Gadari Movement Was A Sikh Movement

[amar_jkp]

[JungChamkaur]

I would say that the Gadari Movement was not religion-based. However, the overwhelming majority of the members were Sikh. In addition, the Sikhs of the Gadari-era were not the Sikhs of today. They did not believe in a black-white definition of Sikhi as the neo-tat khalsas of today do.

[JungChamkaur]

Also, what is S. Ajmer Singh's opinion on Shri Dasam Granth Sahibji?

[Jonny101]

Although Gadari movement was mostly consisting of Sikhs, but it was not religious movement. It was a nationalist, anti British movement.

[OnPathToSikhi]

If the majority were Sikhs, the this makes it a Sikh movement. No questions. "Nationalism" is a tag promoted by the fascists. Don't try to polarize Sikhs/Sikhi. Sikhs have fought against and for British. They stood for what is right. That's about it.

[tonyhp32]

That's exactly right. There is a desperation in the neo-Tat Khalsa ranks to khalsafy (as in falsify) each and every martyr as 'Sikh first'. It is also amazing why the first freedom struggle (where lakhs were martyred) in 1857 is glossed over by the above-metnioned clique. in latest instance, 300 skulls and body remains of the 1857 revolutionaries have been discovered from an Amritsar dry well. the total figure of the revolutionaries martyred by the British is said to be 500. the chest-beating khalsa-got-indian-independence supremacists on this forum would be ashamed to know that only khalsas were included in the firing squads of the brits

Those weren't martyrs, they were Purabiyas foreigners who had invaded the Punjab with the British in 1845. When they revolted at Mian Mir cantonment in 1857 and attempted to escape to Delhi, the local population helped the British to round them up and in the process they were killed. What did you expect the Punjabis to do when they had suffered from the taunts and humiliation of these Purabiyas. So when they got the chance to take revenge they took it.

It is a good thing that their bones have been taken from the ground which they have polluted for the last 150 years.

[Amarjeet Singh_1737]

Those weren't martyrs, they were Purabiyas foreigners who had invaded the Punjab with the British in 1845. When they revolted at Mian Mir cantonment in 1857 and attempted to escape to Delhi, the local population helped the British to round them up and in the process they were killed. What did you expect the Punjabis to do when they had suffered from the taunts and humiliation of these Purabiyas. So when they got the chance to take revenge they took it.

It is a good thing that their bones have been taken from the ground which they have polluted for the last 150 years.

The Poorbias played an important role in the Anglo-Sikh Wars. Even in the mutiny Bahadur Shah easily tired of their despicable acts and attitude.

[Amarjeet Singh_1737]

I would say that the Gadari Movement was not religion-based. However, the overwhelming majority of the members were Sikh. In addition, the Sikhs of the Gadari-era were not the Sikhs of today. They did not believe in a black-white definition of Sikhi as the neo-tat khalsas of today do.

The Gadarites were not ultimately concerned about religion. Ironically when most of them travelled back to the Punjab they started relying heavily on exploitation and looting to just stay alive. They found that the 'fantasia' of an independent India, painted for them, was far from real. Especially concerning the deadly mix of politics and religion. Kuldeep Nayar in 'Without Fear' cites a poem by a Gadarite stating how religion is India's bane.

[jaikaara]

I would suggest you guys to listen to Babbar Akaali by Bhai Joga singh Jogi . Of what i have read about them there were different types of Gaddarites in the pinds of Punjab many Sikh members were religious and combined the bir ras of Sikhi with patriotism , there were others who were atheist, Baba Munguram Mungowalia was a known figure amongst our Ravidassi brothers, Lala Hardyal was Arya Samaaji



- http://dhadikavishr.com/Kavishr/Jogi%20Singh%20Jogi/BABBAR-AKALI.MP3

[amar_jkp]

That's exactly right. There is a desperation in the neo-Tat Khalsa ranks to khalsafy (as in falsify) each and every martyr as 'Sikh first'. It is also amazing why the first freedom struggle (where lakhs were martyred) in 1857 is glossed over by the above-metnioned clique. in latest instance, 300 skulls and body remains of the 1857 revolutionaries have been discovered from an Amritsar dry well. the total figure of the revolutionaries martyred by the British is said to be 500. the chest-beating khalsa-got-indian-independence supremacists on this forum would be ashamed to know that only khalsas were included in the firing squads of the brits

You are saying that there was no Hindu soldier in British Army ? 1857 was not a first war of Independence and what about 1940 attack on Punjab by British Army dominated by Hindu Soldiers ? British took the support of Nawab of Jhajar and later he join Bhadur Shah . Truth is Mr Sher that India as a one Nation never existed . It was never a one nation and it will not remain a one nation .

[amar_jkp]

Babbar Akalis abd Gadar Movement was a Sikh movement and it time Sikh should write their own history

[savinderpalsingh]

bhagat singh was an athiest , until he met

bhai randhir singh in jail on the release day of bhai randhir singh

he purposely let the hindu media show him as hindu so that , he would gain popularity

but gadar moment i still have to read it

i found the above info in jail chittiyan of bhai randhir singh

[Jonny101]

We don't consider the 1857 sepoys as freedom fighters. They were occupying our land after helping the British. They humiliated Punjabis with taunts until our people finally got their chance at getting back at them. Even when they rose in rebellion in UP, they committed the worst of atrocities on British women and children by mercilessly killing them and throwing their dead bodies in wells.

