Birth Anniversary of Revolutionary Leader Mangal Pandey
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Why in News
- The Prime Minister paid tributes to the iconic freedom fighter Mangal Pandey on his birth anniversary on 19th July.
Early Life
- He was born on 19th July 1827 in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh.
- At the age of 22, he enlisted in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry under the East India Company.
The Revolt
- He refused to use the newly introduced Enfield Pattern 1853 rifle-musket because soldiers believed its cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat.
- On 29th March 1857, he mutinied against British officers and fired at his Senior Sergeant Major.
Impact of His Actions
- His act of defiance sparked the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, which is also called the First War of Independence.
- Although the revolt by troops of the 7th Awadh Regiment was crushed, anger spread rapidly to Ambala, Lucknow, and Meerut.
- On 10th May 1857, soldiers in Meerut revolted, marched to Delhi, and named Bahadur Shah Zafar II as Shah-en-shah-i-Hindustan to give the uprising a central leadership.
Execution and Legacy
- British authorities executed him by hanging on 8th April 1857 at Barrackpore and disbanded his entire regiment.
- He stands as an enduring symbol of resistance against British rule and a key leader in India's First War of Independence.