April 8th, 2008 *** On this date in 1857, ten days before the scheduled date for his execution, Mangal Pandey was hanged at Barrackpore, India, for mutiny against his British officers - a death sentence at the intersection of technology, faith and empire that would prefigure India's first large-scale rebellion against English authority. *** [snip] http://www.executedtoday.com/2008/04/08/1857-mangal-pandey-sepoy/ It started in Barrackpore Thursday, May 10, 2007 Oddly enough, the Barrackpore barrack, the venue of the first revolt of the sepoys against the company rule where the hero of the sepoy mutiny Mangal Pandey was hanged, does not bear any reminiscences of that heroic event. There is no statue or monument and not even any inscription on the plaque in memory of those war heroes and their great sacrifices. But the groves of the banyan trees where Mangal Pandey's body had been kept hanging for some time for other warriors to watch and get horrified, are still there. Neither the Left Front government nor any other social and cultural organisation has come forward to hold any seminars or exhibitions in remembrance of the historic event on the occasion of the 150th year of the sepoy mutiny. The cultural ministry also has been keeping silent. In 1857, the Bengal army had 10 regiments of Indian cavalry and 74 of infantry and they all at some point or the other mutinied. On March 29 at Barrackpore Latbagan, Mangal Pandey of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry suddenly burst out and attacked the adjutant, Lt Baugh with a sword. But failing in the attempt he fired at him, which, unfortunately, did not hit him but his horse. Gen. John Hearsey saw a frenzied Mangal Pandey attacking Lt Baugh and he ordered forthwith Jamadar Iswari Prasad to arrest Mangal Pandey but he refused. The whole regiment, excepting a soldier called Shaikh Paltu, also drew itself back. But still they did not dare to go for direct action against the company's troops as desired by Mangal Pandey. Pandey then in an attempt to end his life, placed a musket on his chest and pulled the trigger with his toe. But his attempt failed. On April 6 he was court-martialled and on April 8 he was hanged to death. Jamadar Ishwari Prasad, who had refused to arrest Mangal Pandey, was also hanged to death subsequently on April 22 and the whole regiment was disbanded. The sepoys were unarmed and their uniforms stripped off. [snip] http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070510/1857/main5.htm ----- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar Nagpur, India