Freeindia > Biographies > Freedom Fighters > Tatia Tope
Introduction
A hero of the fight for freedom in 1857. His very name made the mighty English general’s tremble. Deceived by his friend, he faced death like a hero, for the sake of his
country.
Author - K. Shripaty Sastry
Tatia Tope
The British troops had pitched their tents on the parade grounds near the fort of Shivpuri, 75 miles from
Gwalior. The day was April 18, 1859. It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon. A smiling, charming prisoner was brought out of the prison. His hands and feet were chained. Under guard he was taken to the hangman's post. He had been condemned to death. The prisoner stepped towards the post
fearlessly.
There was no hesitation as he stepped upon the platform. It was the custom to cover the eyes of the condemned man with a scarf. When soldiers stepped forward with the scarf, he smiled and made signs to say, 'I don't need all this. ' Nor did he allow the hands and feet to be bound. He himself put the noose around his neck. The rope was tightened. Then, at last, there was a pull. In a moment it was all over.
It was a heart-rending scene, which moved the whole country to tears. The man who was hanging lifeless on the gallows of the English was no criminal. He was not a thief, he was no cutthroat. He was the Supreme commander in the War of Indian Independence, which, in 1857, had challenged the hold of the British over India. It was he who, more than anybody else, shook the mighty British Empire to its foundations. Holding aloft the flag of freedom, he sought to break the chains of slavery and fought the military might of the English heroically. His name was Tatia Tope, a household word for bravery.
Freeindia > Biographies > Freedom Fighters > Tatia Tope
Nana Saheb’s Right Hand
Tatia Tope was born in 1814, the son of Panduranga Pant. Panduranga Pant belonged to Yewale, a small place near
Nasik. He had eight children; the second was Raghunath. It was this boy who later became famous in the War of Indian Independence as'
'Tatia Tope'.
Peshwa Baji Rao the Second of Poona was then the ruling chief of the Marathas.
Panduranga Pant was a respected member of his court. Occasionally the boy Tatia used to accompany his father during his visits to the
Peshwa. It was not long before the smart boy with expressive eyes attracted the attention of the
Peshwa. Impressed by the brilliance of the boy, The Peshwa decorated him with a 'topi' (cap) bright with
jewels. 'Tatia' is a term of affection in Marathi. Those near and dear to Raghunath used to call him
Tatia. Since the Peshwa presented the 'topi' it became his life-long
companion. So he came to be called Tatia Tope and the name stuck to him to the
last.
By that time the English had become supreme in India. Those who came six thousand miles as merchants soon threw away the scales and took over the scepter; they became rulers and
masters. The kings and princes of India were quarrelling among themselves.
It became easy for the British to set one against the other. The British conquered territory after
territory. Crowns rolled in the dust. Kingdoms fell like a pack of
cards. The conquest of the whole of India was the much-cherished dream of the
English. But the Marathas refused to yield to the British might. They kept there the arm that carried
freedom. They were the swords for India.
But the English were not disheartened. They were biding their time. It was not long before such a day
arrived. By 1800 death had snatched away many Maratha heroes and statesmen.
A week and pleasure -loving man like Baji Rao the Second became the Peshwa.
Wisdom had departed. Greed and jealousy corrupted the people's minds.
Many joined hands with the English. They were on the road to ruin. As a result, the Marathas were totally defeated in their war against the English in
1818. Unfortunate India stood humbled as slavery gripped her.
The defeated Peshwa surrendered his kingdom to the English in exchange for an yearly pension of eight lakh
rupees. He moved to Brahmavarta near Kanpur to live a life of retirement.
Many Maratha families followed him to this place. So did the loyal Panduranga
Pant. The boy Tatia Tope followed his father.
All who were Tatia Tope's playmates in Brahmavarta later won deathless fame in the War of
Independence.
