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MangalPandey
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

MangalPandeywasanIndiansoldierwhoplayedakeypartin
eventsimmediatelyprecedingtheoutbreakoftheIndian MangalPandey
rebellionof1857.Hewasasepoy(sipahi)inthe34thBengal
NativeInfantry(BNI)regimentoftheBritishEastIndia
Company.WhilecontemporaryBritishopinionconsideredhima
traitorandmutineer,Pandeyiswidelyregardedasaheroin
modernIndia.In1984,theIndiangovernmentissuedapostage
stamptocommemoratehim.Hislifeandactionshavealsobeen
portrayedinseveralcinematicproductions.

Contents
1 Earlylife
2 The1857incident
2.1 Aftermath
2.2 Motivation
Born 19July1827
2.3 Consequences
3 Film,stageandliterature Nagwa,Balliadistrict,Cededand
4 Englishlanguage ConqueredProvinces,India
5 Commemoration Died 8April1857(aged29)
6 Seealso Barrackpore,Calcutta,Bengal
7 References
Province,BritishIndia
8 Furtherreading
9 Externallinks Occupation Sepoy(soldier)inthe34thBengal
NativeInfantry(BNI)regimentofthe
BritishEastIndiaCompany
Earlylife Knownfor Mutineer/Indianindependence
fighter
MangalPandeywasbornon19July1827inaBrahmin
family[1]inNagwa,avillageofupperBalliadistrict,CededandConqueredProvinces(nowinUttarPradesh).[2]
HehadjoinedtheEastIndiaCompany'sarmyin1849.Pandeywasasoldierinthe6thCompanyofthe34th
BengalNativeInfantryandisprimarilyknownforhisattackonseveralBritishofficers.Thisincidentmarkedan
openingstageintheIndianrebellionof1857.

The1857incident
AtBarrackporeontheafternoonof29March1857,LieutenantBaugh,
Adjutantofthe34thBengalNativeInfantry(BNI),wasinformedthat
severalmenofhisregimentwereinanexcitedstate.Further,itwas
reportedtohimthatoneofthem,MangalPandey,waspacinginfrontofthe PhotooftheEnfieldRifle,the
regiment'sguardroombytheparadeground,armedwithaloadedmusket, pendingadoptionofwhichcaused
callinguponthementorebelandthreateningtoshootthefirstEuropean unrestintheBengalArmyinearly
thatheseteyeson.Baughimmediatelybuckledonhissword,placed 1857
loadedpistolsinhisholsters,mountedhishorse,andgallopedtothelines.

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Pandeytookpositionbehindthestationgun,whichwasinfrontofthequarterguardofthe34th,tookaimat
Baughandfired.HemissedBaugh,butthebulletstruckhishorseintheflank,andhorseandriderwerebrought
down.Baughquicklydisentangledhimselfand,seizingoneofhispistols,advancedtowardsPandeyandfired.He
missed.BeforeBaughcoulddrawhissword,Pandeyattackedhimwithatalwar(aheavyIndiansword)and
closingwiththeadjutant,slashedBaughontheshoulderandneckandbroughthimtotheground.Itwasthenthat
anothersepoy,ShaikhPaltu,intervenedandtriedtorestrainPandeyevenashetriedtoreloadhismusket.[3]

EnglishSergeantMajorHewson,hadarrivedontheparadeground,summonedbyanativeofficer,beforeBaugh.
HehadorderedJemadarIshwariPrasad,theIndianofficerincommandofthequarterguard,toarrestPandey.To
this,thejemadarstatedthathisNCOshadgoneforhelpandthathecouldnottakePandeybyhimself.[4]In
responseHewsonorderedIshwariPrasadtofallintheguardwithloadedweapons.Inthemeantime,Baughhad
arrivedonthefieldshouting'Whereishe?Whereishe?'HewsoninreplycalledouttoBaugh,'Ridetotheright,
sir,foryourlife.Thesepoywillfireatyou!'[5]AtthatpointPandeyfired.

