AK Srivastava
Lucknow: If on a single day, a maximum number of Indians made the ultimate sacrifice to lift the yoke of foreign rule, that date was 16th November 1857 and battles took place at Sikandar Bagh and Shah Najaf. More than 2000 fighters died at Sikandar Bagh and almost 600 at Shah Najaf, which included a number of Women. On the British side there were battle-hardened 93rd Highlander, led by Campbell famous for the ‘thin red line’ in Crimean battles and weaponry included not only most modern cannons and naval guns but even rockets were used in Shah Najaf. On the Indian side, some still wielded bows and arrows, to the deadly effect.
The enclosed picture of Beato taken in 1958 was recorded for posterity, the biggest act of martyrdom in the entire history of the struggle for Independence took place in Lucknow at Sikandar Bagh on 16th November 1857, when more than 2000 Indians made the ultimate sacrifice. Martyrs included rebel soldiers of the Bengal Regiment of East India Company, forces of Taluqdars, who stood against the British and common citizenry that included many women.
When army of Havelock failed to extricate, the British trapped in Residency, Collin Campbell, Commander-in-Chief himself waged a war in November 1857. He avoided coming via Charbagh as Havelock’s army has suffered a body blow in the battles of Charbagh and Kaiserbagh. British army which included 93rd Highlanders, a unit of Naval guns and other forces, crossed Haider Canal in the morning of 16th November 1857 and close to the bank of Gomati and wading through the sleepy hamlets of Jia Mau village, they approached Sikandar Bagh, where they faced a stiff residence.
Mitchell in his book, Reminiscences of the Great Mutiny 1857-59, records,” incident we advanced through the village and came in front of the Sikandar Bagh when a murderous fire was opened on us from the loopholed wall and from the windows and flat roof of a two-storied building in the centre of the garden, (building no longer exist). Having got through the village, our men and the sailors manned the drag-ropes of the heavy guns, and these were run up to within one hundred yards, or even less, of the wall. As soon as the guns opened fire the Infantry Brigade was made to take shelter at the back of a low mud wall behind the guns, the men taking steady aim at every loophole from which we could see the musket-barrels of the enemy protruding. The Commander-in-Chief and his staff were close beside the guns, Sir Colin every now and again turning round when a man was hit, calling out, “Lie down, Ninety-Third, lie down! Every man of you is worth his weight in gold to England to-day!”
Heavy 18 Pounder Guns of the British army ultimately breached the wall of Sikandar Bagh. For many hours there was heavy fighting and every Indian solder fought till his last breath. British army was equipped with modern weaponry, heavy guns and most of Indian soldiers has old muskets.
Pemble in his book,” The Raj, The Indian Mutiny and Kingdom of Oudh”, recounts, “There they lay in a heap as high as, a heaving surging mass of dead and dying inextricably entangled. Its gatehouse, pavilion was covered in gore and 2000 bodies. There was neither time nor labor available to bury all the corpses, and many were left to the circling hordes of speckled vultures.”
Battle of Shah Najaf was equally fierce, where some Indian soldiers only wielded bows and arrows while British army used apart from heavy guns and rockets.
To, commemorate this Aadab Arz Lucknow is planning a heritage walk, a tribute to unknown warriors on 16th November, Saturday at 11.00 AM at Sikandar Bagh. The group will revisit the site and with the help of maps and pictures discuss those battles at Sikandar Bagh and Shah Najaf. It is an effort to rekindle almost lost memories of 1857 and pay homage to forgotten warriors.
