History is written by victors; seldom do the vanquished manage to get heard. So there is a rich collection of letters, reports, diaries and memoirs written by Englishmen on 1857 and the events that led to it; little exists of what Indians wrote — they were weighed down by the fear of retribution. Thus, Ghalib wrote Dastanbuy immediately after the mutiny in praise of the Queen of England and the fairness of her rule. This is because Muslims were being hounded out of Delhi and he had to do whatever he could to save his skin. In private correspondence, he lamented the loss of the old order and bitterly criticised the British rule.
Subedar Sita Ram Pande, who in his 48 years with the Bengal Native Infantry fought the Gorkha War, got sold into slavery in Afghanistan after the disastrous expedition to Kabul, took part in the Sikh Wars and remained true to his salt during the Mutiny, couldn’t muster courage to publish his memoirs after retirement in 1860 either. He didn’t approve of the haughty ways of the British but was afraid to write about it because he feared his pension would be stopped. Then his commanding officer, Col (later Major General) J T Norgate, convinced him that no harm would come to him, and the old Subedar got down to writing From Sepoy to Subedar.
Somewhat similar fears played on the mind of Vishnu Bhatt, who happened to be in central India during the mutiny. He was a close witness to what transpired those days at rebel strongholds like Jhansi (under Lakshmibai), Bithur (Tatya Tope) and Kanpur (Nana Sahib). Bhatt returned safely from his journey, but was reluctant to write his memoirs. It was only after one of his associates, Chintamani Vinayak Vaidya, coaxed him that Bhatt sat down to write. It was 1881, 24 years after the mutiny, when he finished Majha Pravas in Marathi.
Both Bhatt and Vaidya were apprehensive that they would be penalised by the government if the book was published. Bhatt seems to have been more scared of the two. He handed over the manuscript to Vaidya and made him promise that the book would be published only after his death. So Majha Pravas came out after Bhatt died in 1903. Over time, there came two versions of the book: One was the no-frills account of Bhatt and the other was the spicy version with embellishments from Vaidya. Hindi translations followed, and now journalist and author Mrinal Pande has come out with the English version, 1857.
Bhatt, a Godshe Brahmin from Versai in the Alibag district of the Bombay Presidency, crossed the Satpura ranges with his uncle sometime in the summer of 1857 for alms. They were Brahmin beggars and went wherever rich men did rituals for birth, marriage or death. Of all the rebels with whom he came in contact, Bhatt perhaps got to know Lakshmibai the best. She, the daughter of a Brahmin priest, was married to Gangadhar, the aged ruler of Jhansi, because he was desperate for an heir. She didn’t produce any children, Gangadhar died and East India Company quickly laid its claim to Jhansi.
Gangadhar, Bhatt tells us, was a cross-dresser and would spend days together in the zenana every month in lehenga and jewellery. When the British Resident chided him for this, Gangadhar remarked what was wrong with it when East India Company had robbed the whole country of its manhood. Lakshmibai, in his account, comes across as a tough but cool-headed leader. She was well prepared to defend her fort at Jhansi till treachery from one of her generals did her in. She escaped to Bithur to be with Tope and Nana Sahib.
More From This Section
If Bhatt is to be believed, the plunder of Jhansi was planned and executed very well by the victors. The fort and the palaces were out of bounds to the native troops — this loot was reserved for British soldiers. Once they were done, the native sowars were let loose on the people of the town. Finally came the turn of the foot soldiers from down South who took with them even pots, pans and vessels from the homeless.
The book is a good commentary on the lives of Brahmins in that time — forever in search of alms, and forcing kings and rulers to feed them when they should worry about defending their land and protecting their people. There are numerous instances of warlords engaging hundreds of Brahmins to please the Gods, even when the enemy was at the gate. While in Ayodhya, Bhatt lies to his uncle and makes his way to Lucknow to enjoy its famed courtesans. That they are Muslim doesn’t bother the Brahmin; he returns only when he has had his fill of fun. 1857 is an illuminating throwback to the middle ages.
1857
The Real Story of the Great Uprising
Vishnu Bhatt Godshe Versaikar
Translated by Mrinal Pande
Harper Perennial
208 pages; Rs 250