The most important of them was Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Baji Rao the Second, and later the brain behind the revolutionary war of
1857. His nephew was there, Rao Saheb. During the revolution Rao Saheb was to accompany Tatia Tope like a shadow in all his military
exploits. Then there was a little girl Manu, the daughter of Moropant Tambe, a loyal
Courtier of the Peshwa. The radiant girl was affectionately called 'Chabili', the same girl ho was to dazzle the country and the enemies later as 'Rani Lakshmibai of
Jhansi'. Brahmavarta was the home of such great little ones.
There were teachers to educate the children. They were bound to one another in childhood affection, played games of war and learnt their lessons in sword-play and horse-riding
together. Tatia Tope soon mastered the arts of war.
After the death of Baji Rao the Second in 1851, Nana Saheb became the Peshwa.
He had a strong sense of self-respect and a deep love of freedom. He wanted to wash away the shame of
slavery. No sooner had he become the Peshwa than he picked up the sword, which his father had abandoned in
1818. To regain the lost empire and to avenge its loss was the one single thought that occupied Nana's
mind. Tatia Tope was he companion, trusted friend and adviser. They shared the same
dream.
Freeindia > Biographies > Freedom Fighters > Tatia Tope
To Dispel the Darkness of Slavery
The fall of the Marathas enabled the British to become supreme in India. They adopted all methods, fair or foul, to build up their
empire. They paid little heed to the feelings of the people. With the arrival of Lord Dallhouse as the new Governor General, the map of India changed
completely. He robbed the Indian Princes of their kingdoms on one pretext or
another. Yet his hunger for land was not satisfied.
Moreover Christian missionaries had begun to come in large numbers. They’re one aim was to convert the people of India to their own faith, somehow or the
other. Backed by their own Government they had none to fear.
The British gobbled up quite a number of states. It was not only small states that they grabbed; even the Mogul Emperor was brushed
aside. The Nawab of ouch was pulled down and his kingdom forcibly taken
away. Refusing to recognize the right of adoption, Dallhouse took over Jhansi
also.
Then came Nana Saheb's turn. ThePeshwa was to be paid a pension of Rupees 8 lakhs; Dalhousie took it away with the excuse that Nana Saheb was only an adopted
son. Nana Saheb was already boiling with rage at the many wrongs done by the arrogant
British. Now insult was added to injury.
Tatia Tope staked his very life and fought untiringly to the very end, to drive the English out of this
land. Why? What had he lost? He had no kingdom to lose and no pension to
forfeit. Still he hated the British. Not because he himself had lost anything but because the country he loved had lost her
freedom. To him his country was dearer than heaven.
Indeed the whole country was burning with discontent. The people were
enraged. They were prepared to sacrifice their lives and all for the cause of Swaraj and Swadharma, rather than sit silent in
slavery. Not even the armies and the guns of the British frightened them.
The country was ripe for a revolution.
Nana Saheb Peshwa rose to the occasion. He recognized the fire that raged in the hearts of the
people. He sought to translate into action the eagerness of his country men to fight for
freedom. Tatia Tope was his right-hand man. The British were strong in India; what was the source of this strength? Of course, army the army in which Indians fought for the British! Nana Saheb and Tatia Tope tried to fill
the minds of the Idian soldiers with patriotic
ideals. To sow the seeds of the war to come, they got into touch with the
regiments. Prominent princes were also secretly sounded in order to draw them into the
war. The flaming message of the revolution spread. Bahadur Shah of Delhi, Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, Kunwar Singh of Jagadishpur and many others assumed the leadership of the
war. Tatia Tope would be the Commander-in-Chief of the Peshwa. The Sepoys of every regiment were deter- mined to rise in
revolt. The hands that once used to salute the foreigner now vied with one another to fire the first shot at the hated
oppressor.
The vast movement had been organized in strict secrecy. A clear program was drawn
up. There was to be an uprising at the same time all over the country on 31st May
1857. If only people all over the country had risen in revolt on one and the same day - is decided, the history of India would have been
different. But alas . . .