[tonyhp32]

These revolutionaries were mercenaries for the British only a decade before when they invaded and committed atrocities against the common Punjabis. Just because they thought there was beef fat on the cartridges and revolted does not make them revolutionaries and freedom fighters. How can compare the killing of armed rebels to 1984? Stop trying to portray these foreigners as revolutionaries. And for your information, I am proud of the Punjabis, Sikh, Hindu and Muslim who chased the purabiya gandh out of Punjab.

[Jonny101]

disgusting comment. justifying the killing of 1857 revolutionaries by mercenary Sikhs is like justifying the 1984 killing of sikhs by congress mobs. honouring 1857 shaheeds make their '90% martyrs were sikhs' boasts look hollow. in the Amritsar outrage i have mentioned, 282 revolutionaries were executed by the mercenary dogs.

the lowlife among the tat khalsa justify not only the treachery of their forefathers but also terrorism. for them, even the sikh criminals, murderers are heroes for them.

"revolutionaries" LOL you crack me up every time. the Punjabis(Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs) just killed the mercenaries who had committed atrocities on them a few years ago. It was Badla Punjabi style. Those Bhayas were ruthless in their conduct and in 1857 they did not even spare any woman or child of an Englishman found. Even Indian christians were not spared by these animals. And you trying to compare this to 1984 when Hindus killed Sikhs is really pathetic even by your standard. Sikh civilians of Delhi were not occupying Delhi nor were they part of an invading army that had killed anyone during a war. Your sense of comparing events is really flawed. But it also reveals your mindset that you consider Sikh civilians the equivalent as an occupying enemy force.

[JungChamkaur]

1. Bhagat Singh died an atheist.... none of you guys know his family so please shutup. Your embarrassing yourself. You seem relentless in your effort to change history. Bhagat Singh wrote "Why I am an Atheist" after speaking to Bhai Randhir Singhji. This is a fact and his whole family knows it and its documented in videos as well.

2. 1857 Rebellion: The revolutionaries did not kill kids, this was bullshit used by English media like the Indian media says Sikhs are terrorists. The purabiyas did attack Punjab with the British prior to the mutiny. However, once the mutiny started many Dal Khalsa troops of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and many Sardars and Jagirdars of the old empire joined the movement. The Indian media portrayed the 1857 rebellion as one that did not include Sikhs because of the fact that major Sikh kings supported the British.

I dont know about you people but I would support the rebellion and I do. You cant blame the purbiya for attacking Punjab because I have seen editorials of newspapers that have shown our own Sikhs looting the revolutionaries' bodies. Once you think black and white you are bound to err in judgement. This idea that Punjab didnt support the cause is utter nonsense. Dal Khalsa troops rose like kamals in swamps to fight the British in 1857. Its because of Patiala and company that the media says Sikhs didnt get involved. I was at a Gadhar Party Conference organized by York Centre for Asian Research at York University in Toronto and everyone there was well aware of this fact and how the media distorted reality and painted Sikhs as traitors/apathetic spectators. During the conference we also watched a documentary that outlined the involvement of the Dal Khalsa troops. Do you think our Soormay would just stand by and let this opportunity slip by? No, they fought. 1857 was actually a good opportunity to take the British out. It failed because of the support royals offered the British.

[tonyhp32]

You might know about Bhagat Singh but you know crud about the mutiny. A few Sikh troops mainly ones in UP did revolt but the vast majority stayed loyal and even defended the British against overwhelming odds. In Punjab one individual did declare Khalsa Raj and was hung by the British. The old Khalsa Fauj and the jagirdars rallied to the British and they did a great job in the assault on Delhi as well in combing operations in UP. Sardar Jawahar Singh Nalwa, the son of Hari Singh Nalwa was one of the old Khalsa Fauj generals who fought against the British at Challianwala but then joined the British in 1857 and fought against the rebels.

[Jonny101]

Jung Chamkaur yaar, this is what I mean when I say you don't know about the issues yet you argue about it like you know it. You claiming that no women and children were killed is an example of this. The way those animals had ruthlessly killed the helpless unarmed British women and little children during the Bibighar massacre and thrown their mutilated bodies in the well is something sends shivers down any humane person's spine. Why would Sikhs help such animals in their so called 'revolution' when just a few years earlier they had done the same things in Punjab to surrendering Punjabi soldiers. Sorry, but I can fully understand why Punjabis did what they did against the Bhaya uprising.

[aksantali]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9ZVpEKM-QE

Edited March 7, 2014 by aksantali

[OnPathToSikhi]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9ZVpEKM-QE

This was great. Some excellent points raised in a rational manner. Thanks for posting.

[Jonny101]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9ZVpEKM-QE

Good video. It shows the level of distortion these leftists have done Sikh history. Not just our history, but in India in general these leftists/communists have done a lot of distortions.

[tonyhp32]

what you are saying is, your traitor is a hero if he fights for the tyrant as a mercenary, he is of course a hero if he fights against the same employer but under some other flag. but if there is a massive indigenous rebellion against the foreigners for whom your hero is fighting, the revolutionary (even though they had surrendered) deserves to be lined up in the Ajnala Police Station and executed without any trial. when Jat

Also, when the British fought against Sikhs they were supported by sikh forces from patiala, Nabha, kapurthala, etc. Ranjit Singh also contributed (or fully cooperated) forces to the British campaigns whenever they asked him to. there is a long history of Sikh sardars playing the role of vassals (or minor roles) going back to the Mughal days. How about those Sikhs?

