Kunwar Singh

2021-12-12T11:42:20Z

2401:4900:4E1A:42F5:F799:7934:A455:6EA4:

{{Short description|He was a ruler of Bihar, he was the first person from Bihar who led a war against the british}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Kunwar Singh also known as VEER KUNWAR SINGH
| image = Kunvar singh.jpg
| caption = ''Kooer Sing'', an illustration of Kunwar Singh in ''The History of the Indian Empire'', {{circa|1858}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=Martin|first1=Robert Montgomery|last2=Roberts|first2=Emma|title=The Indian empire : its history, topography, government, finance, commerce, and staple products : with a full account of the mutiny of the native troops ...| volume = 1 | date=1858|publisher=London ; New York : London Print. and Pub. Co.| url=https://archive.org/stream/indianempireitsh08mart#page/n21/mode/2up}}</ref>
| succession1 = [[Maharaja]] of [[Jagdishpur estate]]
| successor1 = [[Babu Amar Singh]]
| predecessor1 = Shahabzada Singh
| house =
| dynasty = [[Ujjainiya]] [[Parmar]] [[Rajput]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1777|11|13}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1858|04|26|1777|11|13}}
| birth_name =
| birth_place = [[Jagdispur]], [[Jagdishpur estate]]
| death_place = Jagdispur, Jagdishpur estate(present day BIHAR)
| father = Raja Shahabzada Singh
| mother = Rani Panchratan Kunwari Devi Singh
| nickname =
}}

'''Kunwar Singh''' (born: 13 November 1777 – died: 26 April 1858) also known as '''Babu Kunwar Singh''' was a leader during the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]]. He belonged to a family of the [[Ujjainiya]] clan of the [[Parmar]] [[Rajput]]s of [[Jagdishpur estate|Jagdispur]], currently a part of [[Bhojpur district, Bihar|Bhojpur district]], [[Bihar]], India. At the age of 80, he led a selected band of armed soldiers against the troops under the command of the British [[East India Company]]. He was the chief organiser of the fight against the British in [[Bihar]]. He is popularly known as '''Veer Kunwar Singh''' or '''Veer Babu Kunwar Singh'''.<ref>{{cite journal | title=Kunwar Singh's Failure in 1857 | author=S. Purushottam Kumar | journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume = 44| year=1983 | pages= 360–369|jstor = 44139859}}</ref>

==Early life==
Kunwar Singh was born on 13 November 1777 to Maharaja Shahabzada Singh and Maharani Panchratan Devi, in Jagdispur of the Shahabad (now [[Bhojpur district, India|Bhojpur]]) District, in the state of Bihar. He belonged to the [[Ujjainiya]] [[Rajput]] clan.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SrdiVPsFRYIC&q=Kunwar+Singh | title=Naukar, Rajput, and Sepoy: The Ethnohistory of the Military Labour Market of Hindustan, 1450-1850| publisher=Cambridge University Press | author=Dirk H.A. Kolff |author-link=Dirk H. A. Kolff | year=2002 | pages=168| isbn=9780521523059}}</ref> A British judicial officer offered a description of Kunwar Singh and described him as "a tall man, about six feet in height".<ref name="Paul2011">{{cite book|author=E. Jaiwant Paul|title=The Greased Cartridge: The Heroes and Villains of 1857-58|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=65vrBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT90|date=1 August 2011|publisher=Roli Books Private Limited|isbn=978-93-5194-010-4|pages=90–91}}</ref> He went on to describe him as having a broad face with an [[aquiline nose]]. In terms of his hobbies, British officials describe him as being a keen huntsman who also enjoyed horse-riding.<ref name="Paul2011" />

After his father's death in 1826, Kunwar Singh became the [[taluqdar]] of Jagdispur. His brothers inherited some villages however a dispute arose as to their exact allocation. This dispute was eventually settled and the brothers seemingly returned to having cordial relations.<ref name="Paul2011" />

He married the daughter of Raja Fateh Naraiyan Singh, a wealthy [[zamindar]] of the Deo-Munga estate in [[Gaya district]] who belonged to the [[Sisodia]] clan of Rajputs.<ref>Kalikinkar Datta, Biography of Kunwar Singh and Amar Singh, K.P. Jayaswal Research Institute, 1984, p.20</ref>

