Begum Hazratmahal: From a Royal to a revolutionary-II

 

The 1857 Sepoy mutiny started as mentioned earlier and spread like wildfire all over India and the area of Awadh was no exception. In the ranks of soldiers of the Company there were many from Awadh. These men were offended as all other of their colleagues because of the animal fat in the bullet casings issue. Many of the Company soldiers being socially alert were realizing that they were being used against their countrymen as brutal force. Moreover the Awadh men were also very displeased with the British for depriving their Nawab of his throne. Royals of some of the Princely states were approached by the mutineers and a few of them joined the struggle of Independence of India from the clutches of the East India Company.

Similarly Begum Hazrat Mahal who was trying to gain control of her husband's territory Awadh on behalf of her minor son Birjis Quadr was also approached. On the other hand the British Resident was trying to impose "Doctrine of Lapse" by which the British Company could annex the territory of any local Royal if there was no apparent heir to the throne. Begum Hazrat Mahal's plea of crowning Birjis Quadr and her acting as Regent on his behalf was not being honored by the Company. The Begum being intelligent enough to understand their intention, decided to join the sepoys fighting for India's Independence. The sepoys who revolted in and around Awadh were delighted to have her as their leader. They now could look upto an able leader who would provide them leadership with proper policy, strategy and guidance. Encouraged by the revolt of Company's garrisons and having the Queen as their leader, the jaigirdars and other local leading figures also joined the struggle. All came out with their arms and consolidated forces.

It came as a surprise to the British and Awadh population that the Begum came out from behind veils to become an able administrator and successful strategic planner. She issued proclamations and administrative orders. All people rallied behind her. Skirmishes and wars broke out between British forces and the Indian Independence fighters. The Begum united people of all faith, caste, creed and gender behind her to rise in rebellion and raise funds to finance same. Raja Jai Lal Singh was appointed the military commander and Mammu Khan became the Superintendent of her forces.

A Dalit woman Uda Devi was appointed as the leader of the women units. She was a brave woman and led her forces from the front. She was a great sniper and after a gallant fight in which she brought down 32 of the Company's soldiers an enemy bullet pierced her. A monument to the fallen heroine Uda Devi stands there near the battlefield. Meantime whole Lucknow came under the Begum's army and the British forces were under siege in their Residency. In some of the battles the Begum was seen leading her army riding an elephant.

The siege of the Residency continued for 6 months and in one of the battles the British Resident Henry Lawrence was grievously injured and finally succumbed to his injuries. Reinforcement for the sieged Residency came and a big contingent of Company forces under Lt Gen Outram surrounded Lucknow. Begum Hazrat Mahal was proactive and attacked Gen Outram's army time and again.

Gen Outram offered peace treaty to the Begum to withdraw her forces and accept British pension in generous amount which the Begum refused instantaneously and continued her fight. She issued appeals to her people to remain steadfast. Finding the going tough, the Company sought the help of the Sovereign of Nepal which was a neighboring Royal entity. Nepalese Rana Dynasty King Jung Bahadur sent his army in support of the Brits. In the long run the Begum could not match the joint British-Nepal forces and had to retreat abandoning Lucknow.

But she did not abandon the sepoys and her people who rose in rebellion against the British forces. Her forces combined with other rebellious forces under the leadership of Maratha Hero Nanasahib and Awadh Hero Moulvi Ahmedullah Shah. They kept the British forces engaged in battles most famous of which were the battles of Faizabad and Shahjahanpur. But unfortunately they could not beat the superior forces and arms/ammunitions of the British. Some of her soldiers dispersed and spread to other regions and continued fighting. The Queen lost control of her beloved Awadh and had to retreat further to Nepal border and sought asylum from King Jung Bahadur.

While she led the fight in Awadh, her husband Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was kept interned in Fort Williams at Kolkata. The Nepal King was initially reluctant to accept her as a guest because of possible enmity from the Company side. In the meantime, great changes occurred on that side as well. British Government understood that it was not proper to allow a business Company to maintain big armies to rule countries, especially one like India. So the Crown took over and Queen Victoria became the Queen of India as well. Royal formalities were different from those of a Company's. Nepal King was no longer afraid of East India Company and allowed Begum Hazrat Mahal to stay in Kathmandu. She was later invited by the British government to return to her very own Lucknow with a handsome Royal Privy purse. She rejected all such proposals and spent rest of her life in Kathmandu where she established the Jame Mosque, also named as Hindustani mosque.

She breathed her last in 1879 and lies buried in a relatively simple grave near Kathmandu Jame Mosque. Lucknow and India did not forget their Heroine. Her chivalry is still remembered in poems and songs of UP village bards and is a part of Indian history as well. In Lucknow there are several public expositions dedicated to her memory. In our part of the subcontinent we do not know or hear much about her. It's high time we, specially our ladies and girls learn about her and follow her as an exemplary figure in any just struggle. (Concluded)

Reference:

*    Wikipedia

*    My friend Engr Anisur Rahman from Dhaka

*    My friend Gyanesh Tripathi from Lucknow


The writer is a travel enthusiast and history buff