Day-10 Answer Writing Challenge : Model Answer

Question: Discuss the manifestation of ‘Revolt of 1857’ in the Hill States and Cantonments of Himachal Pradesh.  [400 words, 20 marks]

Answer: 

The revolt of 1857 led to several changes in the British policy towards the Indian states. In Himachal Pradesh, there was some sort of discontentment growing in local chiefs’ army. It was on 12th May, 1857 that Sir Henry Barnard’s son, who was acting as A.D.C. to his father, galloped into Shimla from Ambala bringing the news of the Mutiny to General Anson, the Commander-in-chief. The first sign of revolt occurred in Kasauli cantonment, which was the source of the British strength. Here, the revolutionaries of 1857 directly challenged the authority of the British. Resentment prevailed in the army of the local rulers at Dagshai, Subathu, Jutog, Kangra, Nurpur, Dharamsala and Sirmour.

Revolutionary Spirit in Shimla Areas:

• As the news of revolt at Meerut reached Shimla, the commander of the British army ordered his army to march towards Ambala. Surprisingly, the army refused to obey his order.
• The Nasiri Army (Gurkha Regiment) under the leadership of Subedar Bhim Singh captured Jutog cantonment and its treasury.
• Around these happenings a Gurkha army soldiers cut the neck of a British officer. This incident led to a stampede and insecurity among the British. Some of them took shelter in the princely states of Dhami, Koti, Balson and Baghat.
• Raja of Bushahr, Shamsher Singh, stopped paying the annual nazrana of 15 ,000 rupees which the British had imposed on his state.
• In Shimla hills, its leader was Ram Prasad Bairagi and he had succeeded in organizing a secret organization to carry out the revolutionary. These revolutionary activities were soon detected and Bairagi was sent to Ambala jail where he was hanged.

Chaos in Shimla:

• The European inhabitants of Shimla were frightened with the rumor. The nervous families of English officers fled Shimla to the neighboring hill states.
• Some took refuge at Junga (the residence of Rana Sansar Sen of Keonthal), some stayed with Thakurs of Koti and Balson state. Some sought refuge in the hill cantonments of Dagshai, Subathu and Kasauli. Shimla was completely deserted.
• The English refugees received much kindness from hill chiefs.
• Hill chiefs remained loyal to the Britishers.
• 50 well armed soldiers from Bilaspur were stationed in Boileauganj Bazar.

Revolt in Nalagarh:

• The British had kept their arms and ammunition in Malaun Fort (Nalagarh). When the soldiers carrying arms were leaving the fort, the extremists with the help of local zamindars attacked them.
• Ultimately to suppress the revolt and control the situation, the Commissioner of Trans-Satluj-yamuna, Edward John Locke requisitioned some army from the Mandi state and dispatched it towards Nalagarh.
• Assistance was also requisitioned by British from the Rana of Baghal who provided 150 armed jawans. Raja of Bilaspur (Kahlur) sent 250 Jawans. On 20th June, 1857 the Nalagarh revolt was finally brought under control.

Sirmour Configuration:

• The open disobedience of the orders of Commander-in-Chief, General George Anson by the Gurkha Army at Nahan was a major cause of revolt on 11 May, 1857. There was not much hope of help from. Kunwar Surjan Singh and Bir Singh were appointed to assist the ruler of Sirmour, Raja Shamsher Prakash, who was just an 11-year-old minor. They succeeded in controlling the general discontentment to some extent.

Capture of Kangra Fort

• On 15 May, 1857 captain Young Husband proceeded and reached Kangra Fort with Sher Dil Battalion and captured it without facing any resistance.

Mandi Suket Revolt

• In 1857, the ruler of Mandi, Raja Vijay Sen was only 10 years old. For his assistance, the British had appointed ‘wazir’ Gosaun as administrator. The revolutionaries could not get the help and support from any quarters in Mandi state. The Mandi ruler provided 125 armed soldiers to the British once to suppress the revolt in Una-Hoshiarpur
• Chamba remained comparatively peaceful during the 1857 Mutiny. Raja of Chamba, Shri Singh remained loyal to the British. Strict security arrangements were made to deal with the situation. Some revolutionary Sainiks, who had come from Jhelum and Jalandhar areas were arrested.

Chamba:

The Raja of Chamba (Sri Singh) gave protection to the English ladies and children in the sanatorium at Dalhousie. Sri Singh remain loyal to government and sent troops to Dalhousie under Mian Avtar Singh. He also captured 30 of the Sialkot mutineers and handed them over to the local authorities of Kangra

By 14 August 1857 , the revolutionary spirit was fading out in Shimla, Kangra, Kullu, Nalagarh and in other princely areas. However, at the beginning of this revolution, at least 50 patriots were hanged within a span of four months. Nearly 500 revolutionaries were in jails in different parts of Himachal Pradesh. Houses of hundreds of revolutionaries in Shimla, Jutog, Kasauli, Nalagarh, Solan, Kangra, Nurpur, Sujanpur-Tira, Kullu, Seraj and Bushahr were either destroyed or their property confiscated. All these atrocities could not prevent the revolutionaries from striving for the freedom of the country.