Freeindia > Biographies > Freedom Fighters > Tatia Tope
Tatia, The Sword of Freedom
An unexpected incident occurred in Barrackpore. The 31 St of May was yet two months away when the sepoy regiment there struck the first
blow. The hero to fire the first shot was Mangal Pande.
Orders had been issued to the Indian sepoys to use new cartridges for the rifles.
News spread that the new cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs.
The revolutionaries had spread this news throughout the country. , The soldiers became wild with
excitement. It was against their religion. Regardless of threats the sepoys at Barrackpore refused to use the new
cartridges. The white officers ordered the sepoys to be disarmed. It was a great
insult. One of the sepoys, Mangal pande, was not prepared to pocket this
insult. He was a patriot, proud and brave. His blood boiled. A bullet from Pande killed the officer in charge,
Hughson. Preferring death to loss of freedom and honor, Mangal Pande shot at
himself. He fell down wounded. He was captured and tried before a
court-martial. As his fellow- soldiers tearfully watched he was hanged on April
8, 1857. So died the first martyr.
Though his bravery was worthy of praise he had blundered in haste. He had upset the whole plan because he could not restrain himself till the appointed day, The revolution broke out in a haphazard
way.
Within a month after Barrackpore, the Meerut regiment rose in revolt. As the 10th of May dawned, the air of Meerut resounded with the cry 'Maro Feringhi Ko!' (Kill the
foreigner. )
Meerut was ablaze. Englishmen fled helter-skelter to save their lives.
As Meerut fell, the sepoys marched to Delhi, 36 miles away. -Chalo Delhi!' (On to Delhi) was the trumpet cry ! The next day Delhi
fell. Bahadur Shah was proclaimed Emperor.
The news reached Brahmavarta. But Brahmavarta was as quiet and calm as ever, Neither Nana Saheb nor Tatia Tope showed any outward sign of their fury and their
plans. Both were waiting for the ripe moment. No trace of suspicion entered the British
minds.
Of course, the English had become nervous. Their chief at Kanpur, Sir Hugh Wheeler, suspected that a revolt was
imminent. He was greatly concerned for the safety of English citizens as also of the large amount of 12 Iakh rupees under his
charge. How best to guard it? He felt that the help of Nana Saheb would be
valuable. He asked for Nana's help.
Nana along with Tatia promptly arrived at Kanpur with 2 guns and 300 sepoys.
He was entrusted with the task of guarding the treasury. Wheeler heaved a sigh of
relief. Poor Wheeler! He failed to see the volcanic minds of the two deadliest enemies whom he believed to be his
friends.
No sooner did he arrive at Kanpur than Nana Saheb got into touch with the leader of the sepoys, Subhedar Tika
Singh. Under the pretext of a boating excursion, one day Nana came down to the banks of the
Ganga. There stood Tika Singh and his band of revolutionaries. They got into the
boat. With the holy Ganga as witness, oaths were taken and plans were
finalized. It was decided that Kanpur should strike at midnight on the fourth of
June.
At the appointed hour Kanpur struck the blow. The sepoys rebelled. It was a terrible war, a war of
vengeance. Nana and Tatia assumed the leadership. The English had never been in such a
plight. Many died and many more were in the jaws of death. A huge amount of twelve lakh rupees changed hands in a
moment. The sepoys had captured Kanpur and their joy knew no bounds.
Nana Saheb was ceremoniously proclaimed the Peshwa. The land had once again one of its sons as the
ruler.
Immediately Jhansi followed Kanpur by joining the battle of freedom.
Lakshmibai, the Queen, staked her claim to the throne of Jhansi again. With her sword drawn, the young queen moved like
lightning. The news of the revolt in Kanpur and Jhansi spread like wild
fire. It inspired other regiments to rise in revolt. The whole of North India was
aflame. The English, men and women, ran hither and thither seeking safety and
shelter. A hundred years of cruelty and injustice pursued them. A sleeping giant had now awakened - and the English were
terrified. But the victory was short-lived. Fresh British troopsarrived at
Kanpur. There was a fierce battle. In the end, on July 16, Nana's troops were
defeated. Nana Saheb had to beat aretreat with what remained of the army.
