1857 War of Independence or Jihad to establish Muslim rule.

 1857 War of Independence or Jihad to establish Muslim rule.

10 may is the so-called remembrance day of the 1857 sepoy mutiny. 

Which Savarkar called India's first war of Independence, which indicates towards an Indian National Identity, was it a pan-India struggle?

Savarkar was in London when he wrote this book, he had access to some authentic documents of the British government regarding the 1857 revolt.

It was a time when out of extremist groups and moderate groups, The extremist group lead by Lal, Bal, Pal was gaining traction and it wanted to unite the Indian society and drive away from the British. Savarkar was of the same line of thought, so he tried to erase the British narrative of a simple mutiny, over simple issues of pension and salary raise and some emotional religious issue. Into what it was a full-scale war but Savarkar had a narrative to build, that is why the book was smuggled into India and published under extreme conditions. Savarkar called it an example of Hindu Muslim unity. 

But then why was every Hindu power like the Sikhs, Gurkhas, Marathas, and Rajputs allied with the British? and in the war, Sikhs and Gurkhas were at the forefront of fighting the war on the side of the British.  Savarkar called the Sikhs and Gurkhas Traitor and Marathas and Rajput Dead bodies as they largely remained natural or supported the British. Why was there no revolt south of Narmada? To understand all of this we must go to the genesis of revolt. 

Dr B.R Ambedkar said "1857 rebellion was actually a jihad, done by Muslims against British. This rebellion someday (some time) ago Sayed Ahmed Barelvi preached that due to British rule India has become Darul Harb, This Rebellion is nothing but a struggle to make India Darul Islam again. "

After the death of Aurangzeb in Deccan, the Hindu power was rising, all attempts to stop them failed.

Finally, on 28 March 1737 Marathi Armies captured Delhi, now the Maratha flag was flying higher than the Mughal flag in their Capital.  

Shah Waliulla Delhvi from the lineage of Ahmed Sarhindi. 

Ahmed Sarhindi was against Akbar's tolerant policies and later forced Jahangir to revert to the hostile Islamic practices towards Hindus, which finally cause the debacle of Mughals under Aurangzeb. Shah waliulla Hated the Maratha rule and considered this as an insult to raise Marathi flag over the Mughal flag in their glorious Capital. He inspired the population of Delhi to do jihad against Marathas, which was brutally crushed by Marathi forces, later, he tried and stitched and pan Islamic alliance and invited Afgan King Abdali to Invade India and save Islam. which succeeded in Panipat. Marathas so fell to palace politics and their northern expansion was checked. But now the Sikhs rose and they were strictly imposing the Hindu laws, like a ban on cow slaughter, etc. from the same lineage came Ahmed shah Barelvi, who understood to strengthen Islamic power in India Sikhs must be weakened or destroyed, on 21st December 1826 Jihad against the Hindu-Sikhs was called after gathering thousands of men from India and support from tribes of Afganistan. In this struggle at Balakot Ahmed shah Barelvi was killed and that jihad totally broken, but the Dream of reestablishing Darul Islam and regain the lost power harbored in every elite musalman of India.

For example, In 1803 Shah Abdul Aziz, when Delhi was won by the English. He issued a fatwa in response that now  India has become Darul Harb and Darul Islam is destroyed and everyone should strive to make it Darul Islam.

His student understood a direct Jihad wasn't possible now, so The great conspiracy of influencing the Native British Soldiers started.

This revolt happened in only areas which has seen only Mughal or Muslim rule, Hardly any free areas like Rajputana , Marathas, Gurkhas or Sikhs there was any revolt. 

This was surely bigger then an mutiny as India has 3 main British amries , Mumbai (Bombay), Madras and Bengal army. and whole of Bengal and Mumbai army was in today's UP. 

It is said policy of lapse caused the kings to join the rebellion, but this is true only for Awadh or Oundh Nawabs, rest nobody rose for that reason including Jhansi. 

In 1854 lapse policy was executed in Jhansi  and Rani became caretaker on behalf of Birtish crown, All of Rajputana, nizams , pujanb, marathas were allied to British. 

So why was Oundh it was because after fall of Aurangzeb, Persia rose as power house on world stage . The Nawab of Oundh invited Persian to rule over Delhi in 1739 , Nadir Shah of Persia looted Delhi later, so Oundh fell in British orbit in 1764. The British encouraged the rise of Oundh to weaken Delhi and buffer against Marathas.