HewsonhadchargedtowardsPandeyashewasfightingwithLieutenantBaugh.WhileconfrontingPandey,
HewsonwasknockedtothegroundfrombehindbyablowfromPandey'smusket.Thesoundofthefiringhad
broughtothersepoysfromthebarrackstheyremainedmutespectators.Atthisjuncture,ShaikhPaltu,whiletrying
todefendthetwoEnglishmencalledupontheothersepoystoassisthim.Assailedbyothersepoys,whothrew
stonesandshoesathisback,hecalledontheguardtohelphimholdPandey,buttheythreatenedtoshoothimifhe
didnotletgoofthemutineer.[5]

Someofthesepoysofthequarterguardthenadvancedandstruckatthetwoprostrateofficers.Theythen
threatenedShaikhPaltuandorderedhimtoreleasePandey,whomhehadbeenvainlytryingtoholdback.
However,PaltucontinuedtoholdPandeyuntilBaughandthesergeantmajorwereabletogetup.Himself
woundedbynow,Paltuwasobligedtoloosenhisgrip.HebackedawayinonedirectionandBaughandHewsonin
another,whilebeingstruckwiththebuttendsoftheguards'muskets.[5]

Inthemeantime,areportoftheincidenthadbeencarriedtothecommandingofficerGeneralHearsey,whothen
gallopedtothegroundwithhistwoofficersons.Takinginthescene,herodeuptotheguard,drewhispistoland
orderedthemtodotheirdutybyseizingMangalPandey.TheGeneralthreatenedtoshootthefirstmanwho
disobeyed.ThemenofthequarterguardfellinandfollowedHearseytowardsPandey.Pandeythenputthemuzzle
ofthemuskettohischestanddischargeditbypressingthetriggerwithhisfoot.Hecollapsedbleeding,withhis
regimentaljacketonfire,butnotmortallywounded.[5]

Pandeyrecoveredandwasbroughttotriallessthanaweeklater.Whenaskedwhetherhehadbeenunderthe
influenceofanysubstances,hestatedsteadfastlythathehadmutiniedonhisownaccordandthatnootherperson
hadplayedanypartinencouraginghim.Hewassentencedtodeathbyhanging,alongwithJemadarIshwari
Prasad,afterthreeSikhmembersofthequarterguardtestifiedthatthelatterhadorderedthemnottoarrest
Pandey.[5]

MangalPandey'sexecutionwasscheduledfor18April,butwascarriedouttendaysbeforethatdate.Jemadar
IshwariPrasadwasexecutedbyhangingon21April.[5]

Aftermath

The34thB.N.I.Regimentwasdisbanded"withdisgrace"on6Mayasacollectivepunishment,afteran
investigationbythegovernment,forfailingtoperformtheirdutyinrestrainingamutinoussoldierandtheirofficer.
ThiscameafteraperiodofsixweekswhilepetitionsforleniencywereexaminedinCalcutta.

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TheIndianhistorianSurendraNathSennotesthatthe34thB.N.I.hada
goodrecentrecordandthattheCourtofEnquiryhadnotfoundany
evidenceofaconnectionwithunrestatBerhampurinvolvingthe19th
B.N.I.fourweeksbefore(seebelow).However,MangalPandey'sactions
andthefailureofthearmedandondutysepoysofthequarterguardtotake
actionconvincedtheBritishmilitaryauthoritiesthatthewholeregiment
wasunreliable.ItappearedthatPandeyhadactedwithoutfirsttakingother
sepoysintohisconfidencebutthatantipathytowardstheirBritishofficers
withintheregimenthadledmostofthosepresenttoactasspectatorsrather
Aportraitshowing1857Sepoy
thanobeyorders.[6]
Mutiny

Motivation

ThepersonalmotivationbehindPandey'sbehaviourremainsconfused.Duringtheincidentitselfheshoutedto
othersepoys:"comeouttheEuropeansarehere""frombitingthesecartridgesweshallbecomeinfidels"and
"yousentmeouthere,whydon'tyoufollowme".Athiscourtmartialhestatedthathehadbeentakingbhangand
opium,andwasnotconsciousofhisactionson29March.[7]

