Thursday 2 April 2015

Gujjars in Indian Freedom Struggle of India


Gujjars in Indian Freedom Struggle of IndiaThere was a remarkable contribution by the Gujjars in Indian freedom struggle. Like for instance, during India's first war of Independence, known as the Sepoy Mutiny, 1857, a Gurjar called Kalyan Singh had terrorised the British forces for several years. The Sepoy Mutiny was a remarkable event in the Indian history. From 1822 to 1825, the Gujjar community held a fierce armed protest against the British rule. Several times, when the British were transporting their treasury from one place to place they were killed and looted by the Gujjar protestors. Most of the Gujjar occupied areas like Ladhora, Prikishatgharh, Samther's boundaries were reduced by the British. The Estates of thousands of villages were reduced to only few hundred villages. Revolts in western Uttar Pradesh (Saharanpur district) during 1821 to 1825 led to the killing of thousands of Gujjars. Many were hanged and thousand of them were given life sentence. Thus, in this way the entire Gujjar community considered the British as their main rivals. 

Gujjar soldiers of Meerut camp revolted in 1857 under Gujjar leader from Panchli Village. They elected the Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah I, as their leader. Then Gujjars of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi region joined the rebellion against the British rulers. Gurjars ended the British rule for some period, disabled the postal system, sped the transportation and killed both British officers and civilians. Further, they handed over the British treasury to Mughal King Bahadur Shah Jafar. Moreover, Gujjars in Saharanpur district gave some horrible time to the British officers. Gujjars in several districts like Gurgaon, Karnal, Muradabad, Muzafarnagar and Bijnor emerged and revolted against the Britishers and they gave them a very tough time. They destroyed policed stations and district courts. 

Gurjars of Bijnor were fighting under the leadership of Gurjar leaders Kadam Singh and Dulal Singh. In the whole revolt Gurjars were fighting along with the Muslims. Gurjars in Mathura and Agra region also fought against the British and gave them a horrible period. That is why when the revolt ended, the properties of the Gurjars were impounded. Gurjars in Ludhiyana, Firozpur, Gujaranwala, Sialkot, GujaratJalandhar district, Kangada revolt against the British and tried to end the British rule but when the revolt failed, the properties were impounded by the British. Hundreds of villages in district Bulandshahar were ruined by the Britishers but Gujjars fought with full strength. Not only had the Britishers declared Gujjars as criminal tribe by defining Criminal Tribes Act. However, in the freedom struggle of India, Gujjars were working as the main leaders of the Non Cooperation Movement ofMahatma Gandhi in the country. History states that there were freedom fighters in each and every single Gujjar village of the country. 
http://www.indianetzone.com/45/gujjars_indian_freedom_struggle_india.htm

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