EXECUTION OF MANGALA PANDI
The largest Indian uprising of the colonial period is considered to be the Sepoy Uprising of 1857-1859. In Soviet times, it was set as an example, as an uprising of the people against colonial slavery. But in fairness, it should be recognized that it was more like a senseless and merciless Russian riot, and for its own reasons it resembled the Astrakhan «wedding» riot, which broke out due to a rumor that local girls would be forcibly married to Germans.
No one planned the uprising in India, it arose spontaneously. The superiority of the British army over the once invincible Russian in the Crimean War was largely ensured by the English long-range Enfield rifles. In 1857, the leadership of the East India Company decided to arm the Sepoys with them. But it did not take into account the local mentality. There was a rumor in India that the impregnation of cardboard cartridges for «Enfields» contains animal fats – pork and cow. And when loading a rifle, the top of the bullet cartridge had to be bitten off, then powder was poured into the barrel from a cardboard sleeve, and a bullet was hammered on top with a ramrod. In this regard, there was even a special command to the soldiers: «Bite the cartridge!». But performing it, Hindu Muslims had to touch the fat of an unclean animal — a pig, and Hindus – a sacred animal – a cow. For both of them it was sacrilege.
Sepoys
The first Indian who refused to load new cartridges was 29 March 1857, 29-year-old soldier Mangal Pandey. However, there was no special revolutionary in his actions. They say that Mangal was high on narcotic bhang. Learning that a detachment of British soldiers was disembarking from a steamer nearby, he grabbed his old-style rifle, he ran to the guardhouse. There Pandi staggered for a while and shouted to other sepoys: «Come out — the Europeans are here» and «by biting off these cartridges, we will become infidels».
When the regimental adjutant, Lieutenant Blau, arrived to investigate the incident, the soldier shot him with an old cartridge and hit the horse. Blau quickly extricated himself, but before he could draw his saber sword, Pandey attacked him with a talwar (heavy Indian sword) and slashed the adjutant on the shoulder and neck. Further bloodshed was prevented by the intervening sepoy, Saikha Paltu.
General John Hersey ordered the arrest of Pandi Jemedar (Lieutenant) Ishwari Prasad, but he refused. And he also ordered his soldiers not to participate in the arrest. As a result, Hersey himself and his two sons went to arrest Mangala. Pulling out a pistol, he pointed it at the soldiers who were on guard and ordered is to do his duty. The guards followed Hersey towards Pandi. And when he saw them, he put the muzzle of the rifle to his chest and fired from it, pressing the trigger with his foot. He collapsed, bleeding profusely, but remained alive.
Aamir Khan in the movie «Mangal Pandey»
At the military tribunal, Mangal Pandey stated that he had taken bhang and opium and was not aware of his actions when he shot the officer. But he was sentenced to death anyway. And Ishwari Prasad was given a death sentence for ordering his soldiers not to arrest Pandi. The execution of Mangala Pandey took place on April 8, 1857, and Jemadar Ishwari Prasad was executed by hanging on April 21.
The Sepoy rebellion.
However, their punishment only made the situation worse. Mass disobedience began, and the Sepoys began to turn their old guns against the British soldiers. For the first time in the history of India, Muslims and Hindus have united to fight a common enemy. A spark ignited the flames of rebellion against the British all over India.
Now Mangal Pandi is considered a hero of India. At the place where he was hanged, there is now a park named after him — the Shahid Mangal Pandi Maha Udyan Park. And in August 2005, director Ketan Mehta released the film «Mangal Pandey: Uprising» with Indian actor Aamir Khan in the title role.
Oleg Loginov
*Translated using an electronic dictionary. The original text in Russian and much more on the criminal topic can be selected on the main page of the site — https://crimerecords.info/