TatiaTope followed him like a shadow, determined to save him at any cost.
Defeat greatly disheartened the sepoys. They could not fight the well-organized and disciplined British
army. A big question now faced one and all. Who could undertake the task of rebuilding the army? Who could instill inspiration and great courage in the troops? There could be only one answer - Tatia
Tope. Nana Saheb entrusted the huge responsibility to Tatia Tope and commanded him to keep the flag of freedom
flying. Nana's command was law to Tatia. All through their lives they had been inseparable, but now they had to
part. Tatia was not unaware how formidable the task was. Many difficult problems awaited
solution. Organizing the scattered sepoys, providing food and shelter, securing arms and every thing which the army needed - a hundred such problems plagued
him. On the other hand the English soldiers were fully equipped. Still Tatia Tope accepted the
challenge.
He first went straight to Shivarajpur. The regiment there had just then
rebelled. Tatia won over the rebel sepoys to his side. A new army was
created. With the large force so collected he swept upon Havelock, the victor of Kanpur, now advancing towards
Lucknow. The suddenness of the attack stunned the English. It was a bolt from the
blue. Well skilled in the guerilla tactics of the Marathas, Tatia attacked the British on all
sides. It was hide and seek, hit and run. He appeared and disappeared with such swiftness that the enemy was
baffled. Havelock's troops were terribly harassed.
Tatia's eyes then fell on Kalpi. Kalpi was only 45 miles from Kanpur.
Moreover, it was centrally situated linking Fatehpur on one side and Jhansi on the other, the headquarters of Nana Saheb and of
Lakshmibai. It was a very important place. Like a lion from the hillsides Tatia Tope descended on the
fortress. And in no time the fort was taken.
He then proceeded to convert Kalpi into a base for his military operations.
He strengthened the defense of the fort. He began to manufacture arms.
Kalpi became a workshop. In the heart of the enemy territory Tatia was working
wonders. In a swift sweep Tatia captured a series of forts. A chain of forts connected Kanpur with
Gwalior.
The Gwalior regiment was still inactive. Under disguise he reached the Scindhia regiment at
Morar. The magic words of Tatia won over the sepoys stationed at Morar.
Now he became doubly strong. The revolution was reinforced.
At that time the garrison at Kanpur was commanded by Major Windham. News reached Tatia Tope that Windham was short of
troops. Tatia got his opportunity. He acted swiftly. He collected his men, crossed the Jamuna and appeared before the unsuspecting
Windham. Windham was taken by surprise. Tatia dealt him a crushing
blow. The battle was fought on the banks of the river Pandu. Tatia Tope, with his sword flashing, appeared here, there and
everywhere. He was revenge incarnate! The English army was beaten and
battered. Its loss in men and money was crippling. Before the tears shed for the loss of Kalpi could dry, Kanpur was
gone. By winning back Kanpur, Tatia had won back glory.
Tatia Tope's fame reached every corner of Europe. His name struck terror in every home of
England. In him, the world saw Indian heroism in action. The recapture of Kanpur had electrified the
atmosphere. Kanpur was again in the hands of Nana Saheb. It became the rallying center for all the sepoys whom the British were
pursuing.
A British military chief, Sir Colin Campbell, was then busy in Lucknow. A master of military action as he was, he recognized that the leader of' the sepoy army was no
fool. He saw with his own eyes what a terror Tatia had created. He resolved that Tatia must be captured, if the British were to
survive.
He acted at once. He mobilized all his forces. He fielded the best of his
generals. He made a determined bid to capture the man whom the British dreaded
most. A pitched battle raged. It was a struggle for Kanpur. But this time success smiled on the
British. Nana Saheb's sepoys ran away.