TherewereawiderangeoffactorscausingapprehensionandmistrustintheBengalArmyimmediatelypriortothe
Barrackporeevent.Pandey'sreferencetocartridgesisusuallyattributedtoanewtypeofbulletcartridgeusedin
theEnfieldP53riflewhichwastobeintroducedintheBengalArmythatyear.Thecartridgewasthoughttobe
greasedwithanimalfat,primarilyfromcowsandpigs,whichcouldnotbeconsumedbyHindusandMuslims
respectively(theformeraholyanimaloftheHindusandthelatterbeingabhorrenttoMuslims).Thecartridgeshad
tobebittenatoneendbeforeuse.TheIndiantroopsinsomeregimentswereoftheopinionthatthiswasan
intentionalactoftheBritish,withtheaimofdefilingtheirreligions.[8]

CommandantWheelerofthe34thBNIwasknownasazealousChristianpreacher.ThewifeofCaptainWilliam
Hallidayofthe56thBNIhadtheBibleprintedinUrduandDevanagarianddistributedamongthesepoys,thus
raisingsuspicionsamongstthemthattheBritishwereintentonconvertingthemtoChristianity.[5]

The19thand34thBengalNativeInfantrywerestationedatLucknowduringthetimeofannexationofOudhin
1856becauseofallegedmisgovernmentbytheNawab.Theannexationhadnegativeimplicationsforsepoysinthe
BengalArmy(asignificantportionofwhomcamefromthatprincelystate).Beforetheannexation,thesesepoys
hadtherighttopetitiontheBritishResidentatLucknowforjusticeasignificantprivilegeinthecontextof
nativecourts.AsaresultoftheEastIndiaCompany'sactiontheylostthatspecialstatus,sinceOudahnolonger
existedasanominallyindependentpoliticalentity.[9]

The19thB.N.I.isimportantbecauseitwastheregimentchargedwithtestingthenewcartridgeson26February
1857.However,rightuptothemutinythenewrifleshadnotbeenissuedtothem,andthecartridgesinthe
magazineoftheregimentwereasfreeofgreaseastheyhadbeenthroughtheprecedinghalfcentury.Thepaper
usedinwrappingthecartridgeswasofadifferentcolour,arousingsuspicions.Thenoncommissionedofficersof
theregimentrefusedtoacceptthecartridgeson26February.Thisinformationwasconveyedtothecommanding
officer,ColonelMitchellhetookituponhimselftotrytoconvincethesepoysthatthecartridgeswerenodifferent
fromthosetheyhadbeenaccustomedtoandthattheyneednotbiteit.Heconcludedhisexhortationwithanappeal
tothenativeofficerstoupholdthehonouroftheregimentandathreattocourtmartialsuchsepoysasrefusedto
acceptthecartridge.However,thenextmorningthesepoysoftheregimentseizedtheirbellofarms(weapons
store).ThesubsequentconciliatorybehaviourofMitchellconvincedthesepoystoreturntotheirbarracks.[10]A
CourtofEnquirywasorderedwhich,afteraninvestigationlastingnearlyamonth,recommendedthedisbandingof
theregiment.Thesamewascarriedouton31March.The19thBNIwereallowedtoretaintheiruniformsandwere
providedbytheGovernmentwithallowancestoreturntotheirhomes.

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Consequences

TheattackbyandpunishmentofPandeyiswidelyseenastheopeningsceneofwhatcametobeknownasthe
IndianRebellionof1857.Knowledgeofhisactionwaswidespreadamongsthisfellowsepoysandisassumedto
havebeenoneofthefactorsleadingtothegeneralseriesofmutiniesthatbrokeoutduringthefollowingmonths.

Film,stageandliterature
AfilmbasedonthesequenceofeventsthatleduptothemutinyentitledMangalPandey:TheRisingstarring
Indianactor,AamirKhanalongwithRaniMukerji,TobyStephensandAmishaPatel,directedbyKetanMehta
wasreleasedon12August2005.[11]

ThelifeofPandeywasthesubjectofastageplaytitledTheRotiRebellion,whichwaswrittenanddirectedby
SupriyaKarunakaran.TheplaywasorganizedbySparsh,atheatregroup,andpresentedinJune2005atThe
MovingTheatreatAndhraSaraswatParishad,Hyderabad,AndhraPradesh.[12]

SamadIqbal,afictionaldescendantofMangalPandey,isacentralcharacterinZadieSmith'sdebutnovelWhite
Teeth.PandeyisanimportantinfluenceonSamad'slifeandisrepeatedlyreferencedandinvestigatedbythe
novel'scharacters.

