For the few who think of Mangal Pandey as just another character
role played by Aamir Khan, a quick lesson in history:
So, he's not a fictional character?
Of course not. Born in the village of Nagwa, district Ballia, Uttar
Pradesh, Mangal Pandey was introduced to history books as the sepoy
who played a major role in the Indian uprising of 1857.
He was a soldier of the 34th Native Infantry whose attack on a
superior officer came to be recognised as the event that sparked
India's First War of Independence. Little is known of his life
before that momentous incident but he has been declared a martyr
since.
What happened that day?
Pandey attacked his British sergeant and wounded an adjutant. The
office in charge, General Hearsay, noticed that Pandey was in the
throes of some sort of 'religious frenzy', and ordered a jamadaar
to arrest him. The latter refused.
Surrounded by guards and European officers, Pandey tried to commit
suicide by shooting himself. He was seriously wounded, and promptly
arrested.
Following a court-martial on April 6, he was hanged at Barrackpore
on April 8, 1857. As a collective punishment for his act, the
entire regiment was also dismissed.
Was he India's first freedom fighter?
According to records at the Jabalpur Museum, Pandey was to be
executed on April 18. But he was hanged 10 days earlier to prevent
the regiment from harbouring ill will against superiors. The
English were also aware that news of Pandey's death could spark
more unrest.
Going by the date on which he was executed, Mangal Pandey became
the first freedom fighter and martyr of 1857.
His name has since been synonymous with revolt.
Has Pandey been in the news before?
Yes. He made an appearance in newspapers not so long ago, with the
release of Mangal Pandey: Brave Martyr or Accidental Hero?, a book
by Rudranghsu Mukherjee.
The author claimed Pandey was an ordinary sepoy who, under the
influence of bhang, committed a reckless act for which he was
hanged. Mukherjee's analysis examined whether Pandey really was the
heroic figure history had made him out to be, or just a soldier who
happened to get lucky.
The book had its share of controversial statements such as:
'Nationalism creates its own myths. Mangal Pandey is part of that
imagination of historians. He had no notion of patriotism or even
of India. For him, mulk was a small village, Awadh.'
It also went on to claim that Pandey's action was contrary to the
spirit of insurgency: 'A rebellion is a collective will to
overthrow an oppressive order. Pandey acted alone; he was a rebel
without a rebellion. The name Mangal Pandey meant nothing to the
sepoys who raised the revolt in 1857.' Luckily for us, no
post-publication riots ensued.
Does he ever appear outside history books?
You might want to try the post office. The Indian Posts and
Telegraphs Department has issued four commemorative stamps in the
memory of freedom fighters, one of which sports the face of Mangal
Pandey. Interestingly, British author Zadie Smith's award-winning
novel White Teeth also has a reference, with Pandey cast as the
fictional protagonist Samad's great grandfather.
Why did Mangal Pandey do what he did?
There are a number of reasons. To understand his action, one must
analyse the religious, social and political milieu in which he
operated. In a nutshell, the British already had given the Indians
much cause for unhappiness, thanks to the doctrine of Lapse, the
forcible introduction of a British system of education, and social
reforms that didn't exactly go down well with the higher castes.
The sepoys were also dissatisfied with army life. Coupled with low
pay, their need to constantly pit themselves against their
countrymen also took its toll.
To make things worse, the East India Company introduced the Pattern
1853 Enfield rifle. Its cartridges were covered by greased membrane
that, apparently, had to be cut by the teeth before loading.
The British tried reasoning with the sepoys, and even asked them to
make their own grease from vegetable oils. The rumour, however,
persisted. General George Anson, Commander in Chief in India,
reacted by saying, 'I'll never give in to their beastly
prejudices.' He refused to compromise.
Then, on March 29, 1857, at Barrackpore near Kolkata, Mangal Pandey
started an open mutiny, inviting his comrades to join him.
The Rising had begun.