His palace was burnt down. The city was robbed of its riches. But to Campbell's utter disappointment Tatia Tope had slipped
away. Campbell had risked many lives to catch the man. But the lion had defied all attempts to catch
him. The British went in hot pursuit. But the swift- footed guerilla was beyond their
reach.
Tatia Tope had arrived at Kalpi.
Now Tatia Tope turned his attention to the native rulers and princes. They had been repeatedly requested to lend a helping
hand. Some of the princes were patriotic enough to give help secretly at
least. There were others who, afraid of the British , remained neutral.
But there were a few who chose to remain loyal to the British against their own
countrymen. One such man was the ruler of Charkhari State. Not only did he turn a deaf ear to the call of freedom but had behaved in an arrogant
way. He had shown Nana Saheb no respect. So Tatia Tope decided to teach every traitor the lesson of his
life. The ruler of Charkhari was his first target.
The news of Tatia Tope's approach gave this ruler the shivers. The traitorking
trembled. In panic he sent an urgent appeal to the British for protection.
Both Viceroy Canning and the Commander- in- Chief Campbell promised protection.
They ordered a prominent British General, Sir Hugh Rose, to rush to the help of the faithful
ally. But Sir Hugh Rose was held up at Jhansi and was unable to move.
Tatia knew it before hand. He suddenly appeared before the capital of.
Charkhari and besieged it. In no time the town was captured and with it 24 guns and 3 lakh
rupees. The traitors had a lesson to learn that the promise and the pledges of even the Viceroy and the commander-in- Chief could no longer save them from the fury of Tatia
Tope. What a damage to British prestige! Should he need money andarms, Tatia Tope would henceforth plunderthese 'faithful friends' of the
British.
It was very clever of Tatia to have converted Kalpi into his military base.
The Sepoys elsewhere had marched towards Delhi and had crowded the Capital.
There were 80, 000 in all. The first flush of victory had blinded them to the requirements of their
plan. They did not realize that the enemy should be pressed on all sides.
So when the British made a terrible onslaught on Delhi they had no need to worry about any other
place. Delhi fell and all resistance was destroyed. Bahadur Shah was taken
prisoner. The sepoys fled. It was a costly defeat for the cause of India's
freedom.
But 'Chalo Delhi' had not been TatiaTope's slogan. He built up Kalpi as a rival strong
hold. He made it hot for the British. Kalpi had emerged as a symbol of the nation's pride and as a source of
inspiration. It was a storehouse of armaments and a shelter for the hunted
sepoys. Its architect was Tatia Tope.
Freeindia > Biographies > Freedom Fighters > Tatia Tope
For The Freedom of Jhansi
After Kalpi the next important fort to defy the British might was Jhansi. 'Surrender my Jhansi? I will
not. Let him try to take who dares' - Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi had thrown this
challenge. She had put up a heroic resistance. The British led by Sir Hugh Rose, an experienced general, besieged the fort of
Jhansi. The fort was pressed hard on all sides. All the points of entrance and exit were
blocked. But Lakshmibai could not be cowed down. The twenty-three-year old widow and the handful of her soldiers faced all the dangers of the
battle. The goddess of war, Lakshmibai, with her drawn sword, shone above one and
all. Sir Hugh Rose, her enemy and the hero of a hundred baffles, called her 'The best and the
bravest'.
The news of the heroic resistance by Rani Lakshmibai thrilled Tatia Tope. That proud Rani was none other than the playmate of his childhood
'Chabili'. He was filled with joy. But this joy was short-lived.
A message came from Jhansi that the fort was in danger. It had been hard pressed by Sir Hugh
Rose. The supplies had been cut. Jhansi had no food, no troops and no
arms. The fall of Jhansi and the capture of the Rani appeared certain.
She had urged Tatia Tope to help her.
