MANGAL PANDEY

Born - 19 July 1827

Died - 8 April 1857
Achievements - A sepoy working under the British East India Company, Mangal Pandey's name got etched into
the pages of the Indian history after he attacked his senior British officers in an incident, which is today
remembered as the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 or the India's First War of Independence. The reason behind this was
the rumor that the cartridges used by Indian sepoys were greased with the fat of cow and pig.

Mangal Pandey, whose name is often preceded by Shaheed meaning a martyr in Hindi, was an Indian soldier
during the pre-independence era. A member of the 34th Regiment of the Bengal native infantry of the East India
Company, Mangal Pandey is counted among the most popular figures associated with India's freedom struggle in
present times. He was born on 19 July 1827 in the Nagwa village in the Ballia district of the Uttar Pradesh state.
There still exist families in this village who claim to the descendents of Mangal Pandey.

However, some disputes exist over the exact place where Mangal Pandey was born. So read on to know more
about the biography of Mangal Pandey, who joined the sepoy force of the British East India Company in the year
1849 at the age of 22. His name got etched into the pages of the Indian history after he attacked his senior British
officers in an incident, which is today called the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 or the India's First War of Independence.
Due to this, he was later captured and hung till death on 8 April in 1857.

Here's more about the life history of Mangal Pandey, who was a devout Hindu and practiced his religion strictly. It
was rumored that the cartridge used in the Enfield P-53 rifle which was being used by the Indian sepoys was
greased with the fat of pig and cow fat. These cartridges had to be bitten off in order to remove the cover prior
use and this went against the religious beliefs of the Muslims and Hindus. The general opinion was that the
Britishers had deliberately done this to hurt the sentiments of Indians. And this was the main reason behind the
outburst of Pandey's anger.
============================
Life
Mangal Pandey was born in the village of Nagwa in district Ballia (Uttar Pradesh), that
time, administrative headquarter of Ghazipur in a Bhumihar
Brahmin family[1] of Saryupareen Brahmin division.[2] He joined the English East India
Company's forces in 1849 at the age of 22, as per this account. Pandey was part of the
5th Company of the 34th B.N.I. regiment and is primarily known for attacking the officers
of that regiment in an incident that was the first act of what came to be known as
the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 or the First War of Indian Independence. It is said that Mangal
Pandey was a devout Hindu and that he practiced his religion diligently, although there
are no sources to confirm this.

[edit]The 1857 Incident

At Barrackpore (now Barrackpur) near Calcutta on March 29, 1857, in the afternoon,
Lieutenant Baugh, Adjutant of the 34th Native Infantry, was informed that several men of
his regiment were in an excited state. Further, it was reported to him that one of them,
Mangal Pandey raged in front of the regiment's barracks on the parade ground, armed
with a loaded musket, calling upon the men to rebel and threatening to shoot the first
European he set his eyes on. Baugh immediately buckled on his sword, placed loaded
pistols in his holsters, mounted his horse, and galloped to the lines. Pandey, who heard
the hoof-beat of the approaching horse, took position behind the station gun, which was
in front of the quarter-guard of the 34th, took aim at Baugh and fired. He missed Baugh,
but the bullet struck his horse in the flank, and both horse and rider were brought down.
[3]
Baugh quickly disentangled himself, and, seizing one of his pistols, advanced towards
Pandey and fired. He missed. Before Baugh could draw his sword, Pandey attacked him
with a talwar (an Indian heavy sword) and closing with the adjutant, slashed him on the
shoulder and neck and brought him to the ground. It was then that another
sepoy, Shaikh Paltu, intervened and tried to restrain Pandey even as he tried to reload
his musket.[3]

The English Sergeant-Major, Hewson, had arrived on the ground, summoned by a native
officer, prior to Baugh. He had ordered the jemadar in command of the quarter-guard to
arrest Mangal Pandey. To this, thejemadar expostulated that he could not take Pandey
on alone. At this, Hewson ordered him to fall in his guard with loaded weapons. In the
meantime, Baugh had arrived on the field shouting 'Where is he? Where is he?' Hewson
called out to Baugh, 'Ride to the right, Sir, for your life. The sepoy will fire at you!' [4]
At
that point Pandey fired, with the consequences outlined in the last paragraph.