The worst was the celebrated Sikh warrior Ala Singh who accepted Abdali's naukari, same Abdali which had destroyed harmandar three times.

As far as "great job" by the Sikh mercenaries is concerned, that's another shameful chapter in Sikh history.the atrocities committed by British troops (inc Sikhs) were condemned even by the British parliament. Lakhs were killed ...The Ajnala outrage was also condemned by the British Parliament.

While condemning those sikhs who killed surrendered rebels in Amritsar or committed other atrocities while fighting for the british, i also condemn those maratha and Gorkha hindus who helped the british to survive and then commit atrocities even on those poor civilians who had absolutely nothing to do with the 1857 war for freedom.

The one who's community has a long history of treachery to Punjab will always try and deflect blame and point fingers at others and accuse them of treachery.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh never assisted the British as a vassal, the only time he assisted the British was in order to bring Shah Shuja to power in Afghanistan and this was in the common interest of both the British and the Khalsa state and the treaty was one of equals.

Ala Singh and Patiala Maharajas have a long history of betraying the Sikh cause, the latest nakamma who holds the defunct title is a Congress leader. Not all the Malwa Maharajas were for the British in 1845, Ajit Singh of Ladwa joined the Khalsa Fauj with his forces and after the war lost his kingdom. The Sikh villagers of Malwa were for the Khalsa Fauj and they killed any British stragglers who came in their way.

The people of Punjab apart from a few Jangli tribes in West Punjab supported the British because of the atrocities committed by the Purabiyas in Punjab after 1845. Do you really think that the Sikhs would actively assist the resurrection of the Mughal Empire? Just because the Purabiyas got swayed into supporting the effeminate Bahadur Shah Zafar and the minor Rajas and Nawabs who had a issues with the way the British had treated them in the past, does not mean that because the Punjabi did not fall into the same trap that they were traitors. The Punjabis in 1857 were much more politically aware than people like you who want to believe 1857 was a great liberation movement.

[1234]

On 3/7/2014 at 11:46 AM, JungChamkaur said:

 

...

[amar_jkp]

disgusting comment. justifying the killing of 1857 revolutionaries by mercenary Sikhs is like justifying the 1984 killing of sikhs by congress mobs. honouring 1857 shaheeds make their '90% martyrs were sikhs' boasts look hollow. in the Amritsar outrage i have mentioned, 282 revolutionaries were executed by the mercenary dogs.

the lowlife among the tat khalsa justify not only the treachery of their forefathers but also terrorism. for them, even the sikh criminals, murderers are heroes for them.

Calling 1857 goons revolutionaries my foot . 1984 killing was done by Hindus this IS what Hindus wanted . Majority of Brtish Soldiers were Hindu and you sanatan dharmi should not blamed others .Back stabbing is culture of Snatan Dharmis that WHY murders like Shankaracharya is respected figure . Community which voted murderers like Rajiv Gandhi and Modi have no right to talk about others .

[amar_jkp]

We have discussed this 1857 issue many type but still Hindu fanatics wants to discuss and get slapped by us

Mr Hindu sher read this

Truth Behind 1857

Bijla Singh

Whenever India’s independence is discussed, mutiny of 1857 comes to the mind. There are numerous misconceptions related to 1857. First misconception preached by all newspapers, magazines and history books is that the battle of 1857 was the first war of independence. Second and most important misconception is that this “freedom movement” would not have failed if Sikhs had not betrayed their “country” resulting in British rule over India for 90 more years. Majority of the Indians without considering the proper facts have started to believe in these misconceptions. But their knowledge about this “freedom movement” is far from the actual truth. Only a fraction of the truth is being preached by the government.

First War of Independence?

First let’s discuss the first point. Was 1857 the year of first war of independence?

India had been under foreign rule for over 700 years. The first time anyone ever spoke out for freedom in India was only and only Guru Nanak Dev Ji. King Babur attacked India, arrested Guru Nanak Dev Ji and tortured him in many ways because He spoke for freedom. Therefore that was the beginning of the first freedom battle. Guru Arjan Dev Ji was seen as anti-Islamic by the Mughal government. He was arrested and tortured. He is the first martyr of the freedom movement in India. Guru Hargobind Ji spent many months in prison and fought four battles against Mughals. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji had no personal fights with the government but He sacrificed for freedom of religion and justice. He saved the Hindu religion. Contribution of Guru Gobind Singh Ji to the freedom movement is a unique example that is found no where else in the history of the world. He instilled self-confidence, honor, dignity, pride and warrior traits in the people of India Every Sikh fought against oppression and injustice.

Baba Banda Singh along with other Sikhs established the first Sikh rule in Punjab and fought against the Mughal government and later on sacrificed for freedom. Even after his martyrdom, numerous battles were fought, sword fought sword, bullet fought bullet, and blood of thousands of Sikhs was spilled but this freedom group never stopped. Sikhs were cut into pieces, bricked alive, sawn in half, boiled alive, burnt alive, and crushed on spinning wheels but all this for what? It was for freedom, a fight of free life and death. Nawab Kapoor Singh, Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgharia, Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, Sardar Hari Singh Nalua, Akali Phoola Singh, Sardar Shaam Singh, Bhai Maharaj Singh…..the list goes on. These true warriors never let foreign rulers sleep peacefully.

