Revolt of 1857 in Maharashtra
The Bombay Presidency was a province of the English East India Company and it covered parts of western and central India, some of which were directly under its control. It also controlled some native states. It was responsible for their defence and relations with Britain. The native rulers were responsible for the internal administration of these States.
In 1857, the Bombay Presidency had under its control around 134,135 square miles of territories (with about fourteen million inhabitants) and 71,320 square miles of native states with about six million inhabitants. The native states were Baroda, Kathiwar, Kachh, Kambhayat, Mahikanta, Rewakanta, Kolhapur, Sawantwari, and Khairpur.
The native sepoys of the Company’s regiments and the staff and subjects of the deposed native rulers of the States under Bombay Presidency also rebelled once the news of the Mutiny in Central India reached them. Here it is important to point out that most of the sources consulted for this account of the Mutiny were written by British officers and from a British perspective. Although these sources seem to be presenting a biased one-sided view of the Mutiny, at times expressing gratitude for the British administrators’ intelligence network, shrewd foresight, planning and also the detrimental and often brutal actions, with which they managed to restrain the rebellion, it is possible to gauge the dissatisfaction among the native troops, deposed rulers, their staff and subjects with the Company rule and their uprising to restore the reign of native rulers.
Some examples of the revolts by the natives are given in the following paragraphs:
Aurangabad
The 1st and 3rd Cavalry, 2nd Infantry, and a battery of artillery, of the Hyderabad Contingent were stationed at Aurangabad. The native troops of the 1st Cavalry rebelled when learnt that they would be required to join the Bombay Agra column to attack Delhi. The native officers promised to remain lawful but also admitted that they would not take up arms against their men or the mutineers. Captain Abbott had no choice but to relent and inform the troops that they would not be asked to join the march to Delhi. Kaye and Malleson (1880) report, “So little confidence, however, in the stability of the compromise was felt on both sides, that the officers proceeded to barricade themselves in their mess-house, whilst the mutinous cavalry boasted over their moral victory in every quarter of the city.”
The ‘happy’ troops did not rebel. Still, General Woodburn, who reached Aurangabad on 23rd June 1857, ordered the troops to surrender their arms as a precautionary measure. All but 1st Cavalry obeyed his orders. The sepoys of the 1st Cavalry walked out after the elapse of six minutes they were given to surrender their arms. Many managed to escape but four were caught and executed by hanging the next day.
Bombay
Although Bombay, in the nineteenth century, was experiencing immense development and growth in its infrastructure and many sectors, as a result of which, it was offering many business and employment opportunities to people of all classes, the natives, as reported by the Maharashtra State Gazetteers for Greater Bombay, were not happy with the proselytising activities of the Christian missionaries. They suspected the missionaries to have the support of the Bombay Government, which had refused to act on its complaints of religious conversions, citing non-interference as its policy.
In 1841, the Parsee community launched aggressive counter campaigns. These included boycotting educational institutions run by Christian missionaries, circulating books and pamphlets and even seeking legal help, among other steps. But these could not deter the missionaries from their conversion activities and in 1855, Vishnbuwa Brahmachari started giving discourses on the Chaupati beach. The Bombay Government tried to stop it but the agitation continued.
Satara
Raja Pratapsinhji’s political agent, adviser and lawyer, Rango Bapuji returned in 1854 from London to Satara where he unsuccessfully fought for fourteen years, the deposed Raja’s case before the Directors of the English East India Company, even after the death of the Raja in exile in 1847 in Benaras. He decided to fight the British to restore the rule of Pratap Sinhgji’s family in Satara. He had the support of the second Rani of Pratapsinhji and the adopted son Shahaji, who had also returned in July of the same year from exile in Benaras.
Bapuji started assembling a rebel force. The Gazetteer of Satara reports, “Rango Bapuji was continuously on the move, most often in the Bhor province and in Belgaum district, trying to contact, persuade and cleverly cajole individuals to mobilize bands of men, find funds, check and secure arrangements, provide for ammunition and weapons, for the rebel force that he was trying to cobble together.”
