Essay on Mangal Panday
Mangal Pandey was one of the main actors in the Indian Independence War of 1857 who sparked the spark that, 90 years after the Sepoy Mutiny, led to India’s independence. Generations may not find it remarkable that a country of 130 billion people enjoys freedom, but when they consult their history textbooks, they will discover that this was not the situation 75 years ago. India’s freedom did not arrive easily. It occurred on August 15, 1947, as a result of the sacrifices made by thousands of freedom fighters.
However, although there was a strong desire for independence from colonial control, few early British Indians were able to publicly oppose White supremacy.
Mangal Pandey, commonly known as India’s first freedom warrior, defied the British in such a situation. Mangal Pandey’s legacy is such that it was presented in Hindi cinema by actor Aamir Khan in his 2005 film of the same name.
In the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, three regiments of the Indian Army refused to use ammunition for the Enfield Rifles and requested that Bahadur Shah Zafar become the rebel’s leader.
Mangal Pandey was one of the most important individuals in this uprising and the first to strike the British troops.
Mangal Pandey was born on 19 July 1827 in the village of Nagwa in the Ballia district (present-day Uttar Pradesh), to parents Diwakar Pandey and Abha Rani.
Mangal’s youthful physique prompted an employee of the East India Company to recommend that he enlist in the military.
Mangal Pandey joined the East India Company’s 34th Bengal Native Infantry unit in 1849, at the age of 22.
The British Raj created significant turmoil and dissatisfaction among the Indian populace. The Hindu soldiers objected to the inclusion of Gurkha, Sikh, and lower caste soldiers in their ranks. The utilisation of pig fat in the cartridges of the newly introduced Enfield rifles exacerbated the anger.
On February 9, Mangal Pandey had the audacity to refuse to use cartridges containing animal fat, prompting the British to confiscate his firearms and army uniform. When Major Hewson attempted to seize Mangal’s firearm on March 29, he killed him and fled the scene.
Mangal Pandey knew he wouldn’t be able to evade capture for long, so the British dispatched their forces to catch him. He shot himself in order to avoid being killed by the British. Nevertheless, he survived the shot and was regrettably arrested by the British while still wounded.
On April 6, he appeared in court, and on April 18, he was sentenced to death. Soon, however, a large number of supporters of Mangal Pandey gathered, and on April 8, a terrified British army hanged him 10 days in advance.
The assassination of Mangal Pandey sparked an uprising in northern India that expanded gradually to the rest of the country.
Consequently, the insurrection of 1857 became characterised as the first war of Indian independence.
Soon thereafter, 90,000 more men joined the rebellion. Despite suffering significant losses at Kanpur and Lucknow, the British retreated to the Sikh and Gurkha armies and were able to repel the rebel army at Delhi by relying on them.
The 1857 Mutiny prompted the British Parliament to approve a law abolishing the East India Company, and India became a crown province that the British directly governed. Queen Victoria implemented a policy of divide and rule to prevent Indians from rising up against her.
However, Mangal Pandey lit the spark that, 90 years after the Sepoy Mutiny began, led to India’s independence.
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