Foreigners like Ahmad Shah Abdali attacked India nine times but he always faced problem in Punjab. Not a single Hindu or Muslims king could stop him. It was Sikhs who fought him and freed many Hindu slave women and children. Up to Satluj river Punjab had become part of Afghanistan. Sikhs took it back and reattached it to India. Hundreds of years of foreign attacks were put to stop forever by the Sikhs. At that time no Hindu army came forward to help Sikhs in the cause of freedom. Rather they helped Muslims in every battle. It was the Sikhs who ended the long Mughal rule in India and established their own kingdom in northern India but due to betrayal by Dogras, Sikh kingdom was annexed by the British in 1849. Bhai Maharaj Singh was the first Sikh to go to every village and city to preach for freedom and start a freedom movement against the British rule. Before he could organize the army that consisted of mostly Sikhs he was arrested. He was exiled from the country. He died in the jail a couple of years later. In 1850, more than 50 Sikh regiments protested against the British rule and tried to start another war but Charles Campier controlled the situation before hand and another mutiny died before it could start.

After that incident, Baba Raam Singh inspired hundreds of people to boycott British goods and material. This was the first peaceful freedom movement against the British. He appealed to the people, "Do not accept service from the government; do not send children to government schools; do not go to court of law but settle disputes by reference to panchayats (village council); do not use foreign goods; and do not use government postal services." No one outside of Punjab took part in this movement. Baba Raam Singh was arrested and his companions were blown up by the canons. Gandhi’s movement was not anything new. Rather it was everything that Baba Raam Singh had started more than 70 years before him.

After all these struggles how can one still call 1857 mutiny to be the “first freedom movement?” Clearly, Sikhs were the first community to start the freedom movement in India during Mughal and the British Empire.

War of Independence?

The main question still remains: was the mutiny of 1857 an actual “freedom fight” or war of independence?

The so called “freedom movement” was started by nearly 85 troops of a Bangali regiment on 9^th May, 1857 in Merath. The cause of this insurgency was that Enfield rifle ammunition had to be manually loaded before firing which involved biting the end of the cartridge, which was greased in pig fat and beef tallow. This was offensive to Hindus and Muslims alike, who considered tasting beef or pork to be against their respective religious tenets. This enraged both communities. Mangal Panday shot a British officer in Merath out of anger. This news spread all over the place which caused fights between Hindus Muslims and the British. Thus began the “freedom movement”.

This was all due to religious reasons. No one had even a single bit of thought about India’s independence. All Rajputs were divided and fighting each other. There was lack of organization, and planning. There was no leader chosen by all communities. India was divided into many pieces of land among Hindus and Muslims.

The most important fact Hindu scholars ignore is that the lard was supplied by a Hindu Brahmin. According to Mr. Sain in “Eighteen Fifty Seven”, “The lard was supplied by a Hindu Brahmin from Bengal. The government instructed to use lard of a goat or sheep but to save some money he used cow and pig instead.” Another fact that must be considered is that if the mutiny was in the protest of the cartridges then why did the Hindu and Muslim troops use the same weapons to fight their war?

According to many historians, 1857 was nothing but a senseless rebellion against the government.

Sir Jadoo Naath says, “The Sepoy Mutiny was not a fight for freedom.”

Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “It was neither first nor national, nor a war of independence.”

Dr. Ganda Singh, “Because of the lard cartridges many Hindu and Muslim troops became rebellious and killed many innocent people.”

The “freedom fighters” shouted the slogans of “Long Live Bahadur Shah” in Delhi because they had chosen him as their leader. According to Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “They appointed Bahadur Shah as their leader because he was upset about the fact that British had seized his kingdom. He was against British but not in favor of kicking them out of India. He betrayed the rebellions and gave away all the secret information to lieutenant of Agra. The rebellions insulted him for this action and appointed Prince Abu Bakar as their new leader.” Dr. R. C. Maujumdar further writes, “Bahadur Shah tried to sign a peace treaty with the British on the condition that British would protect him physically and financially. He also promised to help the British if his son was appointed as the king of his seized kingdom.”

According to Dr. Ganda Singh, “Army troops of Bahadur Shah refused to fight for him until their salaries were well paid.”

Now, what kind of freedom movement was this? On one hand they wanted freedom and on the other hand they wanted to get paid for their fight. Fight for freedom is not fought on monthly salaries. In fact, 1857 incident was nothing more than fight for personal gains.

According to Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “All the circumstances leave no doubt that Bahadur Shah and his family not only betrayed rebellions but the whole nation.”

There are many well known figures that played their part in this so-called mutiny. Nana Sahib of Maratha kingdom joined this mutiny for personal gains. He seized the British entrenchment in Kanpur and killed innocent women and children. The last king of Maratha, Bajee Rao, was given annual pension of 8 million. He had no child. After his death British refused to pay anyone else. When the mutiny was at the highest peak, Nana Sahib requested to help British if they agreed to pay the pension but British refused. Nana Sahib had no choice but to join the mutiny. The British was unsuccessful to capture him for 17 years.

Truth Behind 1857

Bijla Singh

Whenever India’s independence is discussed, mutiny of 1857 comes to the mind. There are numerous misconceptions related to 1857. First misconception preached by all newspapers, magazines and history books is that the battle of 1857 was the first war of independence. Second and most important misconception is that this “freedom movement” would not have failed if Sikhs had not betrayed their “country” resulting in British rule over India for 90 more years. Majority of the Indians without considering the proper facts have started to believe in these misconceptions. But their knowledge about this “freedom movement” is far from the actual truth. Only a fraction of the truth is being preached by the government.