== Role in the 1857 rebellion ==
{{See also|Siege of Arrah}}
[[File:Koer Singh, watercolour on ivory, c. 1857.png|thumb|A miniature portrait of Kunwar Singh, watercolour on ivory, {{circa|1857}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nana Sahib, Rani of Jhansi, Koer Singh and Baji Bai of Gwalior, 1857, National Army Museum, London|url=https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1959-11-372-1|website=collection.nam.ac.uk|access-date=17 October 2017|language=en}}</ref>]]
[[File:Koor Sing, 'The Rebel of Arrah,' and his attendants.jpg|thumb|Kunwar Singh and his attendants]]

Singh led the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]] in [[Bihar]]. He was nearly eighty and in failing health when he was called upon to take up arms. He was assisted by both his brother, [[Babu Amar Singh]] and his commander-in-chief, [[Hare Krishna Singh]]. Some argue that the latter was the real reason behind Kunwar Singh's initial military success.<ref>{{cite journal | author=P. Kumar | title=Hare Krishna Singh-The Prime-Mover of 1857 in Bihar | journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress | year=1982 | volume= 43 | pages= 610–617|jstor = 44141296}}</ref> He gave a good fight and harried British forces for nearly a year and remained invincible until the end. He was an expert in the art of guerilla warfare. His tactics left the British puzzled.<ref name=Book1 />

Singh assumed command of the soldiers who had revolted at Danapur on 25 July. Two days later he occupied [[Siege of Arrah|Arrah]], the [[Districts of Bihar|district headquarters]]. Major [[Vincent Eyre]] relieved the town on 3 August, defeated Singh's force and destroyed Jagdishpur. During the rebellion, his army had to cross the [[Ganges]] river. Douglas' army began to shoot at their boat. One of the bullets shattered Singh's left wrist. Singh felt that his hand had become useless and that there was the additional risk of infection due to the bullet-shot. He drew his sword and cut off his left hand near the elbow and offered it to the Ganges.<ref name=Book1>{{cite book|last=Sarala|first=Śrīkr̥shṇa|title=Indian Revolutionaries: A Comprehensive Study, 1957-1961, Volume 1|year=1999|publisher=Prabhat Prakashan|location=Bihar|isbn=978-81-87100-16-4 |page=73|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1UggIjEuBaAC&q=kunwar+singh+douglas+shot+in+hand+ganga&pg=PT112}}</ref>{{reliable|date=October 2017}}<ref name="bhojpur.bih.nic.in">[http://bhojpur.bih.nic.in/d_history.htm History of Bhojpur] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614200657/http://bhojpur.bih.nic.in/d_history.htm |date=14 June 2012 }}. Bhojpur.bih.nic.in. Retrieved on 2011-10-12.</ref>

Singh left his ancestral village and reached Lucknow in December 1857 where he met with other rebel leaders. In March 1858 he occupied [[Azamgarh]] and managed to repel the initial British attempts to take the area.<ref name="Datta1957">{{cite book|author1=K. Datta|title=Unrest Against British Rule In Bihar(1831-1859)|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.206784|year=1957|publisher=Superintendent Secretariat Press|pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.206784/page/n56 51]–55}}</ref> However, he had to leave the place soon. Pursued by [[John Douglas (British Army officer)|Brigadier Douglas]], he retreated towards his home in [[Ara, Bihar]]. On 23 April, Singh had a victory near Jagdispur over the force led by Captain le Grand (le gard in Hindi). On 26 April 1858 he died in his village. The mantle of the old chief now fell on his brother Amar Singh II who, despite heavy odds, continued the struggle and for a considerable time, running a parallel government in the district of [[Shahabad district|Shahabad]]. In October 1859, Amar Singh II joined the rebel leaders in the [[Nepal]] Terai.<ref name="bhojpur.bih.nic.in"/>

==Death==
In his last battle, fought on 23 April 1858, near Jagdispur, the troops under the control of the British East India Company were completely routed. On 22 and 23 April, being injured he fought bravely against the British Army and with the help of his army drove away the British Army, brought down the [[Union Jack]] from Jagdispur Fort and hoisted his flag. He returned to his palace on 23 April 1858 and soon died on 26 April 1858.<ref name=Book1 />{{reliable|date=October 2017}}

