Uda Devi: Difference between revisions
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Uda Devi (Hindi- [[:hi:ऊदा देवी]]) was a warrior in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], who fought against the British East India Company. Uda Devi was from the Dalit [[Pasi (caste)|Pasi]] community, she was born in a |
Uda Devi (Hindi- [[:hi:ऊदा देवी]]) was a warrior in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], who fought against the British East India Company. Uda Devi was from the Dalit [[Pasi (caste)|Pasi]] community, she was born in a village in , Uttar Pradesh<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://drambedkarbooks.com/2016/04/04/dalit-history-month-remembering-freedom-fighter-uda-devi/|title=Dalit History Month – Remembering freedom fighter Uda Devi|date=2016-04-04|website=Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's Caravan|access-date=2016-06-19}}</ref> |
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She was also known as Jagrani and was married to Makka Pasi. She became an associate of Begum Hazrat Mahal,and Uda formed a women’s army, with herself as the commander. Her husband became a martyr in the battle at Chinhat. Uda decided to take revenge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.academia.edu/2185102/DalitViranganas_and_Reinvention_of_1857|title=Dalit'Viranganas' and Reinvention of 1857|website=www.academia.edu|access-date=2016-06-19}}</ref> |
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== Battle of Sikandar Bagh == |
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One of the fiercest battles in Lucknow was the Battle in [[Sikandar Bagh]] in November 1857. Sikandar Bagh was manned by the rebels and fell along commander Colin Campbell’s route as he marched to rescue the Europeans besieged in the Residency. A bloody battle ensued and thousands of Indian soldiers were killed. |
One of the fiercest battles in Lucknow was the Battle in [[Sikandar Bagh]] in November 1857. Sikandar Bagh was manned by the rebels and fell along commander Colin Campbell’s route as he marched to rescue the Europeans besieged in the Residency. A bloody battle ensued and thousands of Indian soldiers were killed. |
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Forbes-Mitchell, in ''Reminiscences of the Great Mutiny,'' writes of Uda Devi: “She was armed with a pair of heavy old-pattern cavalry pistols, one of which was in her belt still loaded, and her pouch was still about half full of ammunition, while from her perch in the tree, which had been carefully prepared before the attack, she had killed more than half-a-dozen men.”<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thewire.in/27390/the-forgotten-women-of-1857/|title=The Forgotten Women of 1857|last=Safvi|first=Rana|date=2016-04-07|website=The Wire|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-06-19}}</ref> |
Forbes-Mitchell, in ''Reminiscences of the Great Mutiny,'' writes of Uda Devi: “She was armed with a pair of heavy old-pattern cavalry pistols, one of which was in her belt still loaded, and her pouch was still about half full of ammunition, while from her perch in the tree, which had been carefully prepared before the attack, she had killed more than half-a-dozen men.”<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thewire.in/27390/the-forgotten-women-of-1857/|title=The Forgotten Women of 1857|last=Safvi|first=Rana|date=2016-04-07|website=The Wire|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-06-19}}</ref> |
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It is significant here that even W Gordon-Alexander’s account of the storming of Sikandar Bagh by British troops states: |
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''In addition…there were…even a few amazon negresses, amongst the slain. These amazons having no religious prejudices against the use of greased cartridges, whether of pigs’ or other animal fat, although doubtless professed Muhammadans, were armed with rifles, while the Hindu and Muhammadan East Indian rebels were all armed with musket; they fought like wild cats, and it was not till after they were killed that their sex was even suspected.'' |
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Uda Devi was one of them, who is said to have climbed overa ‘pipal’ tree and shot dead, according to some accounts 32 andsome 36, British soldiers. One soldier spotted someone in the tree and shot the person dead, and only then it was discovered that she was a woman. Realising her brave feat, even British officers like Campbell bowed their heads over her dead body in respect |
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== References == |
== References == |
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Revision as of 17:23, 19 June 2016
Uda Devi (Hindi- hi:ऊदा देवी) was a warrior in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, who fought against the British East India Company. Uda Devi was from the Dalit Pasi community, she was born in a Ujriaon village in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh[1]
She was also known as Jagrani and was married to Makka Pasi. She became an associate of Begum Hazrat Mahal,and Uda formed a women’s army, with herself as the commander. Her husband became a martyr in the battle at Chinhat. Uda decided to take revenge.[2]
Battle of Sikandar Bagh
One of the fiercest battles in Lucknow was the Battle in Sikandar Bagh in November 1857. Sikandar Bagh was manned by the rebels and fell along commander Colin Campbell’s route as he marched to rescue the Europeans besieged in the Residency. A bloody battle ensued and thousands of Indian soldiers were killed.
A story goes that the British heard a crack shot, who was firing from atop a tree. It was only when they managed to fell the tree that they discovered that the person shooting was a woman, who was then identified as Uda Devi from the Pasi community. Her statue graces the square outside Sikandar Bagh in Lucknow today.
Forbes-Mitchell, in Reminiscences of the Great Mutiny, writes of Uda Devi: “She was armed with a pair of heavy old-pattern cavalry pistols, one of which was in her belt still loaded, and her pouch was still about half full of ammunition, while from her perch in the tree, which had been carefully prepared before the attack, she had killed more than half-a-dozen men.”[3]
It is significant here that even W Gordon-Alexander’s account of the storming of Sikandar Bagh by British troops states:
In addition…there were…even a few amazon negresses, amongst the slain. These amazons having no religious prejudices against the use of greased cartridges, whether of pigs’ or other animal fat, although doubtless professed Muhammadans, were armed with rifles, while the Hindu and Muhammadan East Indian rebels were all armed with musket; they fought like wild cats, and it was not till after they were killed that their sex was even suspected.
Uda Devi was one of them, who is said to have climbed overa ‘pipal’ tree and shot dead, according to some accounts 32 andsome 36, British soldiers. One soldier spotted someone in the tree and shot the person dead, and only then it was discovered that she was a woman. Realising her brave feat, even British officers like Campbell bowed their heads over her dead body in respect
References
- ^ "Dalit History Month – Remembering freedom fighter Uda Devi". Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's Caravan. 2016-04-04. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
- ^ "Dalit'Viranganas' and Reinvention of 1857". www.academia.edu. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
- ^ Safvi, Rana (2016-04-07). "The Forgotten Women of 1857". The Wire. Retrieved 2016-06-19.