write short notes on any two heroes of the revolt 1857
Answers
The leadership of the revolt of 1857 in central India was in the hands of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi. When, am after the death of her husband, the Governor-General Lord Dalhousie refused to hand over the kingdom of Jhansi to her adopted son and annexed it to the British Company, like a hungry lioness she joined the rebel sepoys and feel upon the British armies at Kalpi. On 18 June, a battle was fought between the English and the Rani of Jhansi, helped by Tantya Tope and the brave Afghans. It was a fierce battle in which the Rani used her sword skillfully which made the English General wonder-struck. The Rani had staked her all in this battle. In no circumstances she way prepared to get captured as a prisoner. So she laid down her life and died a martyr on the battlefield. Even today people praise her courage and sing many songs in her memory.
2. Nana Sahib
Nana Sahib, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, took over the leadership of the temple in Kanpur in 1857. When his pension was stopped after the death of Peshwa Baji Rao II he got infuriated and with the help of the sepoys drive the English from Kanpur and declared himself to be the next Peshwa. He also recognized Bahadur Shah add the emperor of India. It was all in the interest to the Hindu-Muslim unity. He declared himself to be a Subedar of the Emperor of Delhi.
When the news of the excesses perpetuated by the British on the people of Bananas and Allahabad reached Kanpur, the infuriated sepoys slew several of their English captives. On 17 July 1857, General Havelock defeated Nana Sahib and captured Kanpur, where he took bitter revenge on the people for the killings of these English captives. It had an adverse reaction, for in November 1857, Nana Sahib and Tantya Tope together seized Kanpur and captured it again. A little later a fierce battle was fought between Nana Sahib and Colin Campbell, the Major General of the British Company, in December 1857 in which the English were victorious. At last a broken-hearted Nana Sahib migrated to Nepal, while his Lieutenant Tantya Tope went over to help Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi. Both of them together or up stiff resistance to the English.
The two heroes of the revolt of 1857 are Rani Laxmi Bai and Mangal Pandey.
Laxmibai (her actual name was Manikarnika) is known as the Rani of Jhansi. She was married to the Maharaja of Jhansi (a princely state). She was one of the leading personalities in the revolt of 1857 in India. To defence Jhansi from the attacks of the British army she even developed a force of rebellions, women were also a part of this force.
Mangal Pandey joined the Bengal army in the year 1849. During his service in the Bengal Infantry at Barrackpore, the British issued the sepoys with new gunpowder cartridges for the Enfield rifle. At the time when the Indian soldiers were provided with the rifles, a rumor spread around that the cartridges were manufactured from cow and pig fat. Therefore in order to load the Enfield required one to open the greased cartridge with the mouth. It was Mangal Pandey has led the group of Indian soldiers to prevent the use of the cartridge. He was jailed and killed for this act.