First War of Independence?

First let’s discuss the first point. Was 1857 the year of first war of independence?

India had been under foreign rule for over 700 years. The first time anyone ever spoke out for freedom in India was only and only Guru Nanak Dev Ji. King Babur attacked India, arrested Guru Nanak Dev Ji and tortured him in many ways because He spoke for freedom. Therefore that was the beginning of the first freedom battle. Guru Arjan Dev Ji was seen as anti-Islamic by the Mughal government. He was arrested and tortured. He is the first martyr of the freedom movement in India. Guru Hargobind Ji spent many months in prison and fought four battles against Mughals. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji had no personal fights with the government but He sacrificed for freedom of religion and justice. He saved the Hindu religion. Contribution of Guru Gobind Singh Ji to the freedom movement is a unique example that is found no where else in the history of the world. He instilled self-confidence, honor, dignity, pride and warrior traits in the people of India Every Sikh fought against oppression and injustice.

Baba Banda Singh along with other Sikhs established the first Sikh rule in Punjab and fought against the Mughal government and later on sacrificed for freedom. Even after his martyrdom, numerous battles were fought, sword fought sword, bullet fought bullet, and blood of thousands of Sikhs was spilled but this freedom group never stopped. Sikhs were cut into pieces, bricked alive, sawn in half, boiled alive, burnt alive, and crushed on spinning wheels but all this for what? It was for freedom, a fight of free life and death. Nawab Kapoor Singh, Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgharia, Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, Sardar Hari Singh Nalua, Akali Phoola Singh, Sardar Shaam Singh, Bhai Maharaj Singh…..the list goes on. These true warriors never let foreign rulers sleep peacefully.

Foreigners like Ahmad Shah Abdali attacked India nine times but he always faced problem in Punjab. Not a single Hindu or Muslims king could stop him. It was Sikhs who fought him and freed many Hindu slave women and children. Up to Satluj river Punjab had become part of Afghanistan. Sikhs took it back and reattached it to India. Hundreds of years of foreign attacks were put to stop forever by the Sikhs. At that time no Hindu army came forward to help Sikhs in the cause of freedom. Rather they helped Muslims in every battle. It was the Sikhs who ended the long Mughal rule in India and established their own kingdom in northern India but due to betrayal by Dogras, Sikh kingdom was annexed by the British in 1849. Bhai Maharaj Singh was the first Sikh to go to every village and city to preach for freedom and start a freedom movement against the British rule. Before he could organize the army that consisted of mostly Sikhs he was arrested. He was exiled from the country. He died in the jail a couple of years later. In 1850, more than 50 Sikh regiments protested against the British rule and tried to start another war but Charles Campier controlled the situation before hand and another mutiny died before it could start.

After that incident, Baba Raam Singh inspired hundreds of people to boycott British goods and material. This was the first peaceful freedom movement against the British. He appealed to the people, "Do not accept service from the government; do not send children to government schools; do not go to court of law but settle disputes by reference to panchayats (village council); do not use foreign goods; and do not use government postal services." No one outside of Punjab took part in this movement. Baba Raam Singh was arrested and his companions were blown up by the canons. Gandhi’s movement was not anything new. Rather it was everything that Baba Raam Singh had started more than 70 years before him.

After all these struggles how can one still call 1857 mutiny to be the “first freedom movement?” Clearly, Sikhs were the first community to start the freedom movement in India during Mughal and the British Empire.

War of Independence?

The main question still remains: was the mutiny of 1857 an actual “freedom fight” or war of independence?

The so called “freedom movement” was started by nearly 85 troops of a Bangali regiment on 9^th May, 1857 in Merath. The cause of this insurgency was that Enfield rifle ammunition had to be manually loaded before firing which involved biting the end of the cartridge, which was greased in pig fat and beef tallow. This was offensive to Hindus and Muslims alike, who considered tasting beef or pork to be against their respective religious tenets. This enraged both communities. Mangal Panday shot a British officer in Merath out of anger. This news spread all over the place which caused fights between Hindus Muslims and the British. Thus began the “freedom movement”.

This was all due to religious reasons. No one had even a single bit of thought about India’s independence. All Rajputs were divided and fighting each other. There was lack of organization, and planning. There was no leader chosen by all communities. India was divided into many pieces of land among Hindus and Muslims.

The most important fact Hindu scholars ignore is that the lard was supplied by a Hindu Brahmin. According to Mr. Sain in “Eighteen Fifty Seven”, “The lard was supplied by a Hindu Brahmin from Bengal. The government instructed to use lard of a goat or sheep but to save some money he used cow and pig instead.” Another fact that must be considered is that if the mutiny was in the protest of the cartridges then why did the Hindu and Muslim troops use the same weapons to fight their war?

According to many historians, 1857 was nothing but a senseless rebellion against the government.

Sir Jadoo Naath says, “The Sepoy Mutiny was not a fight for freedom.”

Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “It was neither first nor national, nor a war of independence.”

Dr. Ganda Singh, “Because of the lard cartridges many Hindu and Muslim troops became rebellious and killed many innocent people.”

