DID THE ENGLISH MEN REALLY HANG TANTYA TOPE THE BRAVE
HINDU COMMANDER OF 1857 WAR ?
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
The name of Ramchandra Pandurang Tope alias Tantya Tope immediately inspires the nationalists and all Indians who care for some values and commitment and bravery. He was the commander in chief of Maratha forces under Nana Sahib during 1857 war of independence that is well known as Sepoy mutiny dubbed by Europeans.
He was born in 1814at yeola a village in Maharashtra to Pandurang Rao Tope and Rukmini Bai. His father was a noble in the court of Peshwa Baji Rao II. Tantya Tope was a very close friend of Nana sahib ( Nana Dhondu Pant) the adopted son of the Peshwa. He became staunch enemy of the East India company when Lord Dalhousie, the governor General deprived the Nana sahib of his father’s pension in 1881. There was a great political turmoil in Northern India with the policies of East India company. The policies of East India Company towards native states and native army finally resulted in revolt by Indian troops in Meerut cantonment in 1857and soon spread to other places in northern India such as Kanpur, Lucknow, Faizabad, Delhi and other places . Nana sahib could inspire the troops under East India company in the revolt and won over them. Tantya Tope took the command of troops as commander in Chief and led successful attacks on English troops of East India Company. He was so successful that even English commanders praised him. Colonel G B Mallesan wrote:-
Tántiá Topí was a marvellous guerilla warrior. In pursuit of him, Brigadier Parke had marched, consecutively, 240 miles in nine days; Brigadier Somerset, 230 in nine days, and, again, seventy miles in forty-eight hours; Colonel Holmes, through a sandy desert, fifty-four miles in little over twenty-four hours; Brigadier Honner, 145 miles in four days. Yet he slipped through them all--through enemies watching every issue of the jungles in which he lay concealed, only to fall at last through the treachery of a trusted friend. His capture, and the surrender of Mán Singh, finished the war in Central India.
Thenceforth his name only survived (1). However Tanya Tope is accused for the killing of troops of East India Company after granting safe passage after their surrender. This may not be true. In fact the British troops first fired at the boatmen.
Once Kanpur was regained by the company troops, he moved to Gwalior and declared Nan sahib as Peshwa with local army support and joined hands with Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi and waged great battle against the Englishmen.Rani of Jhansi refused to part with her kingdom as a result of doctrine of lapse. The combined troops of Rani and Tantya Tope were defeated by Sir General Huge Rose. Unfortunately Rani Laxmi bai met martyrdom near Kalpi in a battle. She shines as bright star in the sky.
Thereafter, he commenced his remarkable feats of guerrilla warfare over very large areas such as , Malwa, Bundel-khand, Rajputana and Khandesh, from the ravines of the Vindhyas, Chambal valley to the gorges of the Aravali, in the central India greatly tormenting and harassing and perplexing the British and their allies. From June 1858 to April 1859 by nearly half of the British forces in India under their ablest generals enjoying the fullest support of their military intelligence, he outmaneuvered them several times. He could not be captured in the marathon chase of about 2,800 miles horizontally and vertically through forests, hills, dales and across the swollen rivers. He was reportedly betrayed by his most trusted friend Man Singh while Tantiya Tope was fast asleep in a hide out in a forest. The British army reportedly captured him on 7th April 1859. He was tried for his part in waging war against East India Company in 1857 and was executed on 18 April 1859 at shivpuri as claimed by the English records.(3).History states these facts as recorded and this has been taught to all through Indian history books and generally people accept it as true.
