AUGUST 2015 | WWW.WISHESH.COM WWW.WISHESH.COM | AUGUST 2015

52

Mangal Pandey. One of the prime

leaders, whose rebellion sparked India’s

first war of independence in 1857.

MANGAL PANDEYNot a man, but a mission.

FREEDOM FIGHTER

He was believed to be born in a Brahmin family, where they give high importance to Hindu beliefs.

The name Mangal Pandey is preceded by the Hindi word Shaheed, which means martyr in English. A few people in his Village still claim to be his descendants. Rebel of 1857 revolt

In 1849, he joined the East India Company’s army, when he was 22 years of age. He was even the soldier in the 6th Company of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry and he attacked the several regimental officers in various attacks. In fact, these attacks made him the rebel in the 1857 revolt.

Being ambitious, Pandey viewed his profession as a Sepoy as a stepping-

Pandey’s name into the history

Pandey’s name came into prominence and in fact into the Indian history, after his attack on the senior British officers came into the limelight. It was due to this reason, the British officials attacked Pandey and hung him till death.

As the attack was not a result of personal grudges but due to Pandey’s ideological (religious/patriotic) motives, Pandey is widely considered to be the First Warrior in India’s long struggle for independence from the British rule.

A few of the reports say that, Pandey was under the influence of bhang (cannabis) at the time of this incident. As the claim is not based on independent accounts, it should however be treated with a certain degree of reservation. Moreover, though the claim is believed to be true, it still does not deny the possibility that Pandey have been maintaining a personal

Mangal Pandey was born on July

19, 1827 in Nagwa, a village of the upper Ballia district, Uttar

Pradesh.

‘‘ ‘‘grudge against the British. There are even a few other records that proved Pandey has perfect non personal motives behind the attack. These proofs are found from the records of the British officers, who are present at the spot in those days. It reads, Pandey used four-letter words for the British in general and incited his comrades to rise against the company rule.

Surrounded by guards and European Officers, he tried to commit suicide by shooting himself and was seriously wounded. He was court-martialed on April 6, and hanged at Barrackpore on April 8, 1857.

stone to future success. However, due to his religious beliefs, his career ambitions came into conflict. In the mid 1850s, when Pandey was posted at a garrison in Barrackpore, an Enfield rifle was introduced in the country, where it requires a soldier to bite off the ends of greased cartridges to load the weapon. Regarding this, there are few rumors spread that the lubricant used might be a cow or a pig lard, which was completely against Hindus and Muslims respectively and the British had used the lard on the cartridges. Pandey is one of the freedom fighters who fought against the British rule in India. In 1984, the Indian government even issued a commemorative postage stamp with Pandey’s stamp on it.