The “freedom fighters” shouted the slogans of “Long Live Bahadur Shah” in Delhi because they had chosen him as their leader. According to Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “They appointed Bahadur Shah as their leader because he was upset about the fact that British had seized his kingdom. He was against British but not in favor of kicking them out of India. He betrayed the rebellions and gave away all the secret information to lieutenant of Agra. The rebellions insulted him for this action and appointed Prince Abu Bakar as their new leader.” Dr. R. C. Maujumdar further writes, “Bahadur Shah tried to sign a peace treaty with the British on the condition that British would protect him physically and financially. He also promised to help the British if his son was appointed as the king of his seized kingdom.”

According to Dr. Ganda Singh, “Army troops of Bahadur Shah refused to fight for him until their salaries were well paid.”

Now, what kind of freedom movement was this? On one hand they wanted freedom and on the other hand they wanted to get paid for their fight. Fight for freedom is not fought on monthly salaries. In fact, 1857 incident was nothing more than fight for personal gains.

According to Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “All the circumstances leave no doubt that Bahadur Shah and his family not only betrayed rebellions but the whole nation.”

There are many well known figures that played their part in this so-called mutiny. Nana Sahib of Maratha kingdom joined this mutiny for personal gains. He seized the British entrenchment in Kanpur and killed innocent women and children. The last king of Maratha, Bajee Rao, was given annual pension of 8 million. He had no child. After his death British refused to pay anyone else. When the mutiny was at the highest peak, Nana Sahib requested to help British if they agreed to pay the pension but British refused. Nana Sahib had no choice but to join the mutiny. The British was unsuccessful to capture him for 17 years.

Truth Behind 1857

Bijla Singh

Whenever India’s independence is discussed, mutiny of 1857 comes to the mind. There are numerous misconceptions related to 1857. First misconception preached by all newspapers, magazines and history books is that the battle of 1857 was the first war of independence. Second and most important misconception is that this “freedom movement” would not have failed if Sikhs had not betrayed their “country” resulting in British rule over India for 90 more years. Majority of the Indians without considering the proper facts have started to believe in these misconceptions. But their knowledge about this “freedom movement” is far from the actual truth. Only a fraction of the truth is being preached by the government.

First War of Independence?

First let’s discuss the first point. Was 1857 the year of first war of independence?

India had been under foreign rule for over 700 years. The first time anyone ever spoke out for freedom in India was only and only Guru Nanak Dev Ji. King Babur attacked India, arrested Guru Nanak Dev Ji and tortured him in many ways because He spoke for freedom. Therefore that was the beginning of the first freedom battle. Guru Arjan Dev Ji was seen as anti-Islamic by the Mughal government. He was arrested and tortured. He is the first martyr of the freedom movement in India. Guru Hargobind Ji spent many months in prison and fought four battles against Mughals. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji had no personal fights with the government but He sacrificed for freedom of religion and justice. He saved the Hindu religion. Contribution of Guru Gobind Singh Ji to the freedom movement is a unique example that is found no where else in the history of the world. He instilled self-confidence, honor, dignity, pride and warrior traits in the people of India Every Sikh fought against oppression and injustice.

Baba Banda Singh along with other Sikhs established the first Sikh rule in Punjab and fought against the Mughal government and later on sacrificed for freedom. Even after his martyrdom, numerous battles were fought, sword fought sword, bullet fought bullet, and blood of thousands of Sikhs was spilled but this freedom group never stopped. Sikhs were cut into pieces, bricked alive, sawn in half, boiled alive, burnt alive, and crushed on spinning wheels but all this for what? It was for freedom, a fight of free life and death. Nawab Kapoor Singh, Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgharia, Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, Sardar Hari Singh Nalua, Akali Phoola Singh, Sardar Shaam Singh, Bhai Maharaj Singh…..the list goes on. These true warriors never let foreign rulers sleep peacefully.

Foreigners like Ahmad Shah Abdali attacked India nine times but he always faced problem in Punjab. Not a single Hindu or Muslims king could stop him. It was Sikhs who fought him and freed many Hindu slave women and children. Up to Satluj river Punjab had become part of Afghanistan. Sikhs took it back and reattached it to India. Hundreds of years of foreign attacks were put to stop forever by the Sikhs. At that time no Hindu army came forward to help Sikhs in the cause of freedom. Rather they helped Muslims in every battle. It was the Sikhs who ended the long Mughal rule in India and established their own kingdom in northern India but due to betrayal by Dogras, Sikh kingdom was annexed by the British in 1849. Bhai Maharaj Singh was the first Sikh to go to every village and city to preach for freedom and start a freedom movement against the British rule. Before he could organize the army that consisted of mostly Sikhs he was arrested. He was exiled from the country. He died in the jail a couple of years later. In 1850, more than 50 Sikh regiments protested against the British rule and tried to start another war but Charles Campier controlled the situation before hand and another mutiny died before it could start.

After that incident, Baba Raam Singh inspired hundreds of people to boycott British goods and material. This was the first peaceful freedom movement against the British. He appealed to the people, "Do not accept service from the government; do not send children to government schools; do not go to court of law but settle disputes by reference to panchayats (village council); do not use foreign goods; and do not use government postal services." No one outside of Punjab took part in this movement. Baba Raam Singh was arrested and his companions were blown up by the canons. Gandhi’s movement was not anything new. Rather it was everything that Baba Raam Singh had started more than 70 years before him.