Tantya Tope faces an accusation of complicity in the massacre of men, women and Children of Europeans at Bibigarh. Things are not very clear on this aspect. When Nana Sahib's forces attacked the British entrenchment in June, 1857, General Wheeler's contingent incurred heavy losses as a result of successive bombardments, sniper fire, and assault. Also slow supplies of food, water and medicine added to their misery and they decided to surrender, in return for a safe passage to Allahabad. But despite Nana Sahib's arrangements, some confusion at the Satichaura ghat led to attacks on the departing British by the rebel sepoys, and were either killed or captured. The surviving British women and children were moved from the Savada House to Bibighar ("the House of the Ladies"), a villa-type house in Kanpur. Retaliation occurred as Company forces started approaching Kanpur, and Nana Sahib's bargaining attempts had failed(in exchange for hostages). Nana Sahib was informed that the British troops led by Havelock and Neill were indulging in violence against the Indian villagers. Nana Sahib, and his associates, including Tatya Tope and Azimullah Khan, debated about what to do with the captives at Bibighar. Some of Nana Sahib's advisors had already decided to kill the captives at Bibighar, as revenge for the murders of Indians by the advancing British forces. The details of the incident, such as who ordered the massacre, are not clear.
Death of Tantya Tope at gallows is disputed as strong evidence is being cited challenging the Englsih records and claims. If Tantya was not hanged, then who was hanged at that time? Why it was claimed that Tantya was tried and hanged at gallows? These are some of the trivial questions that are required to be answered. Can a strong and intelligent leader like him trust any one and fall a prey to enemy in such simple manner? Such masters invariably do not believe their own shadow. They take their precautions at all times. If Tantya Tope did not die, where he was and when he really died? Did he meet natural end in old age? If he had escaped, why his fight was not revived later. The fight by Tantya Tope ended with the reported hanging at gallows. What were the reasons for ending the fight by the rebel Tantya Tope? These will be discussed (5)-
1. According to “Conflict of Evidence” written by an English writer, “after 1857, Twelve persons of Tatya Tope’s family, including his father, mother Rumnini Bai and sister were confined at Gwalior Fort pending investigations into their intecedents .
2. Tantatya Tope’s father and members of his familywere released later as they were found not guilty and they went to Bithoor to settle there. Due to financial difficulties the family broke up; three bothers went away to Nepal. Another brother of Tatya Tope, Ramkrishna Panduran reached Baroda in search on employment. There he met the maharaja and said that he was the brother of Tantya Tope and wanted employment. The manahara apprehending trouble with the government, put the man before the Assistant Resident who took a written statement from him.Of the questions the officers asked, one was, where is Tatya Tope these days? This happened in 1862. If Tantya Tope was really hanged in 1859 why that question was put by a responsible officer? It indicates that Tantya was not really hanged and truth was hidden.The answer which ram Krishna rao had given to the Assistant Resident was significant. He had said: “I do not know. Since the time we separated from Tatya Tope, we have never met him not have heard about him.” If Tatya Tope was actually been hanged, the member of his family would not have been ignorant of his death.
3. Similarly, in 1862, when Rao Saheb, the brother of Nana Saheb, was being tried at Kanpur, this question was put to him. “Where is Tatya Tope these days? Why this question was put if Tantya Tope was hanged in 1859?. As per the usual practice, mutineers were tried in their district of residence. But this did not happen. Tantya Tope was reportedly tried at Shivpuri instead of Kanpur where proper identification was not possible. It was hurriedly done too. Thus there is surely an element of doubt.
Khan Bahadur Khan, the revolutionary of Bareilly, was arrested in Nepal, but was tried at Bareilly. Rao saheb, the nephew of Nana Saheb, was apprehended in Kashmir, but tried at Kanpur. Moro Panth Tambey, the father of the Rani of Jhansi, was arrested in Datia, but was taken to Jhansi for trial. Jwala Prasad was surrendered himself in Nepal, but it was at Kanpur where his trial was held. Sita Ram, the son of Rango Bapuji, was brought to Satara for trial. Also, several other persons who had been arrested on the suspicion of being Nana Saheb were brought to Kanpur for identification.
4. All the leaders of the revolt who could be arrested by the government were prosecuted in the ordinary criminal courts of by special commissions. The case of Bahadur Shah Zafar and Rao Saheb are examples. Contrary to this , Tyatya Tope was court martialled. There was no need to make an exception in this case, but it was the intention of the authorities to hide certain matters from public attention. If he was prosecuted before an ordinary criminal court or before a special commission, the things which the authorities wished to hide would have been exposed. These facts go a long way to prove that the Englishmen were in hurry to hang some one and claim that Tantya tope was eliminated. There was great pressure on them to eliminate Tantya Tope.