He had the support of many disgruntled chiefs. Many did not have male heirs and were worried that upon their deaths their estates would also fall in the hands of the British. They were also upset with the Inam Commission which was set up in 1852 to regulate the grants or ‘inams’ they had received as rewards for their services to the native rulers. The Commission also questioned the inheritance of ‘inam’ lands and many faced the risks of losing their land.
The news of Mutiny in central India reached them through a Brahmin messenger, who had managed to cross the fortified borders of the Bombay Presidency. He had brought with him a letter addressed to the Ranis with instructions to burn it after reading. The letter was read in the library of the old palace where the family of Pratapsinhji was staying after their return from Benaras. They decided the time was ripe for them to join the rebellion.
By June 1857, Rango Bapuji had managed to gather a large force of about two thousand armed Marathas near Bagarvadi, a village near Bhor. He had planned to enlist about a thousand men from Belgaum. He was also confident of the support of Kolhapur where also, incited by the displaced chiefs and the disbanded troops, the 27th Infantry was ready to rebel.
Many of his people hid in Satara for the imminent attack on the stations of Satara, Yavateshvar and Mahabaleshvar and to plunder the treasury and release about 300 convicts from the jail. The native police chief, Antaji Raje Shirke who was on the Rani’s payroll, was to keep the police inactive.
Kolhapur
Kolhapur was ruled over by the descendents of Shivaji’s second son Rajaram. The British did not like the ways by which the State was run and in 1842, took over its direct administration, abolished its hereditary garrison, disarmed its forts and disbanded the native army. The latter was replaced by a local crop, the 27th Native Infantry with three English officers. The sepoys of the 27th Infantry made a plan to rebel on 10th August. They were to get the support of the 28th Infantry stationed at Dharwar and the 29th Infantry stationed at Belgaon.
However, the British came to know about the imminent attack through its network of informers. Interestingly, the sepoys also came to know that the news of their rebellion had reached the British and decided to take them by surprise and attack immediately. They sent their messengers to Dharwar and Belgaon to inform them of the preponement and attacked the British on 31st July. They plundered the treasury and bazaar. Three officers were killed. Others took refuge in the Residency.
Colonel Maughan gave orders to close the city gates to restrict the movement of the rebels. Many were trapped inside. They could not go out. Nor could they get any support from outside. Their messages to the 28th and 29th Infantry were also intercepted by the British and they did not get the support of the 28th and 29th Infantries they had anticipated.
On 14th August, Colonel Jacob reached Kolhapur with reinforcements of horse artillery and dragoons. Although at this time, Kolhapur had two horse artillery guns, about a hundred men of the 2nd Europeans from the coast, twenty five British gunners with two guns and two howitzers and ninety men, one hundred and eighty men of the Southern Maratha Horse and three hundred and fifty men of the local corps, Colonel Jacob decided to disarm the remaining troops of the 27th Native Infantry. He did not want to take any chances. This must have had a demoralising effect on the troops, who it is reported, surrendered their arms without any resistance.
Belgaon
Belgaon was the head quarters of the Southern division of the army under the command of Major General Lester. Seton-Karr was the Collector and Magistrate of Belgaon. The 29th Infantry stationed there was all set to revolt and it was waiting for a signal from Kolhapur before doing so. Belgaon is about 65 miles from Kolhapur. However, the British managed to apprehend the bearer of the news of the Kolhapur rebellion. He was blown from gun on charges of inciting the troops into sedition.
On 2nd August, the British gave orders to two of the companies of the 29th Infantry to move to Badami. One of these companies had the rebel leader Thakur Singh.
Thus by the time the news of the Kolhapur rebellion finally reached Belgaon, sepoys of the remaining companies did not do anything. Their leader was not with them. Moreover, the British troops had been reinforced with the arrival of the 86th foot. Still five of the conspirators were tried and one of them was condemned to death and the remaining four were transported. Thereafter, the District Magistrate gave orders to disarm the district.
Dharwar
It is about 42 miles from Belgaon in a direction opposite to Kolhapur. The rebels in the 28th Infantry also planned to rebel and support the Kolhapur rebellion. The British came to know about it and on 10th August General Lester came to Dharwar with additional British troops and managed to curb it.
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