Tatia could not resist this appeal. Now the first concern of Tatia Tope was to relieve
Jhansi. Every moment was precious. He mobilised the army. Tatia marched at the head of a large army of twenty-two
thousand. He was on the road to Jhansi, which was crying for help. Tatia kindled fires in the jungle, which told the Rani in advance that he was
coming. The people trapped inside had passed many anxious hours. What a relief Tatia's approaching army gave them!
But Jhansi was luckless. Sir Hugh Rose proved quite a match. He gave grim
battle. Tatia's army suffered a terrible defeat. Tatia fought like a tiger but his army did not prove worthy of its
master. It could hardly be called an army. It was mostly a collection of cowards who had fled from battles, an unorganized crowd of
sepoys. They did not share Tatia's passion for the cause. At one blow the army fell like a pack of
cards. The sepoys fled. Their guns fell into the hands of the enemy.
Those guns were now turned against Jhansi itself. Tatia had to retreat to Kalpi and save as many men as he
could. The defeat dashed every hope of victory.
Tatia Tope's mission to rescue Jhansi had failed. The fall of Jhansi was now a question of
time. Sir Hugh Rose had aimed at holding the Rani as his captive. But the Rani was
feadess. Dressed as a warrior, she marched down the fort and in the middle of the night slipped out of the
fort. When the British discovered it, they went in quick pursuit. The Rani crossed swords with those who followed her to catch
her. Their chief Dowker was rewarded with a terrible wound. Her horse raced on the road towards
Kalpi. Before the day broke Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi entered Kalpi.
Lakshmibai and Tatia Tope met.
Sir Hugh Rose turned his attention to Kalpi. As the seat of Tatia Tope Kalpi was mocking the might of the
British. It was time for him to strike. So with a large army he marched to Kalpi and stormed the
fort. Tatia Tope and Lakshmibai fought every inch. But the tide had
turned. After a series of battles Kalpi fell. Wealth and military supplies in huge quantities fell into the hands of the
British. Years of sweat and toil were rendered utterly useless.
The rebel sepoys became desperate. They saw no sign of hope anywhere.
But Tatia's spirit was undimmed. As soon as Kalpi fell Tatia disappeared.
He had gone to Gwalior secretly. Gwalior was a Maratha kingdom. He had contacts
there. He got into touch with the troops there. He stirred up their patriotic
feelings. His burning patriotism moved every one. In no time he could rally them under the flag of
freedom. The 'loyal' friends of the British, the king and the minister, had to run
away. The British camp was still celebrating the victory of Kalpi when Tatia's capture of Gwalior took it by,
surprise. Kalpi after Kanpur, and Gwalior after Kalpi - what a sensation Tatia had created! The sepoys began to beat their war drums from their new
center-Gwalior.
Sir Hugh Rose acted quickly. Losing no time he made a bold bid for the recapture of the
fort. The fort was attacked on June 18, 1858. Tatia and the Rani took the
lead. They left no stone unturned. But defeat was in store. And what a defeat it
was! Rani Lakshmibai was wounded on the
chest. Her right eyeball came out. To avoid being captured she made good her escape on
horseback. Blood was dripping from her delicate body. But the British were in hot
pursuit. She ran and ran. But the end was inevitable. Wounded and bleeding, bathed in blood, she at last dropped
dead. The death of the Rani paralyzed the sepoys fighting for freedom.
Tatia Tope was rendered friendless.
The last stage had came. The flames of the revolution had begun to die
down. The rebel leaders vanished. The sepoys were dispersed. No king was prepared to help
Tatia. He was single-handed. Hopes of victory had been changed into certainty of
defeat. He could see the noose round his neck. Yet his undaunted spirit refused to accept
defeat. Give up the fight? No, never.