5.The general belief that Tatya Tope was betrayed by Raja Man Singh is not free from suspicion. In the long statement which Tatya Tope made after his capture it was clearly stated that prior to surrendering himself to the British, Man Singh had made consultations with him (Tatya Tope). Further, the spies of Tatya Tope used to meet man Singh in the British Cantonment, where he was held. It is hardly possible to believe that the able and cautious Tatya Tope would so easily response complete confidence in a person like man Singh who was friendly with the British army officers and under their full control.
6.In the long statement of Tatya Tope there is no mention, direct or implied, of Man Singh having betrayed him, nor are there any condemnatory remarks about him. If it was a fact that man Singh had betrayed Tatya Tope, then the latter would surely have said harsh thing about his former friend
7.After the surrender of Man Singh, the British officers had given him a promise that if he could get Tatya Tope arrested government would use their influence with the Gwalior Darbar in getting back his jagir. But after the arrest and subsequent execution of Tatya Tope the British did not fulfill this promise. How could this be accounted for? If the person Man Singh got arrested was really Tatya Tope, then certainly the government would have got the ‘jagir’ returned to him as was done in the case of many other persons who had aided the British. The reason why this was not done in the case of Raja Man Singh is that the person who had been arrested through Man Singh was not the real tatya Tope.
8.Man Singh, who was in great difficulties, was being helped by the British in order to induce him to secure the arrest of Tatya Tope because the latter could not be caught without the assistance of some person, such as Man Singh, who knew the whereabouts of Tatya Tope.
9.It was believed that Man Singh was shielding Tatya Tope from capture in the jungles of his former jagir. It was the conviction of the British Commanders that the militaryt forces alone could never apprehend Tatya Tope.
10.At that time General Napier and succeeded Sir Huge Rose to the command in the Central India, and the new officer began to think of plans to get on Tatya Tope. General Napier had under him Major Meade who was in charge of a cavalry regiment. Major Meade, in order to put pressure on Man Singh, arrested the ladies of his family. Man Singh was naturally anxious about the honour of his family and so he consulted Tatya Tope. Thus he (Man Singh) surrendered himself to the British as stated by Tatya Tope. In his statement Tatya Tope said that man Singh had consulted him before surrendering himself.
11. It was unthinkable that a brave and self-respecting person like Tatya Tope would have advised Man Singh to surrender. In the dilemma in which man Singh was placed he had to think out a way to save the ladies. So, it was settled between man Singh and Tatya Tope that the former should get the ‘double’ of Tatya Tope arrested and handed to the British so that the ladies could be released and at the same time the real Tatya Tope could also escape. There was no dearth of men in the camp of Tatya Tope who could sacrifice themselves for their beloved leader and one such person did actually come forward. And, it was who was the arrested by Major Meade, and hanged after a hurried trial.
It has also been claimed that the person who sacrificed himself at gallows in lieu of real Tantya Tope was Narayan rao Bhawat whose grand son is still there and he has the photograph of the person who was hanged. Another evidence has also now come to light. The records of Maharaja of Gwalior which had come to light also throw some light on this problem. The Scindia who was a sympathiser of Tantya requested his Prime Minister to device a plan to save Tantya. Dinkar Rao Rajwade, the Prime Minister, brought one of his family members to the gallows and he was executed. It is said that Tantya disguised as a monk was wandering in Marathawada region and was organising freedom fighters against the British in 1898. Some research has been made with new war records and other evidences which show that Tantya was not hanged in 1859 April. Tantya Tope Commemoration Society discovered a box containing hundreds of letters written by Tantya and others written to Tantya. Edward Thomson has published a book from London which also throws light on this problem. The British were unable to catch Tantya and this caused great resentment in the British circles. Hence they enacted a mock court martial and brought another freedom fighter Narayana Rao Bhagawat. His grandson still has a portrait of this man in his puja room. He states that Narayana Rao sacrificed himself so that Tantya could continue his work against the British. This is narrated in another book published by the Indore University. The book “Letters of 1857 Revolutionaries” is now kept in the memorial museum at Bhopal. In this collections are found some of the letters written by Tantya dated 1917 and 1918. This shows that he was alive on these days. The photograph of the person at the gallows at the Sipri military camp on 1859 April 18th, has been identified as that of Narayana Rao Bhagawat and not that of Tantya Tope ( 6).
