Orissa Review August - 2007

Moments of History Redefined : Sepoy Mutiny in Perspective

Dr. Satyabrata Das

India, the ancient Bharata, Hindukush or his victory in the first battle of Tarain (1191 A.D.) Hindustan, as we may call it; the integrated, in which he beat the invader Mahmmud of Ghur enlightened and the formidable India, as we very badly and the latter fled away from the visualize during the illustrious Maurya and the battlefield grievously wounded. But exactly a year Gupta period, passed through a protracted period after, Mahmmud of Ghur challenged once again (lasting many centuries over) of disintegration and Prithviraj Chauhan in the second battle of Tarain anarchy till it was completely withered and worn (1192 A.D. ) being directly and openly supported out. by king Jayachandra, the king of Kanauj. In this battle Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated, When we make an attempt to track down imprisoned and executed. Thus 1192 A.D. (the the road map of the lost glories of our ancient second battle of Tarain) is a turning point in Indian India, we find the search terribly frustrating with history that witnessed the routing of the imperial the landmarks or the milestones ridiculously few power of the Chauhans that spelled disaster to and far between. After the period of the great the whole Hindustan. Hence 1192 A.D. saw the Guptas, there is a long period of obscurity till a setting of the Sun for the Hindu empire that was minor figure like a feeble light shows the way. It India. And since that ominous moment, India had was Harsha. And after Harsha the glorious and been continually in and out of foreign hands till, of the iconic India falls into the hands of a band of course, we gained our freedom in 1947. Nearly alien Islamic marauders. The hair-raising tales of a millennium, since Prithviraj Chauhan was loot, plunder, horror, arson and slaughter went vanquished in the second battle of Tarain in 1192, on intermittently and there was no hand strong India writhed and bled interminably under foreign enough to resist. In this eerie atmosphere one rule with their whims and caprices mercilessly milestone stands out in haze - that is Prithviraj imposed upon it. If we look at this terrible trend Chauhan - the last great Hindu king of Rajput of events of Indian history we get no visible stock - whose life and tenure was heavily fraught parallel to it in the entire stretch of human history, with trouble and frustration. But, against the East or West, North or South. Probably such backdrop of confusion and uncertainty, the most inhuman barbaric ordeal that our ancestors were crowning glory of Prithviraj Chauhan's life was exposed to made the Indians so patient, so

58 Orissa Review August - 2007 tolerant, so forbearing, rather stoical and fatalists. Mughal rule existed in terms of an undefined May be our original elements of heroism and contract between the rulers and the ruled. independence underwent a spell of temporary (Michael Edwardes, 1)." suspension or withdrawal as the Freudians or the Neo-Freudians would look at it. Among the Mughals Akbar was undoubtedly the best as a specimen of good II human being and an able administrator. But no historian differs on the point that Aurangzeb was Lest we should digress we must try to catch the ablest. During his time an all out attempt was at the next visible roadmark after 1192 A.D. This made to restore the Islamic character of the state would unmistakably lead us to 1526 A.D, the which had gone slow for the liberal and historic first battle of Panipat. Though for the natives nothing was to gain or to lose, the seat of conciliatory attitude of the great emperor Akbar. power shifted from the wrecked and battered Lodi Though initially Aurangzeb acted with great dynasty to the Mughals. A direct descendant of restraint and caution, in the latter years he became the Mongol conquerors Timir and Jinghiz Khan, incredibly harsh and stern to the Hindu majority. Babur, a crafty, cunning and ambitious Turk, was At the epicenters of Muslim power proselytization successful in establishing and consolidating the became rampant and widespread. There was Mughal empire with his victory in the first battle absolutely no consideration for the sentiments and of Panipat (1526 A.D.). and the battle of Kanwah finer feelings of the Hindus. They were declared (1527 A.D.) in which he gained a decisive victory as 'infidels' (Kafirs) who went to the temples. A over the great Rajput, Rana Sanga of Mewar. series of punitive discriminatory taxes were levied The Mughals had a long and eventful journey with mercilessly on the Hindus. Prohibition was tales of mostly successes and few failures here imposed on the great religious fairs and mass and there (hence negligible) till 1707 A.D. celebrations. In the process, whatever amity and goodwill Emperor Akbar had painfully built up The Mughal conquerors, a minority in a were completely embittered and lost during the country the size of India, couldn't possibly hope latter years of Aurangzeb (1669 A.D. onwards). to rule without the assistance of the Hindu This crazy fanatic struck at the very nerve-centre majority. Hence all the historians, both Indian and of Hindu social and communal life. In a bid to Western, are unequivocal and unanimous on the execute all his orders to harass and humiliate the point that the Mughals were not Colonists. Their Hindus, Aurangzeb replaced his entire Hindu staff role was as rulers, administrators and merchants. in administration by the Muslims. There was thus As a historian observes: only one authority at all levels, heavily centralized "The Mughal civil administration rested and wilful. The entire fabric of administration that upon the Hindu clerks. Its advanced industrial had been carefully developed through a long undertakings depended upon Hindu labour. process of trial and errors by Akbar came to Trade was carried on through Hindu middle men naught by the short-sighted, willy fanatic acting on behalf of Muslim entrepreneurs. In effect, Aurangzeb.

