Nawab Majju Khan: An Unsung Hero of the Indian Freedom Struggle
By Sahil Razvi, New
Age Islam
12 August
2024
Nawab Majju Khan, A Key Figure in The 1857
Revolt, Faced Brutal Torture and Execution by The British. His Body Was Paraded
and Desecrated, Yet He Remains a Symbol of Resistance.
Main Points:
1.
Nawab Majju Khan, a key figure in
the 1857 revolt, faced extreme British brutality, including having his body
displayed in a gruesome manner after his death.
2.
Originating from a family of
warriors in Rohilkhand, he played a crucial role in the uprising against
British rule.
3.
Despite the fierce resistance and
leadership of figures like Majju Khan, the rebellion faced severe repression,
culminating in numerous executions.
4.
His martyrdom is marked by his body
being hung from a tree and later buried in a cemetery behind Masjid Pattan,
with the tamarind tree still standing as a silent witness.
----
The tree, where Nawab Majju Khan was hanged
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There are
some names from the 1857 revolt that can never be forgotten. The atrocities
committed by the British against Indian citizens are still vividly remembered.
Many revolutionaries took part in the freedom struggle, and thousands of them
were martyred during this movement. One such brave revolutionary was Nawab
Majiduddin, also known as Nawab Majju Khan. The British subjected Nawab Majju
Khan to horrific treatment, after his death, they threw his body into a lime
kiln and later tied his remains to an elephant's leg, parading it through the
city in a display of cruelty.
Nawab Majju
Khan hailed from a family of courageous warriors who had settled in Rohilkhand
in the 18th century. On May 10, 1857, when rebel soldiers in Meerut ignited the
nationwide struggle for independence, northern India was sweltering under the
scorching sun, and British officers were preparing to retreat to the cool
breezes of the hills. However, upon receiving news of the rebellion from their
loyal troops, the ground seemed to shift beneath their feet.
During the
1857 uprising, a person arrived in Moradabad on May 11, 1857, bringing news of
the Meerut revolutionaries. This information ignited a wave of enthusiasm and
fervor among the supporters of the movement. Brave revolutionaries like Nawab
Majju Khan, Abbas Khan, Rashid Khan, Nawab Shabbir Ali Khan, Oulad Nawab Dunde
Khan, and Maulana Kifayat Ali Kaafi left no stone unturned in making the
movement a success. Maulana Zainul Abidin called for jihad against the British,
while Maulana Kifayat Ali Kaafi travelled extensively to issue a fatwa for
jihad, rallying support across the region.
By April
14, 1858, the intensity of the rebellion in Moradabad had diminished. However,
on April 25, British General Johnson arrived in Moradabad with his troops and a
Sikh regiment. Following this, the revolutionaries once again raised their
voices against the British. During this struggle, the British authorities
arrested 20 revolutionaries and had them executed by hanging.
In an
attempt to capture Nawab Majju Khan, Nicholson sent English troops along with
Raghupat Sahai Jat and Nirmal Singh. However, Majju Khan did not surrender. A
fierce battle ensued between the two sides, and in the end, Nawab Majju Khan
was severely wounded. The ruthless British, after capturing him in his injured
state, submerged his body in lime at his residence and then tied the body to an
elephant’s leg, parading it throughout the city.
On April
25, 1858, his corpse was hung from a tamarind tree in Gallshahid, Moradabad.
The British looted everything, leaving Majju Khan's body hanging from the tree
for several days. On Friday, the British removed his body and discarded it in
an open field. Meanwhile, two individuals arrived from the shrine of Hazrat
Shah Mukammal and buried his body in the cemetery behind the Masjid Pattan.
Even today, the tamarind tree standing in the cemetery bears silent witness to
his martyrdom.
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'Sahil Razvi is an Author and Research scholar
specialising in Sufism and History and an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-politics/nawab-majju-unsung-hero-indian-freedom-struggle/d/132917
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