There are many descendants of Tantya Topes clan and they have been making strong efforts to reveal mystery of Tantya Topes death. One of them is Parag Tope, an engineer from USA aided bya soft ware engineer from Delhi , a physician from Delhi, a navy official turned a teacher. He has done intense research and has published a book titled “Operation red Lotus” in which the valor and achievements of Tantya Tope were described after intensive research examining many sources that were not examined earlier. It has been claimed that Tantya Tope died fighting in a battle few months before 18 April 1859 the date of reported hanging. The biggest find about Tatya Tope, the person, was an eye-witness account of Tatya Tope's death in the battlefield of Chhipa Barod at 6:30 am on January 1, 1859, by Maj Paget, and English artillery officer, months before he was supposed to have been hanged as per history books. ( 7).
Thus we see that death of Tantya Tope the hero of 1857 war is surrounded in deep mystery and truth is required to be revealed to the people. As usual , those who are ruling the people in India are not interested in true history of India and are busy in vote politics and practice of pseudo secularism and dynastic succession apart from accumulation wealth abroad and in Swiss banks lockers and indulging in multi million scams. Some also argue that what can be achieved by digging old graves. Disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chadra Bose and Peshwa Srimant Nana sahibji are also the mysteries that are required to be unfolded.
Tantya tope the master Guerilla war General of Sepoy Mutiny ( First War of Indian Independence) faded into golden pages of History. But his contributions to Indian freedom struggle still inspire every one except probably the pseudo secularists who are taking the nation on camels ride. Sadly India is caught in a typical democratic rule hijacked by family rules. To days youth have no time, no commitment and no love for our peers such as Tantya Tope, Hemu Vikramaditya, Rana Pratap, Thakur Durga das, Amarsingh Rathore, Baji Prabhu, Tanaji malsure,Rani Jhansi, Veer Savarkar, Subhas Chadra Bose, Nana sahib, Raja Kunwar singh Ram mohamed Singh Azad alias Uddham singh, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukh Dev , Alluri seetha Rama Raju,Kitturi rani chinnamma, Ahalya bai,Madan lal Dhingra, Veera Pandya Katta Bommanna, Velu Tambhi, Jhansi laxmi bai, Chatrapathi Shivaji and Sambhaji raje, Chatrapathi raja Ram, Baji Rao peshwaI, Chadra Sekhar Azad and are lost in the computer craze and IT mania and cheap literature found in internet and roadside books shops., They have no time submerged in cheap TV serials and it’s idiotic self defeating programmes and are wasting their vigor in drinking and dancing at Night clubs and pubs and reading scrap literature on roadside. Teachings of men like Swami Vivekananda, Dayanad Saraswathi, Saint Ramdas are stored in dusty racks. It is time youth wake up from slumber, desist from running after white skins ( Phirangins) and take inspiration from such great men and patriots like Tantya Tope for whom life was of no meaning against national honor and freedom (8). Long live Tantya Tope and his memories.