The most dangerous of the rebels, Tatia, was still at large. To the British he was the enemy number
one. Eight war veterans had already been in pursuit of the man for eight months, trying to catch
him. But he eluded them all. Cities, forests, valleys and deserts-he wandered
everywhere. Here today and their tomorrow, he would appear where he was least
expected. When everything was lost he could still raise one more army, risk one more battle, suffer one more defeat, but fight he
would. He could cross the Narmada in full floods. How he could accomplish such a feat, only God
knew. He was a living legend!
The struggle for Swaraj had failed dismally. Queen Victoria had made a
proclamation. The rebel sepoys were given full pardon. They were asked to lay down the
arms. Taking advantage of it many rebels surrendered themselves to save their
lives.
Tatia Tope was in a miserable plight, without any army, without any fort, without hope of any help from any
quarter. The Nizam of Hyderabad had once promised help but refused to honor his
promise. The Scindhia, the ruler of Gwalior, had rejected the hand of
friendship. Defeat and despair greeted him everywhere.
The flames of 1857 had ended in smoke. There was but one burning flame - 'Tatia
Tope'. He had fought one hundred and fifty battles, big and small. He had kept more than ten thousand British soldiers on their
toes. His sword had put to death many a renowned general. The English dreaded him
most. 'The Devil' they used to call him.
But now he was helpless, a tiger without claws. He had no foothold anywhere, no place to hide no roof to sleep
under. He was a hunted lion. His pursuers were many. They vied with one another for the credit of catching the
arch-rebel. Tafia carded a big prize on his head. Any clue to his capture would bring a great
reward. Any show of sympathy would invite British wrath. Day and night Tatia hadto run from place to
place.
He had but two ways open to him. He had either to fight and die fighting or to follow in the footsteps of others that surrendered to the British, begging for
mercy.
Surrender? Oh, no! Tatia would prefer death to dishonor. No doubt Tatia had been defeated but his spirit had remained
unbroken. It was unbreakable.
In that hour of despair Tatia remembered his old friend, Man Singh. Man Singh had formerly been a Sirdar in the Gwalior
army. He had deserted his king to join the revolution. Tatia Tope had welcomed him, helped him, and had honored
him. In search of shelter he came to the forest of Paron where Man Singh was
hiding. Tatia' believed that forest to be the safest place.
Freeindia > Biographies > Freedom Fighters > Tatia Tope
Man Singh's Promise to Provide Protection
The British were watchful. They got scent of Tatia's hideout. Earlier, military might and skill had failed to catch
him. He had made hairbreadth escapes. They did not want to run a risk
again. So they sought the hand of treachery. They sent word to Man Singh
secretly. He was asked to surrender Tatia Tope. They made tempting offers to Man
Singh. He was assured of absolute pardon. A jagir was promised.
Man Singh could not resist the temptation. Treachery triumphed. The shameless coward agreed to put Tatia Tope into British
hands. A small troop was brought stealthily. Tatia who had fallen fast asleep believing it to be the safest place, was
betrayed. As he opened his eyes he found himself a prisoner. It was the midnight of April 7, 1859 when the lion was
caged. Tatia Tope was taken to the camp of General Meade at Shivpuri.
The British put him on trial. The pretence of a fair trial went on for three
days. He was charged with waging war against the British. Tatia held his head
high. He was unrepentant to the last. He looked at the English with contempt and thundered: "I am not your
servant. I have obeyed the orders of only the Peshwa who is my master.
Except in just battle I have not shed any innocent blood. I do not ask for any
mercy. I only ask you to blow me to pieces at the mouth of the cannon.
Or hang me to death from the loop of the gallows. "
How brave even in the presence of death!
The show of the trial ended after three days. They had no hesitation in sentencing him to
death. As he stood at the appointed place he displayed cool courage.
As every one tearfully watched he was hanged. Tatia Tope died a martyr.
He was a prince among the patriots! But the British abused him as a murderer.
They called him a rebel and a robber. But how can our grateful country forget his sacrifice? The name of Tatia Tope is enshrined in the hearts of his
countrymen. His memory is as green as ever.
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