Englishlanguage
IntheEnglishlanguage,Pandeyisbestrememberedforthewordhissurnameandhisactionshelpedcoin:pandy
atraitor,particularlyarebellioussepoyoftheMutinyof1857.OnceacolloquialtermwidelyusedbyEnglish
speakersinIndia,thewordisnowobsolete.[13][14]

Commemoration
TheGovernmentofIndiacommemoratedPandeybyissuingapostagestampbearing
hisimageon5October1984.Thestampandtheaccompanyingfirstdaycoverwere
designedbyDelhibasedartistC.R.Pakrashi.[15]

AparkisnamedShaheedMangalPandeyMahaUdyantocommemoratetheplace
wherePandeyattackedBritishofficersandwashanged,atBarrackporeroadin
BarrackporesubdivisionaltowninNorth24Parganasdistrict.[16][17]

Seealso
BarrackporeMutinyof1824
Pandey TheMangalPandey
BahadurShahII cenotaphon
SurendranathBanerjee
roadatBarrackpore
References Cantonment,West
Bengal.
1.D'Souza,ShanthieMariet."MangalPandey:Indiansoldier".EncyclopaediaBritannica.
2.MangalPandey:TrueStoryofanIndianRevolutionary,2005,Rupa&Co.Mumbai
3.SaulDavid,page70,"TheIndianMutiny",PenguinBooks2003
4.SaulDavid,page69,"TheIndianMutiny",PenguinBooks2003

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5.pages6870TheGreatMutiny,ChristopherHibbert,1978,PenguinBooks
6.SurendraNathSen,page50EighteenFiftySeven,PublicationsDivision,Ministryof
Information&Broadcasting,GovernmentofIndia,May1957
7.SaulDavid(2002).TheIndianMutiny.p.72.ISBN0141005548.
8.PhilipMason(1974).AMatterofHonour.p.267.ISBN0333418379.
9.PhilipMason(1974).AMatterofHonour.p.295.ISBN0333418379.
10.SurendraNathSen,page48EighteenFiftySeven,ThePublicationsDivision,Ministryof
Information&Broadcasting,GovernmentofIndia,May1957
11.MangalPandey:TheRising(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346457/)attheInternetMovie
Database
12."ReviewofTheRotiRebellion".TheHindu.8June2005.
13.Chambers20thCenturyDictionary,W.&R.ChambersLimited,Edinburgh,1983
14.FunkandWagnall'sNewStandardDictionary,TheStandardDictionaryCompany,
LondonandNewYork,1929
15."MangalPandey".IndiaPost.Retrieved20170410.
16.MangalPandeyPark,AmusementParks/Auditoriums/Clubs(https://www.kmcgov.in/K
MCPortal/jsp/KMCAmusementPark.jsp#a12),kmcgov.in
17.MangalPandeybreatheslifeintoBarrackpore'spast(http://www.merinews.com/article/m
angalpandeybreatheslifeintobarrackporespast/151153.shtml),samratray,1December
2008,merinews.com

Furtherreading
Amin,AghaH.,TheSepoyRebellionof185759:Reinterpreted,1998,StrategicusandTacticus
Mukherjee,Rudrangshu,MangalPandey:BraveMartyrorAccidentalHero?,2005,PenguinBooks(India),
ISBN0143032569

Externallinks
Manwholedthemutiny(http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050814/spectrum/book10.htm)
IntheFootstepsofMangalPandey(http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/print.php?content_id=72790)

Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mangal_Pandey&oldid=774824176"

Categories: RevolutionariesoftheIndianRebellionof1857 1857deaths PeoplefromBalliadistrict

BritishEastIndiaCompanyArmysoldiers PeopleexecutedbyBritishIndiabyhanging 1827births
PrisonersanddetaineesofBritishIndia 19thcenturyexecutionsbyBritishIndia Barrackporerelatedtopics
IndianindependenceactivistsfromUttarPradesh

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