Bibliography
1.Tantia Tope. Wikipedia
2.Narendra modi, Saluting tantya tope in 150 shaheed diwas http://www.narendramodi.com/file.axd?file=2009%2F10%2FSaluting+Tatya+Tope+on+his+150th+Shaheed+Divas-Eng.pdf, 18 April, 2009
3. Compiled by Mrs Nandita Verma, . Tantya Tope india shero of struggle for freedom, Hindu Jana Jagruthi Samithi http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:6_Hcx_GEKcgJ:www.hindujagruti.org/articles/16.html+Who+betrayed+Tantya+Tope&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in
4, Tantya Tope. wikipedia
5. Shivanath Jha, Did Tantya Tope really die at Gallows? http://tatyatope.blogspot.in/2007/07/trial-death-of-tatya-tope.html.. Juli 1 ..2007
6. Prof AV Narsimha murthy, Tantya Tope : was he really hanged? http://www.ourkarnataka.com/Articles/starofmysore/ttope09.htm
7.Tantya Tope was killed in action and not hanged, http://www.deccanherald.com/content/72319/tatya-tope-killed-action-not.html
8. Dr K Prabhakar Rao, Tantya Tope , the brave Hindu commander of 1857 war was betrayed by our own men. http://www.sanghparivar.org/blog/dr-k-prabhakar-rao/tantya-tope-the-brave-hindu-commander-of-1857-was-betrayed-by-own-men
Note. The author expresses gratitude for the information available at the sources given in Bibliography and they have been kindly acknowledged. .
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6 comments:
Was Tantya Tope a freedom fighter? Was he betrayed by Man Sing? Did the British hang him, as history records? And yet, why is any of this relevant?
One thing we know for sure is that after the battle of Aong, south of Cawnpore, that a conference of miscreants was held in the hotel where the Nana Sahib had made his headquarters, and in what is now known as Nana Rao Park and nearer the south western end of that park, by the Mall Road. This Park was previously known as the Memorial Gardens in Cawnpore and for good reason.
And so, at this conference was the Nana Sahib, Tantya Tope, Jawalla Pershad, Teeka Singh, Azimoolah Kahn, and Bubba Bhutt the Nana's older brother. Whether Bala Rao the Nana's nephew was present or not, is unknown. But what is known with absolute certainty, is that this quorum of evil decided on something so gut renchingly wicked, as to defy imagination and human decency. Such that there has never been to this day anything of equal, or even close when it comes to the basest of inhuman behaviour.
For it is here in the Memorial Park, that 206 women and children, who were hostages and in the hand of these 'freedom fighters'; that they were put to death with meat cleavers and tulwars and without a scrap of mercy during the early evening of July 15th 1857. And that during the previous 13 days they were incarcerated in that Bibighar, 27 of their number perished from thirst, hunger, disentry and wounds inflicted at Sati Chaura Ghart; not to mention sheer breakdown of spirit, after enduring 6 weeks straight of absolute horror and abuse and suffering beyond imagination. Many of the wounds were gun shot and case shot from the well prepared Mutinous forces staged on the banks of Ganga and close by the Fishermans temple, yet many wounds were also inflicted by the second cavalry, who were directly overseen by both Jawallah Pershad and Tanty Tope.
And so on the 16th July 1857 next day, the entire Bibighar was cleared, the dead heaped up and about 7 or so women and children who had survived the slaughter of the 15th, the previous night, were also put to the sword. They were then dumped into the Well of The Bibghar closeby, where they remain to this day. Here, there is no marker, no memorial, only the guilty, gloating bust of Tantya Tope, overlooking that solemnest of graves; that had often been described during the 19th century, as the saddest place on earth.
If there is only one single truth in this world, then it is this. That these incredibly brave women and children eclipsed the valour of any freedom fighter in all of India. And yes, that they had been abandoned by God and men is also true; that those in who's hands they came to be as hostages, abused them and murdered them, when it was in the power of their hands to do what is good; to show mercy and compassion as only real men should. My Great, Great Grandmother Ellen Probett, her sister Bridget and their combined 8 children were among those victims. And how honoured I am to have found their resting place. Because they were not freedom fighters or combatants, they were simply women and children, the wives and families of merchants for the most part, whom had made Cawnpore and especially India their home and who loved India as my father said, as life itself.
Dear Mr Probett,
I felt great agony after reading your post. Sincerely I feel agony and feel sad that many innocent woen and children were put to death in the Cawnpore town during the 1857 war. As per available records, there has been some arguments that Tantya tope was not to be blamed for theassacre while some blame him too. Whatever happened was a sad thing and unforgiveable by all standards. I can feel the agony in your heart at the sad fate of your ancestors in that evil event. May god bless their souls. Amen.