In 1851 there happened and incident of Hanuman Gadi, In which Muslims claimed the land of the temple British residence, nominated a committee of one hindu, Christian and Muslim each, which found out that the land belongs to hindus. which the Nawab didn't agree and under Maulana Amir ali Jihad was called and huge masses marched towards Hanuman Gadi. The residence organised a force, and in the defense of the same 625 hindus died. A report was send saying the Nawab is against the hindus and for miss rule must be taken over, which happened in feb 1756.

On 29th march Mangal Pandey  shot fired the sepoy mutiny with his two commareds Pir Ali and Naki Khan, and on 11 May  Bhadur Shah Zafar is declared emperor of India and said that the old Mughal rule had come back, the titles awarded was Noor e Islam Hafiz e Din Mohamad Bahadur Shah Zafar.

The star of Islam and protector of religion Mohamad Bahadur Shah Zafar. 

In 1856 letters were sent to Iran by moulavi and elites to the King of Persia (Iran) and Amir of Afghanistan 

one such example is now Oundh has fallen and after Hyderbad falls, India will have no sign of Islam. So in time we must act, If Oundh rebels then how much can you help? 

Similarly there was pressure on the Badshah of Iran and he sent a letter promising help, there were posters in the masjid of Delhi that Persian Armies will come and bring Islamic rule in Delhi and kafir will be thrown out. While no such letter was sent to any of the powerful Hindu Rulers like Sikhs or Marathas of Gwalior etc. 

There were these people who secretly smuggled messages on roti (bread), This people are address as angle and said your darling is freedom and for this you have to do jihad and run in all directions. Savarkar praises them, all Literature both british and indian is only talking of bring back Islamic rule through this revolt. 

Let us see who were the people who inspired this revolt, these were all maulana without exception, most were from the lineage of Ahmed Sarhindi, who hated the hindus and was striving for Islamic rule and law.

who were the leaders of the revolts, there were these five top leaders Bhadurshah zafar, Begaum of Oundh, Birjis Qadr of Oundh, shahzada Ferzor Shah, Ahmed Shah and Moulana Liyaqat Ali. How do you see national inclusive character into this, where there is not one hindu, which were the majority population.

UP government has published Freedom struggle 1857,1858 in 6 volume. In this work everything is listed with location, who were the leaders, what were the flags, and from where did they come/

150 revolts happened in India out of them only 2 exceptional and 5 to 6 minor hindu leaders and all of them had their allegiance to the Emperor Bhadur shah zafar. 

let us look at the declaration in name of Rani Jhansi " khuldh Kudha ka Mulk Badshaha ka alam Rani ka" (law of allaha, country of the mughal emperor, caretaker is queen of Jhansi).

further the council of minister of Mughal emperor none was a none Muslim,  Military commanders none  were hindus.  from Miraj 200 horsemen went to support the revolt almost all where Muslims. no hindu maratha horsemen went in mass to join the revolt why? 

On 11th may jihad started, in Delhi and till 15th may all Christian men, women and children were raped and butchered, not a single British was left to see the morning of 16th may in Delhi. On 19th may Jihad was Declared on hindus from Jama masjid. In distressed Hindus went to the Badshah, and the Badshah, declared that this jihad was against Christian and not hindus. 

later when Delhi army was defeated by British near Yamuna, This British victory was celebrated by hindus in Delhi.  1st August the military wanted to slaughter a cow, this would have caused a fight with Hindus and Muslims, This news reached The Emperor, an order was issued stating that for this year in Delhi there will be no cow slaughter. Yet the tension was brewing so all Muslims were asked to deposit their cows to the local kothwal (police station). 

This was because the elite knew that, without Hindu support it is impossible to sustain the revolt. 

To garner Hindu support, An Imperial appeal was made "That Badshah will lead the war, so every  hindu and Muslim must gather at the Kashmiri Gate" but on the next day 50,000 Gazi gathered, no hindu responded to the call. So nobody went to war. 

On 20th September Delhi fell and sweets were distributed at Agra by hindus.

Delhi was won by Sikh and Gurkha troops. The Sikhs had fought the Mughals from inception, they were their Primary enemy, so after the fall of Delhi when the Princes and Generals of Mughals were hanged in Delhi. The Sikh soldiers would often spit  on the dead cropse and rejoice that their gurus and  martyrs are avenged.  