Hewson had charged towards Pandey as he was fighting with Lieutenant Baugh. He then
locked in combat with Pandey and was knocked to the ground from behind by a blow
from Pandey's musket. The sound of the firing had brought other sepoys from the
barracks; they remained mute spectators. At this juncture, Shaikh Paltu, while trying to
defend the two Englishmen called upon the other sepoys to assist him.[3] Assailed by
other sepoys, who threw stones and shoes at his back, he called on the guard to help him
hold Pandey, but they threatened to shoot him if he did not let go of Pandey. [4]

On the order of the Jemadar of the troops, a man called Ishwari Prasad, the sepoys
advanced and struck at the two prostrate officers. They then threatened Shaikh Paltu and
ordered him to release Pandey, whom he had been vainly trying to hold back. However,
Paltu continued to hold Pandey until Baugh and the sergeant-major had had time to rise.
[3]
Himself wounded by now, Paltu was obliged to loosen his grip. He backed away in one
direction and Baugh and Hewson in another, while being struck with the butt ends of the
guards' muskets.

In the meantime, report of the incident had been carried to the commanding officer
General Hearsey, who then galloped to the ground with his two sons. Taking in the scene,
he rode up to the guard, drew his pistol and ordered them to do their duty by seizing
Mangal Pandey. The General threatened to shoot the first man that disobeyed. The men
of the guard fell in, and followed Hearsey in the direction where Pandey was still ranting
and raving. Pandey, then realizing the situation he had put himself in, put the muzzle of
the musket to his breast and discharged it by pressing the trigger with his foot. He
collapsed burned and bleeding but not mortally wounded.[3]

He recovered and was brought to trial less than a week later. When asked whether he
had been under the influence of any substances, he admitted to having
used bhang (cannabis) and opium of late. He pleaded to not knowing what he was doing
when intoxicated. He stated steadfastly that he had mutinied on his own accord and that
none had played any role in egging him on. When asked to defend himself, he said "I did
not know what I was doing. I did not know who I wounded and who I did not. What more
shall I say? I have nothing more to say. I have no evidence." [4]
He was sentenced to
death by hanging along with the Jemadar. His execution was scheduled for April 18, but
was carried out ten days prior to that date. The Jemadar Ishwari Prasad joined him on the
gallows on April 21. [3]

The 34th N.I. Regiment was disbanded "with disgrace" on May 6 as a collective
punishment, after a detailed investigation by the Government, for failing to perform their
duty in restraining a mutinous soldier and protecting their officer. This came after a
period of six weeks in the course of which, petitions for leniency were examined in
Calcutta. Shaikh Paltu was promoted on the spot to the post of Havaldar (native
sergeant) by General Hearsey, for his gallant conduct. .[3]

[edit]Motivation

The primary motivation behind Mangal Pandey's behaviour is attributed to a new type
of bullet cartridge used in the Enfield P-53 rifle which was to be introduced in the Bengal
Army that year.

The cartridge was rumoured to having been greased with animal fat, primarily from pigs
and cows, which are not consumed by Muslims and Hindus respectively, the former being
abhorrent to Muslims and the latter a holy animal of the Hindus).[5] The cartridges had to
be bitten at one end prior to use.[6] The mutineers were of the opinion that this was an
intentional act of the British, with the aim of defiling their religions.

Commandant Wheeler of the 34th BNI was known as a zealous Christian preacher, and
this may also have impacted the Company's behaviour. The husband of Captain Wilma
Halliday of 56th BNI had the Bibleprinted in Urdu and Nagri and distributed among the
sepoys, thus raising suspicions amongst them that the British were intent on converting
them to Christianity.[7]

Also, the 19th and 34th Native Infantry were stationed at Lucknow during the time of
annexation of Oudh for misgovernment by the Nawab on February 7, 1856. The
annexation had another implication for sepoys in the Bengal Army (a significant portion
of whom came from that princely state). Before the annexation, these sepoys had the
right to petition the British Resident at Lucknow for justice—a significant privilege in the
context of native courts. As a result of the annexation, they lost that right, since that
state no longer existed. Moreover, this action was seen by the residents of the state as
an affront to their honour, the annexation being done in violation of an existing treaty.

