The history of the independence fight and the rise in anti-British sentiment is complex. The English East India Company made sure that no Maratha power sprang up against them after the Marathas were defeated in the third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818. But one must remember that even while lions may occasionally fall asleep, they will continue to battle until they pass away. The Marathas were the largest Hindu power that rescued Hindus from the utter darkness of Islamic barbarism and gave them the assurance that they could establish their own empire and control. Furthermore, they kept that spirit alive long after 1818.

Nana Saheb’s strategic challenge to the British in Kanpur is a significant historical event that is frequently overlooked when studying history. For the East India Company, Kanpur served as a significant military town. Kanpur was strategically situated near Sindh, Punjab, and Awadh on the Grand Trunk Road, which connects all the main cities.

When the 1857 uprising got underway in May, it expanded to numerous large cities by June and intensified. The sepoys sought to destroy the British power because they were furious with it. The participation and leadership of the kings, queens, jagirdars, and local authorities provided the sepoys at the front with a powerful support system.

In 1857, this was an opportunity to strike the corporation.

Hugh Wheeler’s leadership ensured that the British were unfazed by the onslaught of war directed at their dominance. A British general with 50 years of experience working for the corporation in India. He was multilingual and was married to a native. This enabled them to interact cordially with the Indians and win the troops’ trust. He had no doubts about the soldiers’ dedication to the business. He even despatched the 84th and 32nd Regiments to Lucknow, which was under siege, because of this confidence. Nearly 900 persons made up the British contingent, comprising 300 servicemen, about 300 women, and children, as well as people from many other professions.

Although they had previously resided in the city’s north, Wheeler made the decision to seek safety there in case groups of sepoys from other regions arrived to assault the city. Strategically, the military installation in the south was not secure. It had mud walls surrounding two entrenchments. In the summer, it was particularly challenging to dig deeper holes because water supplies were limited and in the direct line of fire. Furthermore, there were numerous locations in front of the entrenchment where attackers might use cover.

Even though they hadn’t earlier, the Indian soldiers in Kanpur showed no signs of uprising. The Indian sepoys revolted and stormed the British entrenchment on June 5 around 1:30 in the morning due to an uncontrollable atmosphere of waging war against the British. The troopers of the 2nd Bengal Cavalry fired three pistol shots, causing a commotion all around. All subsequent regiments finally joined in. Additionally, they seized all of the ammunition and weapons from the depots. There were only 150 devoted warriors left with Hugh Wheeler.

Shrimant Peshwa Baji Rao II, the last Peshwa of the Marathas to be banished, was the father of Nana Saheb. According to the Doctrine of Lapse, he could not be given the coveted position and the prestige of a Peshwa because he was an adopted son. Nana Saheb had always shown himself as accommodating to the corporate officials. The desire to reclaim the lost power, however, was awaiting the right moment. The cunning way the Peshwas were excluded from power and the two Chattrapati Houses were restricted in some towns was the British’s ultimate plan.

The moment morning of June 6 arrived, Nana sahib fully arrived at the site. In order to reassure Wheeler of his commitment to the British, he went to meet him. However, Nana Saheb had assumed command of the insurgent Indian soldiers. Nana Saheb moved towards the Grand Trunk Road while holding onto the Treasury. This demonstrates unequivocally that the war was fought to restore the Maratha Confederacy and install Hindu rule by driving out the British. The injured Marathas took command of the uprising in 1857.

Nana Saheb visited with the soldiers in Kalyanpur while en route. In exchange for their cooperation in travelling to Kanpur to join the other rebel soldiers and overthrow the British, he promised to quadruple the soldiers’ salaries. Eventually, Nana Saheb was commanding 12 to 15 thousand soldiers by June 10.

British were kept in their hiding place for about three weeks with no access to food and water. There was even an epidemic of chicken pox. Because there was nowhere to dig up the graves, the British were forced to pile the dead bodies in all of these terrifying circumstances. Overall, the British had a terrible situation in Kanpur.

Nana Saheb’s troop surrounded the entrenchment and erected shooting positions during the first week. Nana Saheb also made the decision to launch a direct assault, but the soldiers were unenthusiastic. He eventually adjusted his strategy the next week. On June 12th, Nana Saheb launched a significant assault. The majority of the medical supplies from Great Britain were destroyed when the hospital building caught fire. For the British side, the death toll was rising. The British canister shot was also repelled by Indian forces. By June 21, about a third of British citizens had died.

Nana Saheb launched a significant assault against British entrenchment on June 23. They attempted to enter the entrenchment, but were unsuccessful. However, because the British were losing, General Wheeler’s spirits were also down following the shooting death of his son, Lieutenant Gordon Wheeler. Jonah Shepherd, a Eurasian civil servant, sneaked inside the Maratha camp to find out how the enemy was doing. However, the troops grabbed hold of him and put him in jail.

Up until this point, Nana Saheb’s soldiers had been concerned that the entrenchment had stored gunpowder that might explode if attacked with cannons. Therefore, Nana Saheb sent a proposition to the British side, while he will give them a safe passage via Sati Cahura Ghat, a dock on the banks of the Ganga river, in order to make the already defeated British surrender before him. On June 25, he once more wrote Wheeler a note bearing his signature, assuring him of something. Finally, the British were forced to give up. And it was decided to transfer them to Allahabad by early on June 27, 1857.

They had about 40 boats waiting for them. It was challenging for the boats to steer because the Ganga was somewhat dried up around Sati Chaura Ghat. Finally, the rebellious Indian troops attacked the British forces in a terrible manner. British fired as well. The 2nd Bengal Infantry and artillery unit were then instructed by Tatya Tope to commence fire on the British. And swords and pistols were used to kill the last of the British soldiers. Following it, some 120 women and children were imprisoned. Although to some it may have been a bloodbath, to us it was a war to reclaim what was rightfully ours!

This was a history of people rising up, taking on the opposition, and annihilating them using their own tactics. A Peshwa issued the challenge to the foreign robbers. This demonstrates that we never capitulated, never went into hiding to carry on a war, and always made sure to give the adversary a taste of their own defeat.

 

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