Mangal Pandey 

Mangal Pandey is famous in Indian history as a freedom fighter who gave his life to free the country from the British raj. He played a key
role in the revolt of 1857 also known a Sepoy mutiny of 1857. He is widely known in India as one of its first freedom fighters.

Birth

Mangal Pandey was born on 19 July 1827 in a Brahmin family in Nagwa, a village of upper Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh. He joined the East India
company army in 1849 at the age of 22.

1857 First War of Independence

Mangal Pandey was an Indian soldier who played an important role in inciting the Indian rebellion of 1857. A soppy serving with the British East India Company, he protested against the issue of greased cartridge to the soldiers; the cartridges were rumoured to have been greased with either cow or pig lard. A staunch Hindu Brahmin, it was against his religious beliefs to bite off the ends of greased cartridges if they had indeed been lubricated with animal fat. Soon the belief rose among the soldiers that the British had deliberately used pig or cow fat, and Mangal Pandey incited the other soldiers to join him in a protest against the British. On March 29, 1857, Pandey planned a rebellion against the British rule, and threatened to kill any British officer he comes across. Lieutenant Baugh, learned of the revolt and galloped on his horse to disperse the rebellious men. On seeing him approach, Pandey took position, aimed at Baugh and fired. The bullet missed the British officer but hit his horse, bringing them down.

Acting quickly Baugh sized a pistol and fired at Pandey. He missed. Pandey then attacked him with a talwar a heavy Indian sword and injured the European officer badly and brought him to the ground. By this time word reached the other British officers and Sergeant-Major Hewson arrived at the ground and asked an Indian officer to arrest Mangal Pandey, but Prasad refused to oblige. Hewson then went to Baugh's aid, and was knocked to the ground from behind by a blow from Pandey's musket. More English officers arrived on the scene. Sensing that his arrest was inevitable, Mangal Pandey tried to kill himself. He shot himself in the chest and collapsed bleeding but was not fatally wounded. He was arrested and brought to trial. Pandey then put the muzzle of the musket to his chest and discharged it by pressing the trigger with his foot. He collapsed bleeding, with his regimental jacket on fire, but not mortally wounded. 

Pandey recovered and was brought to trial less than a week later. When asked whether he had been under the influence of any substances, he stated steadfastly that he had mutinied on his own accord and that no other person had played any part in encouraging him. He was sentenced to death by hanging, along with Jemadar Ishwari Prasad, after three Sikh members of the quarter-guard testified that the latter had ordered them not to arrest Pandey.

Death

Mangal Pandey execution took place on 8 April. Jemadar Ishwari Prasad was executed by hanging on 21 April. His execution was set for 18 April 1857. The British authorities, however, feared the outbreak of a bigger revolt if they waited this long and executed him by hanging on 8 April 1857. 

Legacy

Pandey is extensively regarded as a hero in modern India. In the year of 1984, the Indian government issued a postage stamp to honour him. Several movies and stage plays have been based on his life, including the Hindi film Mangal Pandey. The Rising and the stage play titled The
Roti Rebellion in 2005.

Film and literatur

A film based on the sequence of even that led up to the mutiny entitled Mangal Pandey. The rising starring Indian actor, Aamir khan along with
Rani Mukherji, Amisha Patel and Toby stephens, directed by Keta Mehta was released on 12 August 2005. The life of pandey was the subject of a stage play titled The Roti Rebellion, which was written and directed by Supriya Karunakaran. The play was organized by sparsh, a theatre group, and presented in june 2005 at the moving Theatre at Andhra Saraswat Parishad, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. 

Commemoration

A park named Saheed Mangal Pandey Maha Udyan has been set up at barrackpore to commemorate the place where pandey attacked British
officers and was subsequently hanged.

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