“History is always written wrong, and so always needs to be rewritten” – this quote by philosopher George Santayana holds true, especially in the Indian context. For decades, academic history textbooks featured a one-sided and distorted narrative; stories of resistance by the warriors of the soil find no place. It continues to this day.

Many civilizations perished within a short span of time due to invasions. India is the oldest surviving civilization in the world. Despite over 1000 years of loot, plunder, genocide, destruction of cultural symbols, this ancient civilization survived. This was because the warriors of the soil, over time, offered resistance and defended the motherland and Dharma.

In 2022, the country will be celebrating 75 years of its freedom. As we approach the momentous occasion, let us revisit our freedom struggle and look into the role of lesser-known actors, the unsung heroes and their indomitable courage to fight the colonial rule.

In my Veer Gatha series today I will be paying my humble homage to a 16-year-old veerangana, Shivdevi Tomar and her younger sister Jaidevi Tomer of Baraut in western Uttar Pradesh, who sacrificed their lives to avenge the brutality of the British troops.

Vande Mataram!
We breathe free, we live free;
This freedom we owe truly
To adversity, martyrdom, strategy,
To love, patriotism, sacrifice
Of our brothers and sisters by our motherland.
We invoke you, O patriots!
O sons and daughters of Bharat!
To shower us with your prowess,
So that we keep up to your legacy;
Let your courage, let your nationalism
Prevail in this generation;
And subsequent generations for eternity.

Yes! We breathe free and live free because of the collective sacrifices of our freedom fighters. There are many unsung freedom fighters who have not found a place in History text books. Women equally played an instrumental role with men in India’s struggle for independence.

Not everyone is familiar with 16 year-old Shivdevi Tomar, who bravely fought against the British during India’s War of Independence of 1857. She hailed from Baraut, Baghpat, around 54 kilometers from Meerut, the place from where the Revolt started. Except her role in India’s freedom struggle in 1857, there are no available records about her childhood and upbringing.

It was a Sunday. Date: May 10, 1857.

Place: Meerut cantonment.

By this time, many Indians across the country were agitated against the British. Rebellions did occur at many places earlier, but in vain.  The episode of greased cartridges had been hurting the sentiments of the Indian soldiers. Numerous British soldiers were off duty and the British officers stationed at Meerut Cantonment were preparing to attend church that day. Indian soldiers at the cantonment attacked the British soldiers including officers. The people of Meerut joined them. 50 Britishers were killed in the attack.

Soon, this news spread like wild fire and many a son and daughter of Bharat Mata rose in revolt against the British across the country. The freedom struggle in the villages adjoining Meerut was triggered by one Shahmal Singh Tomar from Baraut. He laid siege of Baraut and declared independence. The flag of independence flew high in the Baraut sky.

On 18 July 1857, British forces attacked Shahmal Singh Tomar and his men at Badka village near Baraut. Tomar and the villagers offered stiff resistance. In this attack Tomar was martyred in the attack. 32 of the freedom fighters who sided with Tomar were captured. They were hanged to death from a peepal tree in the outskirts of Bijraul village near Baraut. The British then destroyed the houses of Baraut, leaving everyone homeless. Not only this, the British also plundered the village, looted wealth and precious belongings.

16-year-old Shivdevi Tomar was witness to the atrocities carried out by the British. She was never trained in warfare, yet she decided to fight or perish.

She held a secret meeting with one of her brave friends Kishandevi and few of the youths of the village. And they decided to attack the British. She motivated them to rise in rebellion. Fighting unto death was their slogan firm!

Holding a sword, Shivdevi Tomar, leading her group of few villagers attacked the British forces at Baraut. They knew they might not come back alive, as they carried only swords and sticks whereas the British were equipped with guns. Yet, this drawback did not deter their spirits.

Shivdevi Tomar fought like Goddess Kali. She struck at the British soldiers with her sword, killing 17 of them and wounding many. So did her team of brave freedom fighters. It was Shivdevi Tomar, who gave shape to maximum number of casualties of British soldiers.

The British forces were taken unawares. They never expected a rebellion from Baraut. They surmised that the brutal hanging to death of the 32 freedom fighters in the outskirts of Bijraul village had frightened them. But they were wrong.

The rest of the surviving British soldiers fled to save their lives. Not a single British remained in Baraut.

Villagers gathered around the heavily wounded Shivdevi Tomar, appreciating her courage. Suddenly, while her wounds were being treated, the British forces arrived and pumped several bullets into her. She attained martyrdom.

Her sacrifice, however, did not go in vain. It is said that her 14-year-old younger sister, Jaidevi Tomar, took a vow to avenge her sister’s killing. She is believed to have mobilized youth from adjoining villages and began tailing the British troops, who were on their way to Lucknow.

En route, the youth motivated and inspired the people of Meerut, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Mainpuri and Etawah to rise against Britishers. At Lucknow, they lost track of the British contingent and had to spend days together searching for them without enough food or support in an unknown place. Eventually, they located the British troops. It is said that Jaidevi Tomar killed the English officer, while others launched a ferocious attack on the British soldiers. The bungalow of the Britishers was reportedly set on fire. In the process, Jaidevi Tomar was also killed.

Later, the locals paid homage to her and conducted the last rites in Lucknow.

Devoid of references to such courageous episodes of lesser-known veers and veeranganas of remote villages and their ultimate sacrifices, our history will be incomplete.

The 75th anniversary of our freedom will be an occasion for all of us to remember and pay homage to these great freedom fighters. After all, every generation of free India, owes its freedom to their struggles and sacrifices. We must make every generation aware of the great role played by them, including several unsung heroes, in freeing India from the colonial rule. We must acknowledge their sacrifices with gratitude in our history books.

Jai Hind! 

References:

jatland.com
Saffron Swords: Centuries of Indic Resistance to Invaders - Manoshi Sinha Rawal, Yogaditya Singh Rawal