After which The Badshah was brought and tried under British law. This was the famous Delhi trial, 

In this trial British Advocate general Herrot says "Even if Bhadur Shah Zafar being Nominal head, Muslims zealots looked at him as a star of their religion." he again says " it is proved that, it  was Muslim conspiracy and they have fooled hindus to take part in it, which hindus soon realised that they have been used and that is why they celebrated our victory over Delhi, this revolt was of Muslims. " 

surprisingly all British officers from local captians, bureaucrats to the PM Palmerston even the fact finding committe under  w.w Hunter all call it a Muslim conspiracy.

Further in the march of 1758 under Begaum of Oundh after fall of Delhi Prince Birjis Qadri was Declared the emperor or leader of the Revolt. Here the king of Benaras sided with the British to save Vishwanath temple from Jihadis.   

Nawab Bahadur Khan in Rohilkhand had successfully revolt and was caused the British a lot of difficulty here Hindu Muslim clashes happened very frequently. 

In 1757 when the British won the battle of Plassey, which was aided,abetted and celebrated by hindus.  

Now why did NanaSaheb Peshwa and Tatya Tope or Rani of Jhansi joined this revolt.

On 6th of June 1757 Revolt started in Kanpoor, Nanasaheb was asked to raise 1500 men and  protect British treasury  at Kanpoor. He with his close associate or commander and chief Tatya Tope were in Bitoor. Till 5th June he is with the British, on that same day. He is arrested by rebel soldiers and asked to lead and go to Delhi. NanaSaheb refuses, then they are put into a jail and threatened to be killed. That is when he an Tatya agrees and lead an attack on kanpoor the next morning. 

In kanpoor Noor Mohamad place, was made into a make shift headquarters and declaration was made "Khudh kudha ka mulk badshah ka alam Nanasaheb ka". Declaring Nanasaheb as the leader,

Ministry was established, which was guided by Muslim clergy. 

A nephew of Bala Bhat was the chief justice of the council of NanaSaheb, a cow was slaughtered by a Muslim butcher. This was brought to the Chief Justice of Nanasaheb, a trail was held and a sentence was awarded to punish the Butcher. when this news became public. Armed Muslims walk on to Nanasaheb headquarters, Nanasaheb with folded hands went to the molavi (Muslim clergy). To which mullavis said we have made you a leader here, and how dare you punish a Muslim in response . Nanasaheb responded I am sorry, I will take back the order, and you may slaughter as many cows as you want,  but don't do it in hindu areas, that is a request.

In 1759 after the Battle is long over Nanasaheb writes a letter to the British. " I was forced into the rebellion. I am not a murderer, my army was yours and they had called for rebellion. I was surrounded by Muslim soldiers, I have been writing to your government, from last two, three years but you haven't even looked at it. Your soldiers didn't follow my command, and killed your women and children. That should not be blamed on me. "

latter in the same letters he says " I am ready for the war, I will fight till I die. You know I am innocent , you have forgiven everyone, I am the only one who is left. When I will fight with my marathas, then there will be rivers of blood and flesh, which will be knee deep. To be the sole enemy of a powerful nation like yours, is an honour for me. Death is certain, so better to die fighting."

The lapse policy was executed in Jhansi in 1754 and Rani was the caretaker on behalf of British, she had 500 of her own troops,  rest were the British troops under residency, she would collect tax and take pension.

7th June 1757 the rebellion started in Jhansi the native soldiers of british army. They captured the british women and children, Rani of Jhansi secretly gave these women and children, food. 

Rani writes to Jabalpur commissioner " I am not in this (rebellion), Your army had given me death threats and had done the massacre of your people. Please provide me protection.

An investigation was started, It found out that Rani is loyal to the British. She has been collecting the taxes, She should be given security. 

Later misunderstanding was created by Orchas Nawab Nate Khan, between British and Jhansi.

19th March 1758 British army reached Jhansi and asked Rani to meet them in their camp. This was objected by the council of Rani, objection was raised by Nana Bhopatkar, That it is not right for a lady to go in British camp. So a diplomat was sent to British Camp. The diplomat said "we are loyal to you (British), you have been miss-guided."

 Yet the British attacked, Rani escaped meet Nanasaheb and went to Gawlior. Their majority of forces were Muslims. Rani last letter says "I was loyal to you, but you don't trust me, so now I will fight. There is no doubt for their bravery Tatya Tope or Rani of Jhansi. they are inspirational and their struggle  was really great. but they were forced into this war. 

So this is how 1857 revolt didn't have pan India participation and was a Jihad to re-establish darul Islam.