In 1857, Hindus Rejected Bribes to Fight Muslims
By
Squib Salim, New Age Islam
25 July 2022
The Foreign
Rulers Tried To Bribe Several Hindus And Muslims To Start Communal Riots
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An artist's imagination of the fight between Indian freedom fighters and
the British Army
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‘Divide and
Rule’ was the political tool used by the British Government to keep India under
its control. The British tried to divide Indians into several groups and the
most important division they created was religious communalism. Muslims,
Hindus, and Sikhs were made to believe that they were different people and
enemies of each other.
In 1857,
when the Indians raised the flag of its First National War of Independence the
British realised that their only chance to subjugate a large country like India
was through dividing its people into small warring groups. The plan was put
into execution in 1857 on a large scale.
The foreign rulers tried to bribe several
Hindus and Muslims to start communal riots.
Princely states were offered monetary awards
with communally charged language. On 1 December 1857, the Secretary to Chief
Commissioner of Oudh wrote to the Secretary to the Government of India that he
could not find any taker for Rs. 50,000, which had to be distributed among
Hindus of Bareilly to raise arms against the Muslims fighting against the
British.
He wrote, “About the Chief Commissioner’s
letter to his Lordship the Governor General dated, 14th September in which he
stated that he had authorized the sum of Rs. 50,000 to be expended in an
attempt to raise the Hindoo population of Bareilly against the Mahommedan
rebels. I am directed to submit the accompanying extract of a letter from
Captain Gowan dated the 11th ultimo from which his Lordship in Council will
perceive that the attempt was quite unsuccessful, and has been abandoned
without the expenditure of any portion of the amount in question.”
Captain
Gowan wrote, “I have been quite unsuccessful in my attempt to induce the
Thakoors roundabout here to collect together any number of men.” Needless to
say that attempts of dividing Hindus and Muslims miserably failed. Common
people would not accept money to fight among themselves. But, can it be said of
rich royal ‘Indians’?
The British Government while asking the
assistance from Rajput states claimed that the colonial rule had arrived in
India to liberate Hindus from repressive Muslim rule. It claimed that before
them, Hindus were not allowed to build temples. It is a part of history that
the Princes of most of these states helped the foreign rulers or stayed
neutral. The real reason was the offer made by the British Government, “All
assistance given by the Rajpoot States will be rewarded with that liberality
which has ever distinguished the British Government in its dealings with them.”
But, did such communal motivations affect common Indians? No. Common people raised
the flag of revolt in several of these states.
These letters, bribes, communal language, and
desperation to create Hindu Muslim riots show how important it was for the
foreign rule to survive. The Indians, mostly, did not fall into the trap laid
but sadly later on people were made to fight through stooges called
politicians. The road to glory for us passes through the unity of all the
Indians.
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Source: In
1857, Hindus Rejected Bribes To Fight Muslims
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/1857-hindus-muslims/d/127557
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