Mangal Pandey was hanged on 8 April 1857. Local executioners refused to hang Mangal Pandey. After this, four soldiers were summoned from Kolkata and this army was hanged.
But it is hardly known that Mangal Pandey, born on 19 July 1827, tried to kill himself several days before the hanging. And, he was also seriously injured in this attempt.
Story of March 29, 1857
This year was the 29th of March of 1857. Mangal Pandey was posted with the 34th Bengal Native Infantry at Barrackpore. Many types of rumors were spreading among the soldiers, from being forcibly converted to Christianity.
One of these rumors was also that a large number of European soldiers are coming to kill Indian soldiers.
Historian Kim A. Wagner has described the incident on March 29 in his book ‘The Great Fear of 1857 – Rumors, Conspiracies and Making of the Indian Uprising’.
Evening of march 29
Mangal Pandey was cleaning the gun in his tent at 4 pm on 29 March.
Wagner writes, “It was 4 o’clock in the evening. Mangal was cleaning the gun in his tent. A short time later he came to know about the European soldiers. The nervousness of the soldiers and the cannabis-infested Mangal caused a panic. Mangal, wearing his official jacket, cap and dhoti, ran towards the parade ground near the quarter guard building with his sword and gun. ”
British historian Rosie Lilwellan Jones has described the incident of Mangal attacking two British military officers in his book “The Great Uprising in India, 1857 – 58 Untold Stories, Indian and British”.
Jones writes, “Mangal Pandey, armed with a sword and his gun, started instigating his regiment by walking in front of the quarter guard (building). He was provoking the regiment’s soldiers by telling them of their extermination by European soldiers. James Hewison came out on foot to learn about all this. And, according to the eyewitness Havildar Sheikh Paltu of this whole incident, Pandey fired on Hewison. But this shot did not happen to Hewison. ”
Mangal Pandey’s sword waved again
Jones writes, “When the adjutant Lieutenant Banpade Bagh was told about this, he rode there on his horse and saw Pandey loading his gun. Mangal shot once and missed the target once more. , Bagh also targeted Pandey with his pistol, but the bullet did not hit the target. ”
After Mangal Pandey, another soldier Ishwari Prasad Pandey was hanged.
Historian Kim A. Wagner writes of this soldier, “When Sergeant Major Havison asked Ishwari Pandey to capture Mangal, Ishwari Prasad replied -” What can I do, my heroes have gone to Adjuvant, Havildar Have you gone to the field officer, can I overcome that alone? ”
Jones further writes about the conflict, “Mangal attacked Sergeant Major and Adjutant with his sword and severely wounded both. During this time, only one Indian officer, Sheikh Paltu, came and defended the British military officers. Tried and asked Pandey not to attack, but Pandey also attacked Paltu. ”
According to Jones, Paltu said, “After this, I caught Mangal from the waist.”
Jones writes, “But after this, when Paltu asked Jamadar Ishwari Pandey to send four soldiers to capture Mangal and Ishwari Prasad showed Paltu a gun and said that if Mangal would not let Pandey escape, he would shoot. Paltu said, “I let him go because of injuries”.
Then Mangal Pandey fired his last shot
Jones writes, “After this Mangal Pandey abused his comrades and said,” You guys provoked me and now you are not with me ********* ”
Jones adds, “The cavalry and several pedestrians started marching towards Mangal and seeing this, Mangal applied the gun cord to his chest, pressed the trigger with the toe. The bullet ignited his jacket and clothes. And he got injured and fell on the ground.
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