After all these struggles how can one still call 1857 mutiny to be the “first freedom movement?” Clearly, Sikhs were the first community to start the freedom movement in India during Mughal and the British Empire.

War of Independence?

The main question still remains: was the mutiny of 1857 an actual “freedom fight” or war of independence?

The so called “freedom movement” was started by nearly 85 troops of a Bangali regiment on 9^th May, 1857 in Merath. The cause of this insurgency was that Enfield rifle ammunition had to be manually loaded before firing which involved biting the end of the cartridge, which was greased in pig fat and beef tallow. This was offensive to Hindus and Muslims alike, who considered tasting beef or pork to be against their respective religious tenets. This enraged both communities. Mangal Panday shot a British officer in Merath out of anger. This news spread all over the place which caused fights between Hindus Muslims and the British. Thus began the “freedom movement”.

This was all due to religious reasons. No one had even a single bit of thought about India’s independence. All Rajputs were divided and fighting each other. There was lack of organization, and planning. There was no leader chosen by all communities. India was divided into many pieces of land among Hindus and Muslims.

The most important fact Hindu scholars ignore is that the lard was supplied by a Hindu Brahmin. According to Mr. Sain in “Eighteen Fifty Seven”, “The lard was supplied by a Hindu Brahmin from Bengal. The government instructed to use lard of a goat or sheep but to save some money he used cow and pig instead.” Another fact that must be considered is that if the mutiny was in the protest of the cartridges then why did the Hindu and Muslim troops use the same weapons to fight their war?

According to many historians, 1857 was nothing but a senseless rebellion against the government.

Sir Jadoo Naath says, “The Sepoy Mutiny was not a fight for freedom.”

Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “It was neither first nor national, nor a war of independence.”

Dr. Ganda Singh, “Because of the lard cartridges many Hindu and Muslim troops became rebellious and killed many innocent people.”

The “freedom fighters” shouted the slogans of “Long Live Bahadur Shah” in Delhi because they had chosen him as their leader. According to Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “They appointed Bahadur Shah as their leader because he was upset about the fact that British had seized his kingdom. He was against British but not in favor of kicking them out of India. He betrayed the rebellions and gave away all the secret information to lieutenant of Agra. The rebellions insulted him for this action and appointed Prince Abu Bakar as their new leader.” Dr. R. C. Maujumdar further writes, “Bahadur Shah tried to sign a peace treaty with the British on the condition that British would protect him physically and financially. He also promised to help the British if his son was appointed as the king of his seized kingdom.”

According to Dr. Ganda Singh, “Army troops of Bahadur Shah refused to fight for him until their salaries were well paid.”

Now, what kind of freedom movement was this? On one hand they wanted freedom and on the other hand they wanted to get paid for their fight. Fight for freedom is not fought on monthly salaries. In fact, 1857 incident was nothing more than fight for personal gains.

According to Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “All the circumstances leave no doubt that Bahadur Shah and his family not only betrayed rebellions but the whole nation.”

There are many well known figures that played their part in this so-called mutiny. Nana Sahib of Maratha kingdom joined this mutiny for personal gains. He seized the British entrenchment in Kanpur and killed innocent women and children. The last king of Maratha, Bajee Rao, was given annual pension of 8 million. He had no child. After his death British refused to pay anyone else. When the mutiny was at the highest peak, Nana Sahib requested to help British if they agreed to pay the pension but British refused. Nana Sahib had no choice but to join the mutiny. The British was unsuccessful to capture him for 17 years.

Truth Behind 1857

Bijla Singh

Whenever India’s independence is discussed, mutiny of 1857 comes to the mind. There are numerous misconceptions related to 1857. First misconception preached by all newspapers, magazines and history books is that the battle of 1857 was the first war of independence. Second and most important misconception is that this “freedom movement” would not have failed if Sikhs had not betrayed their “country” resulting in British rule over India for 90 more years. Majority of the Indians without considering the proper facts have started to believe in these misconceptions. But their knowledge about this “freedom movement” is far from the actual truth. Only a fraction of the truth is being preached by the government.

First War of Independence?

First let’s discuss the first point. Was 1857 the year of first war of independence?

India had been under foreign rule for over 700 years. The first time anyone ever spoke out for freedom in India was only and only Guru Nanak Dev Ji. King Babur attacked India, arrested Guru Nanak Dev Ji and tortured him in many ways because He spoke for freedom. Therefore that was the beginning of the first freedom battle. Guru Arjan Dev Ji was seen as anti-Islamic by the Mughal government. He was arrested and tortured. He is the first martyr of the freedom movement in India. Guru Hargobind Ji spent many months in prison and fought four battles against Mughals. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji had no personal fights with the government but He sacrificed for freedom of religion and justice. He saved the Hindu religion. Contribution of Guru Gobind Singh Ji to the freedom movement is a unique example that is found no where else in the history of the world. He instilled self-confidence, honor, dignity, pride and warrior traits in the people of India Every Sikh fought against oppression and injustice.

Baba Banda Singh along with other Sikhs established the first Sikh rule in Punjab and fought against the Mughal government and later on sacrificed for freedom. Even after his martyrdom, numerous battles were fought, sword fought sword, bullet fought bullet, and blood of thousands of Sikhs was spilled but this freedom group never stopped. Sikhs were cut into pieces, bricked alive, sawn in half, boiled alive, burnt alive, and crushed on spinning wheels but all this for what? It was for freedom, a fight of free life and death. Nawab Kapoor Singh, Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgharia, Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, Sardar Hari Singh Nalua, Akali Phoola Singh, Sardar Shaam Singh, Bhai Maharaj Singh…..the list goes on. These true warriors never let foreign rulers sleep peacefully.