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Interestingly, the European traders by now foundation of British dominion in India. From that had already settled in India along the entire moment the British never looked behind. They coastline, studied its court and climate, people consolidated their position and rose from strength and religion, and were just waiting for an to strength and smashed any resistance from the opportune moment. With their rational bent of native princes or chiefs with iron hands. mind, far-sight, cunning and diplomacy they had secured some privileges and immunity from III Emperor Shah-Jahan and were looking forward As a historian insightfully comments: "Three to a windfall in case there is no competent hundred and fifty years, the English spent in India, successor to Aurngzeb. The European traders make a story which unfolds itself like an could clearly see through the murky situation. They Elizabethan play in five acts" (Philip Mason, 173) were convinced that the piled up discontentment among the Hindus could be somehow contained The first act is an act of exposition like any by the military expertise and administrative Shakespearean play in which the English introduce competence of Aurngzeb. themselves as suave and modest traders. In act two they take out their mask and costume as they In 1707 A.D. Aurngzeb died. The anarchy become rulers. In the third act "the hero-who is that followed gave both the English and the French not one man but a thousand-appears to be at the a chance to grab power. Just us they began to height of his glory". (Philip Mason, 173). The hero feel their potential, the giant centralized Mughal seems apparently stable and comfortable. He empire broke apart in an ever - increasing chaos himself is also under the illusion that things around and anarchy. While this confusion prevailed, both him are all fine. But ironically there lies the tragic the English and the French were stalking along to flaw in his character, hamartia, as Aristotle would seize the Delhi throne. In this ultimate race for the call it. That leads to a precipitation. throne of Delhi, interestingly, the French had entered willingly and consciously. While the The first half of 19th Century is considered English had entered rather reluctantly. But the to be the high noon of the British rule in India. moment it became obvious that the indigenous Having consolidated their position firmly after the power was not capable of restoring the political battle of Plassey and the battle of Buxar the British normalcy, the English acted swiftly and took began to break, shape and mould the age-old centre-stage leaving the French behind. ancient Hindu Social and religious order/ institutions. It was on the top of their latest reform British dominion spread slowly till 1756 agenda. Under the regime of Lord Dalhousie all A.D. Political chaos, confrontation, resistance and sections of Indian society felt the heavy hand of confusion nagged the British. But with their victory the British administration. Dalhousie, who is loudly in the battle of Plassey (1757 A.D.) things moved acknowledged as the greatest reformer and the much faster. In 1764 A.D., the British army won most progressive British Governor-General in the battle of Buxar and annexed Oudh to their India, was at heart a hard-core colonialist. dominion. Thus the battle of Buxar laid the Dalhousie first used his good office to annex states

