Mubariz-ud-Daula Prepared Blueprint for First War of Independence Of 1857
By
Saquib Salim, New Age Islam
26-06-2022
0
Mubariz
Was Charged As the Mastermind of This Nationalist Plan and 46 Maulvis Were
Arrested From His Palace for Preaching Anti-English Sentiments
Main
Points:
1. History of
the Indian Freedom Struggle has largely been written as a set of several
unconnected episodic struggles.
2. In our
popular historiography, the struggle of 1857 remained an independent event with
no, or little, connection to the past activities.
3. It was taken
up by Bahadur Shah Zafar, Tantia Tope, Azimullah, Rani of Jhansi, Begum Hazrat
Mahal, Kunwar Singh, Balwant Phadke, Madan Lal Dhingra
4. Wahhabi
group led by Sayyid Ahmad, which opposed Ranjit Singh earlier, also considered
Mubariz as their leader.
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Representational image
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The history
of the Indian Freedom Struggle has largely been written as a set of several
unconnected episodic struggles. English colonial historians termed the First
War of Independence fought in 1857 a localised ‘sepoy mutiny’. Years later
revolutionary historians like Veer Savarkar and Khwaja Hasan Nizami challenged
the notion by writing the history of 1857 from a nationalist perspective. They
argued that not only sepoys but Indians, including peasants and royalty, at
large rose to dispel British rule. Still, in our popular historiography, the
struggle of 1857 remained an independent event with no, or little, connection
to the past activities.
Recently,
Professor Kapil Kumar at a museum curated in the Red Fort, Delhi has tried to
show that the planning for 1857 was going on for years. The plan was older than
previously thought. Taking a queue from the argument yours truly has tried to
bring out the evidence of the planning of 1857. Kunwar Singh of Bihar was
caught plotting a large-scale uprising against the British in 1845. The
planning was quite similar to what later happened in the summer of 1857.
Even before
this Kunwar Singh episode, in November 1838, the English East India Company
arrested a Punjabi Sikh, Dhumdas, from Nellore of Madras Presidency. He was
found inciting the Indian soldiers of the English army to mutiny. Sounds
similar? What the English discovered during the investigation bore even more
similarities with the happenings of 1857. They came to know that several spies
in the ‘garb of devotees’ were roaming around in areas where the English Army
was stationed to incite Indian sepoys to mutiny.
The
investigations showed that Mubariz ud-Daula, the younger brother of Nizam of
Hyderabad Nasir ud-Daula, was the leader of this plan and had the complete
support of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab. Interestingly the Wahhabi group led
by Sayyid Ahmad, which opposed Ranjit Singh earlier, also considered Mubariz as
their leader. The report prepared by the English noted that Ranjit had sent at
least one thousand soldiers to Hyderabad to help Mubariz. To avoid any
suspicion from Nizam and the English these soldiers would enter the city
individually. The report said, “within six months Ranjit Singh sent more than
one thousand troops to Mubariz-ud-Dowlah and every day one or two of them
entered the city”.
During the
investigation, the English caught several messengers or spies who were taking
letters to different royalties like Raja of Jodhpur, Raja of Satara, Raja
Gaekwar, Nawab of Banda, Nawab of Bhopal, Raja of Patiala, Raja of Sagar,
Rohilla Pathan Chief and several other Rajas, Nawabs and Zamindars. These
messengers also preached the message of revolt among the sepoys of the English
Army and common people. From Nellore Ghulam Ahmad was also arrested after
Dhumdas. Maulvi Salim, Maulvi Lal Khan, Munshi Faqir, and several others were
arrested for being part of a larger plan by Mubariz.
Dhumdas
told the English that Ranjit Singh’s plan was based more on help from Russia
and Iran. It was reported, “The Sikh said that originally Raja Ranjit Singh had
no intention of uniting these princes. The delay in his plans was because he
was waiting for the Russian and the Persian armies to cross the river Indus,
and on the arrival of this help, he wanted all the princes to attack
simultaneously upon the British. Raja of Jodhpur and Nawab of Banda were expected
to join Ranjit Singh’s army and with the help of the French Regular Forces,
they were to capture the British fort. The Raja of Satara was to attack Nagpur
and Mubariz ud-Dowlah was to create disturbances inside the State of Hyderabad.
Gaekwar according to the plans was to remain dormant in his place. The
materialization of this plan was dependent on the arrival of the Russian and
the Persian troops on the bank of the river Indus.”
Interestingly
this idea that foreign help should be used to overthrow the British remained a
recurring theme in all the armed struggles against the foreign rule right from
Tipu Sultan to Subhas Chandra Bose. Even during 1857, the Delhi-based
revolutionaries were hoping for external support from the Afghanistan frontier.
Another
person testified that Nawab of Kurnool and Mubariz “thoroughly decided that
when the Russian and the Persian troops would reach India, Bhopal troops would
attack the Residency and kill the British. Two regiments of Scindia were ready
to capture Mau, and the princes of Bundelkhand were ready to capture Sagar
Cantonment. At this stage, Ranjit Singh, Mansingh of Jodhpur, Shah of Persia,
and Dost Mohammed Khan — all of them were to get well united.”
Several of
the messengers were traveling and giving sermons at mosques, where the sepoys
used to offer prayers. They would be told that serving the English was a sin
and un-Islamic. Those who have read the accounts of 1857 can appreciate that
similar propaganda led to the mutiny of sepoys.
All the
messengers were given steel rings to be worn on the finger of their left hand
so that they could be identified by other spies. If a spy needed money or
anything else by showing this ring others would help him. Moreover, sepoys who
had already joined the nationalist plan also wore these steel rings. These
spies were trying to unite the whole of India against British rule and were
quite successful.
Soon
Mubariz ud-Daula was arrested. The English officials noted,
“The fact was proved that there was some strong master and officer under
whose instructions they were working. They possessed the same sort of Persian
papers and steel rings. Though after the discovery of these articles there
might be a suspicion of some facts when this coincidence occurred it provided
full proof that they were concerned with the same personality (Mubariz
ud-Daula).”
Mubariz was
charged as the mastermind of this nationalist plan and 46 Maulvis were arrested
from his palace for preaching anti-English sentiments. Mubariz died in 1854 as
a prisoner. His crime was that he loved his motherland. Did he fail? No. He
succeeded. The torch he took from his forefathers did not extinguish. It was
taken up by Bahadur Shah Zafar, Tantia Tope, Azimullah, Rani of Jhansi, Begum
Hazrat Mahal, Kunwar Singh, Balwant Phadke, Madan Lal Dhingra,
Source: Mubariz Ud-Daula Prepared Blueprint
For First War Of Independence Of 1857
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/mubariz-first-war-independence1857/d/127328
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