QUES . Who provided leadership to the Revolt of 1857? Discuss the role of any three of them. UPSC IES/ISS EXAM 2023 General Studies. 200 Words. 5 Marks.
The 1857 rising was the biggest threat to Britain’s colonial power during its rule of the Indian subcontinent. This violent struggle led to the end of East India Company rule and the reorganisation of the army.
The storm-centres of the revolt were Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Jhansi and Arrah. All these places threw up their own leaders who for all practical purposes remained independent, even though they accepted the suzerainty of Emperor Bahadur Shah.
Leaders of Revolt of 1857
Bakht Khan
In Delhi Bahadur Shah was the leader. But the real power lay with the soldiers. Bakht Khan, who had led the revolt of the soldiers at Bareilly, arrived Delhi on 3rd July, 1857. From that date on he exercised the real authority. He formed a Court of soldiers composed of both Hindu and Muslim rebels.
Nana Saheb and Tantya Tope
At Kanpur the revolt was led by Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II. The rebellious sepoys also supported Nana Saheb and under his leadership both the military and civilian elements were united. They expelled the British from Kanpur and declared Nana Saheb as Peshwa who acknowledged Bahadur Shah as the Emperor of India. Most of the fighting was, however, carried on by Tantya Tope on his behalf, and it was Tantya Tope who passed into the popular legend as a great patriot and anti-British leader.
The Begum of Awadh
At Lucknow the Begum of Awadh provided the leadership and proclaimed her son, Birjis Kadr, as the Nawab of Awadh. But here again, the more popular leader was Maulavi Ahmadullah of Faizabad, who organised rebellions and fought the British.
Rani Lakshmi Bai
Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi was another great popular leader. She believed that she had been robbed of her ruling rights in defiance of recognised Hindu law. Though she showed some hesitation at the initial stage, she fought valiantly once she joined the ranks of the rebels.
Kunwar Singh
But the most representative and outstanding leader was Kunwar Singh of Arrah. Under his leadership the military and civil rebellion were so completely fused that the British dreaded him most. With a war band of about 5,000, including about 600 Danapur sepoys and the rebellious Ramgarh state battalion he marched across hundreds of miles to reach Mirzapur, Banda and the vicinity of Kanpur. He returned to Arrah where he engaged and defeated the British troops. He was seriously injured and died on 27th April, 1858 in his ancestral house in the village of Jagdishpur.
Apart from these acknowledged leaders who are remembered for their patriotism and courage, there were many unknown and unacknowledged but no less valiant leaders among the sepoys, peasantry and petty zamindars. They also fought the British with exemplary courage to expel them from India. Peasants and sepoys laid down their lives for the cause of their country, forgetting their religious and caste differences and rising above their narrow personal interests.
Must read: Recurrent, big and small local rebellions culminated in the 1857 uprising
External link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rebellion_of_1857