Foreigners like Ahmad Shah Abdali attacked India nine times but he always faced problem in Punjab. Not a single Hindu or Muslims king could stop him. It was Sikhs who fought him and freed many Hindu slave women and children. Up to Satluj river Punjab had become part of Afghanistan. Sikhs took it back and reattached it to India. Hundreds of years of foreign attacks were put to stop forever by the Sikhs. At that time no Hindu army came forward to help Sikhs in the cause of freedom. Rather they helped Muslims in every battle. It was the Sikhs who ended the long Mughal rule in India and established their own kingdom in northern India but due to betrayal by Dogras, Sikh kingdom was annexed by the British in 1849. Bhai Maharaj Singh was the first Sikh to go to every village and city to preach for freedom and start a freedom movement against the British rule. Before he could organize the army that consisted of mostly Sikhs he was arrested. He was exiled from the country. He died in the jail a couple of years later. In 1850, more than 50 Sikh regiments protested against the British rule and tried to start another war but Charles Campier controlled the situation before hand and another mutiny died before it could start.

After that incident, Baba Raam Singh inspired hundreds of people to boycott British goods and material. This was the first peaceful freedom movement against the British. He appealed to the people, "Do not accept service from the government; do not send children to government schools; do not go to court of law but settle disputes by reference to panchayats (village council); do not use foreign goods; and do not use government postal services." No one outside of Punjab took part in this movement. Baba Raam Singh was arrested and his companions were blown up by the canons. Gandhi’s movement was not anything new. Rather it was everything that Baba Raam Singh had started more than 70 years before him.

After all these struggles how can one still call 1857 mutiny to be the “first freedom movement?” Clearly, Sikhs were the first community to start the freedom movement in India during Mughal and the British Empire.

War of Independence?

The main question still remains: was the mutiny of 1857 an actual “freedom fight” or war of independence?

The so called “freedom movement” was started by nearly 85 troops of a Bangali regiment on 9^th May, 1857 in Merath. The cause of this insurgency was that Enfield rifle ammunition had to be manually loaded before firing which involved biting the end of the cartridge, which was greased in pig fat and beef tallow. This was offensive to Hindus and Muslims alike, who considered tasting beef or pork to be against their respective religious tenets. This enraged both communities. Mangal Panday shot a British officer in Merath out of anger. This news spread all over the place which caused fights between Hindus Muslims and the British. Thus began the “freedom movement”.

This was all due to religious reasons. No one had even a single bit of thought about India’s independence. All Rajputs were divided and fighting each other. There was lack of organization, and planning. There was no leader chosen by all communities. India was divided into many pieces of land among Hindus and Muslims.

The most important fact Hindu scholars ignore is that the lard was supplied by a Hindu Brahmin. According to Mr. Sain in “Eighteen Fifty Seven”, “The lard was supplied by a Hindu Brahmin from Bengal. The government instructed to use lard of a goat or sheep but to save some money he used cow and pig instead.” Another fact that must be considered is that if the mutiny was in the protest of the cartridges then why did the Hindu and Muslim troops use the same weapons to fight their war?

According to many historians, 1857 was nothing but a senseless rebellion against the government.

Sir Jadoo Naath says, “The Sepoy Mutiny was not a fight for freedom.”

Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “It was neither first nor national, nor a war of independence.”

Dr. Ganda Singh, “Because of the lard cartridges many Hindu and Muslim troops became rebellious and killed many innocent people.”

The “freedom fighters” shouted the slogans of “Long Live Bahadur Shah” in Delhi because they had chosen him as their leader. According to Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “They appointed Bahadur Shah as their leader because he was upset about the fact that British had seized his kingdom. He was against British but not in favor of kicking them out of India. He betrayed the rebellions and gave away all the secret information to lieutenant of Agra. The rebellions insulted him for this action and appointed Prince Abu Bakar as their new leader.” Dr. R. C. Maujumdar further writes, “Bahadur Shah tried to sign a peace treaty with the British on the condition that British would protect him physically and financially. He also promised to help the British if his son was appointed as the king of his seized kingdom.”

According to Dr. Ganda Singh, “Army troops of Bahadur Shah refused to fight for him until their salaries were well paid.”

Now, what kind of freedom movement was this? On one hand they wanted freedom and on the other hand they wanted to get paid for their fight. Fight for freedom is not fought on monthly salaries. In fact, 1857 incident was nothing more than fight for personal gains.

According to Dr. R. C. Maujumdar, “All the circumstances leave no doubt that Bahadur Shah and his family not only betrayed rebellions but the whole nation.”

There are many well known figures that played their part in this so-called mutiny. Nana Sahib of Maratha kingdom joined this mutiny for personal gains. He seized the British entrenchment in Kanpur and killed innocent women and children. The last king of Maratha, Bajee Rao, was given annual pension of 8 million. He had no child. After his death British refused to pay anyone else. When the mutiny was at the highest peak, Nana Sahib requested to help British if they agreed to pay the pension but British refused. Nana Sahib had no choice but to join the mutiny. The British was unsuccessful to capture him for 17 years.