Colonel Dr K Prabhakar Rao Retd.
very real nice story .Tantya tope
In such war where an alien force had occupied India and were plundering its wealth,such instances are inescapable. Mr Probett might have read the history of Awadh and present day Lucknow where Britishers not only captured the women and children of Muslim nobles, kept them in in inhuman conditions and even princess were molested by British commanders. The barbarity was so big that it echoed in the British Parliament. Even in modern day war in Iraq women and children were raped and molested by American soldiers who claim themselves as saviour of democracy.
Certainly, I understand that multiple wrongs do not over time, create a right. Within the Residency in Lucknow during 1857, certain Princes of Oudh were kept as hostages and close to the injured soldiers who were defending the Residency, so that the Sepoy insurgents would not target them. I have visited the Residency in Lucknow twice, travelling from New Zealand and understand a lot more of the British / Indian divide than you may think. In point of fact, my Great Grandfather was a boarder at La Martiniere College in 1857 and ended up in The Residency with Sir Henry Lawrence, his school mates and Principal Schilling and received the Defence of Lucknow Medal. My Father and GrandFather were also born in Oudh.
But the saddest thing is this, that most of the innocent casualties of the Indian Sepoy Mutiny, were civilians, both Indian, Anglo and European and it is tragically so, that women and children as with all conflicts, have the bitterest of pills to swallow. Men rampage and the innocent always suffer. And so nothing has ever really changed or been learned from inhuman conflicts. But perhaps some books that I would encourage any Indian National to read, are works that support India's freedom struggle and that I too endorse. They are: '1857' by Surendra Nath Sen, commissioned by The Government of India. The Other Side of the Medal, too is a wonderful historic work - and recommended. I will be heading back to India again shortly with my family, on yet another journey of discovery, in search of truth and I hope reconciliation. And yet India for me, is simply a timeless place filled with natural wonders, treasures and peoples that have so much to offer those with an open heart and mind and who are ready to receive and share. Understanding the past and coming to terms with the world that was, is most important and broadens our understanding of who we are and where we have come from; but to nourish a grievance along with a deep seated abstract hatred, is a waste of human emotion and energy and can only lead to yet more suffering for those who deserve our best. Namaskar.
1857 war in India was a war of bitterness. ever since East India company usurped political power in Ondia starting from 1757 after battle of Plassey, bitterness grew more and more and in 1857 it exploded as a major war. However many native rulers from Hyderabad, Punjab. And Rajasthan did not join the rebels and supported the company war effort. once the Englsihmen were victorious scores of natives were hanged from Trees all over cantonments in North India. And we're allowed to stay hanging for many days rotting. this shows the bitterness with which the Englishmen reacted after war too. One of the most foul incident was the killing of three Mughal princes at Delhi on a street by Maj Hudson who shot down the unarmed princes summarily and extinguished Mughal dynasty. Hudson received kudos and appreciation from the commanders fir his act. God of course punished him by taking away his life in Lucknow during storming the palace. a sepoy af native army shot him dead. he did not thus live long. His act can never be condoned. retaliation and counter retaliation would be always there in such wars where no rules are laid down. There can be N number of cruelties on the part of the Englishmen duringbthe war and retaliation by Native troops can not be completely blamed. however whatever happened in such incidents should not have happened. the rules of war were violated by both the armies. Such was the bitterness. Indian fighters were bitter over occupation of India by the Englishmen while the Englishmen at all costs wanted to retain their hold. what happened at Kanpur during the massacre can not be accepted and equally the English atrocities also can not be accepted. this is the saddest part of any war. Even during WW II at the end when American troops entered Dachau concentration camp they summarily shot down surrendered German troops supervised by their officer. The enquiry report submitted later to General Patton was thrown into a dust basket by the General. Allied troops to created such atrocities and escaped scot free. Such incidents are common in wars. let us pray that sanity prevails in human societies in future and violence is contained. All over world.
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