Bengal, he sounded the bugle of revolt. Mangal Pandey refused to use the cartridges and asked his fellow soldiers to stand up against the British. He shouted a slogan, “Maro Firangi ko!” (Kill the British) and attacked two British officers, Lieutenant Baugh and Sergeant-Major Hugheson.
Mangal injured Baugh and killed Hugheson. This incident marked the beginning of the revolution across the country. His unwavering courage incited anger against the British among the soldiers and the common people. Historians believe that this step of Mangal Pandey was the first big leap towards the war of 1857, which frightened the British.
How the British caught Mangal Pandey
Mangal Pandey’s rebellion caused a stir in the Barrackpur cantonment. Some of the soldiers showed solidarity with him, but the whole regiment lacked unity. Mangal tried to shoot himself to avoid falling into the hands of the British. He placed the barrel of his gun on his chest and pressed the trigger with his foot, but the bullet could only injure him. Subsequently, British General John Hersey took charge of the situation.
Hersey threatened the soldiers that anyone who did not stop Mangal would be shot. Finally, a soldier caught Mangal Pandey. He was arrested and court-martial proceedings were initiated against him. Mangal confessed that he rebelled against the British. The court sentenced him to death and set the date for his execution on 18 April 1857.
Why he was hanged 10 days earlier
The British secretly hanged Mangal Pandey in Barrackpore on 8 April 1857, 10 days before the scheduled date. The reason behind this was the fear of the British. The news of Mangal Pandey’s bravery was spreading rapidly. Not only among the soldiers of Barrackpore, but the murmur of rebellion had spread in the surrounding cantonments as well. The British were afraid that if Mangal was kept alive or the hanging was delayed, his spark would set the whole country on fire. Therefore, they hastily hanged him on 8 April so that the rebellion could be crushed. But this proved to be a mistake. Contrary to what the British had imagined, Mangal Pandey’s sacrifice further fueled the rebellion.
What the British feared
The biggest fear of the British was that Mangal Pandey’s rebellion would transform into a huge freedom movement. At that time, there were lakhs of Indian soldiers in the army of the East India Company, and if they had united, the British rule could have ended. Following Mangal’s revolt, the spark of rebellion spread in cities like Meerut, Delhi, Kanpur, and Lucknow. On April 20, 1857, some soldiers set a police post on fire in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh. On May 10, 1857, some soldiers killed some British officers in Meerut and marched towards Delhi.
After reaching Delhi, they declared Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar as their leader. On May 30, farmers, labourers and soldiers took up arms against the British in Chinhat and Ismailganj in Lucknow. Nana Saheb in Kanpur, Rani Lakshmibai in Jhansi and Begum Hazrat Mahal in Lucknow held the reins of the rebellion. The British feared that if Mangal Pandey was not killed soon, this rebellion would put the whole of India on the path of independence.
The legacy of Mangal Pandey
Mangal Pandey’s sacrifice breathed new life into the First War of Independence of 1857. Even though the British were able to suppress this rebellion, it exposed their weakness. In 1858, the rule of the East India Company ended, and the British Crown started direct rule over India. Mangal Pandey’s martyrdom awakened the desire for independence among Indians, which was fulfilled in 1947. In 1984, the government of India issued a postal stamp in memory of Mangal Pandey. In 2005, a film named ‘Mangal Pandey: The Rising’ was also made on his life, in which Aamir Khan played his role.
Mangal Pandey was not just a soldier but the first spark of India’s independence. We all salute him on his birth anniversary. Jai Hind!
(The Hindi version of the article can be read on the OpIndia Hindi website)
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