When Hindu and Muslim soldiers felt incensed by the potential introduction of the Enfield Cartridges greased with Cow and Pig fat, Sepoy Mangal Pandey decided to take action. He felt that he was standing up for each and every Hindu and Muslim soldier there and obviously he would have taken them into confidence and had their support before going for the huge step.

Lt Baugh was informed that Sepoy Mangal Pandey and a few others were in a fierce mode, he rode up on his horse and took out his pistol to fire at Sepoy Mangal Pandey, the latter immediately opened fire aiming at the horse’s thigh. Lt Baugh fell down and reached for his sword.

Mangal Pandey outsmarted him and slashed his chest with his sword bringing him down to his feet. All this while his co-Sepoy Shaikh Paltu was standing behind simply watching all this. A few other soldiers jumped at the foreign officials while many other stood frozen.

Jemadar Ishwari Prasad too refused to accost Mangal Pandey on Baugh’s orders. At that very moment Shaikh Paltu was asked by Mangal Pandey to join the attack. But Shaikh Paltu betrayed him & instead jumped on him and held him tightly while calling the British officers for help.

Shaikh Paltu was beaten with stones & shoes by the other soldiers but he held on to Sepoy Mangal Pandey. This resulted in Mangal Pandey injuring himself by his rifle and by then the British officers arrived and got the better of them. Shaikh Paltu waited for all this to happen.

as he wanted to show his loyalty to Britishers and not Hindus, even if Hindus are on his religion’s side. Same thing repeated in the Khilafat movement too. Shaikh Paltu was promoted to a higher rank and Mangal Pandey was executed and the infantry was disbanded with disgrace.

After a few days, Shaikh Paltu was found killed in an isolated area nearby. This inspired the 1857 First War of Indian Independence.

Sources:

1. “Mangal Pandey: Brave Martyr or Accidental Hero?”(Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Penguin): ‘..serious harm to Baugh and Hewson was prevented by Sheikh Paltu, a Muslim sepoy,who held Mangal Pandey by his waist while the British officers escaped from what could have been their death.. The saviour of Baugh and Hewson released Mangal Pandey only when members of the quarter-guard threatened to shoot him if he did not let go of Mangal Pandey.’

2. The British Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia [2 volumes] Pg 131

3. The Great Historical Dramas By Caturbhuja Pg 80

4. “मंगल पांडेय से अंग्रेज अफसरों बाव व ह्यूसन को मुस्लिम सिपाही शेख पालतू ने बचाया। उस ने मंगल की कलाई पकड़ ली और तब छोड़ा जब अन्य सिपाहियों ने उसे गोली मार देने की धमकी दी” – रुद्रांग्शु मुखर्जी, ‘मंगल पांडेय: ब्रेव हीरो ऑर एक्सिडेंटल हीरो’ (पेंग्विन, 2005)

5. Durendra Nath Sen, page 50 Eighteen Fifty-Seven, The Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, May 1957 ^ “Heroes of the Indian Mutiny; Stories of Heroic Deeds”, Edward Gilliat, Service & Co. London

6. David, Saul. The Indian Mutiny. p. 70. ISBN 0-141-00554-8. ^ Mason, Philip. A Matter of Honour. An Account of the Indian Army, its Officers and Men. p. 272. ISBN 0-333-41837-9.

7. Hibbert, Christopher. The Great Mutiny India 1857. p. 69. ISBN 0-14-004752-2. ^ David, Saul. The Indian Mutiny. pp. 69–72. ISBN 0-141-00554-8. ^ Wagner, Kim A. The Great Fear of 1857. Rumours, Conspiracies and the Making of the Indian Uprising. p. 97. ISBN 978-93-81406-34-2.

8 एक पुराना सरकारी प्रकाशन, पब्ल्किेशन डिवीजन का भी है, स्वतंत्रता संग्राम के बलिदानियों के बारे में । उस में भी है।

9. Indian Mutiny 1857 – 58 – Vol. I Please read from Page 12 onwards

10. https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050814/spectrum/book10.htm

 

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