==Legacy==
To honour his contribution to India's freedom movement, the [[Republic of India]] issued a commemorative stamp<ref>[http://indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Color/Mineral%20Red/KUNWAR%20SINGH Stamp at Indiapost]. Indianpost.com (1966-04-23). Retrieved on 2011-10-12.</ref> on 23 April 1966. The [[Government of Bihar]] established the [[Veer Kunwar Singh University]], Arrah, in 1992.<ref>[http://www.vksu-ara.org/ Veer Kunwar Singh University] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629140846/http://vksu-ara.org/ |date=29 June 2011 }}. Vksu-ara.org (1992-10-22). Retrieved on 2011-10-12.</ref>

In 2017, the Veer Kunwar Singh Setu, also known as the [[Arrah–Chhapra Bridge]], was inaugurated to connect north and south Bihar.<ref>{{cite web |title=Veer Kunwar Singh Setu |url=https://www.mcelhanney.com/project/veer-kunwar-singh-setu/ |website=McElhanney |access-date=3 March 2019}}</ref>
In 2018, to celebrate 160th anniversary of Kunwar Singh's death, the government of Bihar relocated a statue of him to [[Hardinge Park]]. The park was also officially renamed as 'Veer Kunwar Singh Azadi Park'.<ref>{{cite news |last1=PTI |title=Kunwar Singh statue relocated to Hardinge Park, CM to inaugurate tomorrow |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/pti-feed/story/kunwar-singh-statue-relocated-to-hardinge-park-cm-to-inaugurate-tomorrow-1217702-2018-04-22 |access-date=3 March 2019 |publisher=IndiaToday |date=22 April 2018}}</ref>

He is mentioned in many [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]] folk songs as a hero who fought against British oppression. One particular folk song states:<ref>{{cite journal | title=Popular Culture and 1857: A Memory against Forgetting | author=Badri Narayan | journal=Social Scientist | volume=26 |issue = 1/4| year=1998 | pages= 86–94|jstor = 3517583| doi=10.2307/3517583 }}</ref>

{{quote|''Ab chhod re firangiya ! Hamar Deswa ! Lutpat kaile tuhun, majwa udaile kailas, des par julum jor. Sahar gaon luti, phunki, dihiat firangiya, suni suni Kunwar ke hridaya me lagal agiya ! Ab Chhod re firangiya! Hamar Deswa!''

Translation in English :-

''O British ! Now quit our country ! For you have looted us, enjoyed the luxuries of our country and oppressed our countrymen. You have looted, destroyed and burnt our cities and villages. Kunwar's heart burns to know all this. O British ! Now quit our country !''|author=|title=|source=}}

In the 1970s, a private landlord militia known as the '[[Kuer Sena|Kuer Sena/Kunwar Sena]]' (Kunwar's Army) was formed by Rajput youth in Bihar to combat [[naxalite]] insurgents. It was named after Kunwar Singh.<ref name="Kumar2008">{{cite book|author=Ashwani Kumar|title=Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=num2I4NFGqIC&pg=PA118|year=2008|publisher=Anthem Press|isbn=978-1-84331-709-8|pages=118–}}</ref>

A play by [[Jagdish Chandra Mathur]] titled ''Vijay Ki Vela'' (Moment of Victory) is based on the later part of Kunwar Singh's life. He is also mentioned in the poem "[[Jhansi Ki Rani (poem)|Jhansi Ki Rani]]" by [[Subhadra Kumari Chauhan]].{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

==See also==
*[[History of Bihar]]
* [[Veer Kunwar Singh Museum]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}15.LegendsThinkDifferent(2019) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJKz7qWV68Q]

==External links==

{{Commons category}}

{{Indian independence movement}}
{{Authority control}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Kunwar}}
[[Category:Revolutionaries of the Indian Rebellion of 1857]]
[[Category:1858 deaths]]
[[Category:1777 births]]
[[Category:People from Bhojpur district, India]]
[[Category:History of Bihar]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Bihar]]
[[Category:Rajput rulers]]

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Kunwar Singh