60 Orissa Review August - 2007 where there was no direct heir, thus tagging middle and high ranking officials - District Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur and a number of minor magistrate and above - were recklessly indulged states to the British dominion. The kingdom of in such sensual gratifications with wine, women, Oudh was thus annexed to it too. Further, the club, gulf, hunting and such other pastimes while greed of Dalhousie simply refused to abate. Every their Indian deputies looked upon or stood guard second day a fresh idea, a new official release at such shameful and degrading acts of license would pronounce the annexation of hundreds of and immorality. May be that spirit of subservience estates, territories and occupations. Thus, by some continues to nag the post independent ridiculous plea or the other, more than 20,000 bureaucratic hierarchy at the middle and the lower titles were confiscated in Deccan alone. The rungs. The deputies are still competing to play situation came to such a pass when the Indian second fiddle to their bosses. princes and zamindars saw the British ghost in every bush; the atmosphere was really haunted We are presently at the ending of the third and nightmarish. Interference was at every level; act of the British occupancy in India when things uncertainly and unpredictability was in the air. seem to head to a climax. With their officers, completely drunk with colonization (maximizing The encroachment, interference and high- British revenue collection, land encroachment) handedness was not restricted to land and dreamt of ruling India as long as the Sun and the territory alone. Even the poor mercenary Sepoys stars continue in sky-line. Ironically at this point in British pay-roll felt jittery apprehending some of time there came a jolt, no less in intensity than cunning move from the foxy British top-brasses an earth - shaking tremor from deep down the to encroach upon their religion. In Vellore (South belly of the Earth - the Mutiny of 1857. India) there was already an attempt to introduce new style of head-gear, trimming of beards, and As we all know the real trouble began with prohibition on putting tilak on the fore-heads. The the introduction of the new Enfield rifle which move was promptly retaliated by the Sepoys in needed to be heavily greased and had to be their uprise in 1806 which was brutally put down. beaten to open the end and release the powder. By the end of 1856, the whole of India, especially The muzzle of the gun was smeared with the grease the north, was uneasy. Cutting across caste and that was so thick after loading. As a commenter class every sensitive Indian felt repressed and observes very rightly: suffocated. On the otherhand, the British masters were completely lost in quenching their thirst and On the lips of a Hindu Cow's fat would greed like a hungry lion upon its prey. As a be an abomination for which there is no Researcher records, a particular British high parallel in European ways of thinking; ranking officer had as many as seven native it was not merely disgusting, as mistresses, hunted eighty-four Asiatic lions and excrement would be; it damned him as was recognized by the crown of England as a well; it was as bad as killing a cow or a rare case of excellence and gallantry. He was not Brahmin. To a Muslim pig's fat was an isolated case of such conduct. The entire British almost as horrible. (Philip Mason, 158)

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In the first week of January 1857 a rumour They, in their well-thought-out planning, had kept spread among the sepoys that the cartridge used the Sepoys tuned to act as the prime movers in in Enfield rifle was softened by the fat of cow and the rebellion. And the time fixed for the zero-hour pig. On 24th January the danger was was very insightfully and strategically done. 1857, communicated to the Government. The 25th was as the rumour went round, coincided with the a Sunday. Though orders went out on 27th completion of 100 years after the battle of plassey. January to all the ordnance depots not to issue The rumour, further, was enriched with a credential Enfield rifles to the natives it was too late. The that the astrologers predicted that the English rule rumour had spread like wild fire. It is worthnothing would last exactly a hundred years. That appealed here that immediately prior to that came the to the credulous, superstitious sepoys who were annexation of Oudh, the main recruiting base of already under terrible pressure - moral, the army. Further, there was the mysterious relay psychological and emotional. of Chapatis (Roti) in the entire north India, the epicenter of the ritual being Oudh. One fine Though the great uprise apparently met with morning every hamlet started sending a couple of failure it had its salutary effect on the despondent, Chapatis to its neighbour. Though no conclusive fatalistic Indians to continue their struggle for evidence was found behind such a ritual, in another century till they were free in 1947. retrospect that appears to be a meaningful piece Reference : to connect the elaborate conspiracy. 1. Das, Asitabha. Freedom Movement of India : A Chronological Dictionary. Kolkata : Kishaloy When one puts such stray pieces together Prakashan, 2002. one gets a coherent picture of the whole Mutiny. 2. Forrest, G.W. A history of Indian Mutiny, Vol-I, The emerging perspective would convince any N.Delhi: H.K.Pub, 1992. sceptic that "the greased cartridge was only an 3. Edwards, Michael. British India (1772 - 1947). excuse for revolt, not the cause of it" (Herbert Rupa, 1993. Strang, 2). In all likelihood, unknown to the 4. Mason, Philip. The Men who Ruled India. Rupa, complacent, snobbish English officers who, in 1992. most cases, had an exaggerated idea of the loyalty 5. Strang, Herbert. Stories of the Mutiny, New of their men, a great scheme was on foot for the Delhi, 2001. recovery of India from the English. Though a full century and a half has already lapsed, it remains a mystery in whose brain this plot was hatched. May be the schemers were many and their plans Dr. Satyabrata Das is the Head, Department of English, elaborate and cautious though not fool-proof. Ekamra College, Bhubaneswar-751006

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