Thus, it was quite natural that sepoys were affected by the general discontent which had
been stirred up by the annexation. In February 1857, both these regiments were situated
in Barrackpore.

The 19th Native Infantry Regiment is important because it was the regiment charged
with testing the new cartridges on February 26, 1857. However, right up to the mutiny
the guns had not been issued to them and the cartridges in the magazine of the
regiment were as free of grease as they had been through the preceding half century.
However, the paper used in wrapping the cartridges was of a different colour, arousing
suspicions. The non-commissioned officers of the regiment refused to accept the
cartridges on the 26 February. This information being conveyed to the commanding
officer, Colonel Mitchell, he took it upon himself to try to convince the sepoys that the
cartridges were no different from those they had been accustomed to and that they need
not bite it. He concluded his exhortation with an appeal to the native officers to uphold
the honour of the regiment and a threat to court-martial such sepoys as refused to
accept the cartridge. However, the next morning the regiment rose in rebellion and it
was only due to the persuasive powers of Colonel Mitchell and his sagacity that the
sepoys were convinced to return to their barracks. A Court of Enquiry was ordered which
after an investigation lasting nearly a month, recommended the disbanding of the
regiment. The same was carried out on the 31 March. The 19th N.I. Regiment, far from
being dismissed with dishonour, as is held by some, were allowed to retain their uniforms
and provided by the Government with an allowance to return home.
[edit]The Enfield Rifle and Cartridge

The P-53 was officially known as the Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket. Introduced in the
British Army by the War Department during 1854 in the Crimean War, they proved very
effective at a range of 50 to 300 yards (270 m). It was introduced in the Bengal Army by
the East India Company in early-1857.

The rifle used a Metford-Pritchitt cartridge that required the use of a heavy paper tube
containing 2½ drams (68 grains) of musket powder and a 530-grain (34 g), pure lead
bullet. As the bullet incorporated no annular grease rings like the French and
American minié ball bullets introduced in 1847, it was wrapped with a strip of greased
paper to facilitate loading. The cartridge itself was covered with a thin mixture
of beeswax and linseed oil for waterproofing (although rumours abounded it was actually
beef or pork fat).
To load his rifle, the sepoy had to first bite off the rear of the cartridge to pour the
powder down the barrel. He then inverted the tube (the projectile was placed in the
cartridge base up), pushed the end-portion into the muzzle to the approximate depth of
the bullet and tore off the remaining paper. The bullet could then be easily rammed on
top of the charge.

Since Hindus consider cows as sacred and Muslims regard pigs as dirty, native sepoys
could be expected to have reservations in its usage. The company therefore kept this
fact suppressed. Thus, when it came out as a rumour, it had an even more damaging
effect, as all kinds of rumours started spreading. For instance, it was thought that the
British planned to make their sepoys outcaste in the society in order to force them to
convert to Christianity. Another rumour said the British had adulterated the wheat flour
distributed to the sepoys with ground bone-dust of bullocks.

The matter could have been worsened by the fact that an overwhelming number of
sepoys in the Bengal Native Infantry were Brahmins from Awadh, Purvanchal and
Western Bihar. As Brahmins are generally devoutHindus and therefore vegetarians, they
are not supposed to eat or touch meat, the resistance was even stronger.

The Commander-in-Chief, General George Anson reacted to this crisis by saying, "I'll
never give in to their beastly prejudices," and despite the pleas of his junior officers, he
did not compromise.

Later, the British contemplated reducing the discontent by allowing the sepoys to use
their own grease made of ghee (clarified butter). Lord Canning sanctioned a proposal of
Major-General Hearsey to this effect. However, the proposal was shot down by
the Meerut-based Adjutant-General of the Army Colonel C. Chester, who felt it would be
tantamount to an admission of guilt and could therefore worsen the matter.[8] He falsely
claimed that the sepoys had been using cartridges greased with mutton fat for years and
that there was therefore no reason to give in now. This claim was however not correct as
native sepoys had till then only used Brown Bess muskets for which unsmeared paper
cartridges were employed. The Government let itself be convinced and rescinded the
order allowing the usage of ghee.

[edit]Consequences

The attack by, and punishment of, Pandey is widely seen as the opening scene of what
came to be known as the 'Indian Rebellion of 1857'. He is often referred to in India
as Shaheed (Martyr) Mangal Pandey