Babu Kunwar Singh
Encyclopedia
Veer Kunwar Singh one of the leaders of the Indian rising of 1857 belonged to a royal Kshatriya
(Rajput
) house of Jagdispur
, currently a part of Bhojpur district
, Bihar
state
, India
. At the age of 80 years, during India’s First War of Independence
(1857), he actively led a select band of armed soldiers against the troops under the command of the East India Company
, and also recorded victories in many battles.
, was born in 1777, Jagdispur, near Arrah
in the state
of Bihar
.
He belongs to Panwar/Parmar(Ujjain Rajputs as they are locally known in Bihar or in and around his birth place). His ancestors belong to the dynasty of the great Raja Vikramaditya as well as Raja Bhoj of Malwa.
on July 5. Two days later he occupied Arrah
, the district headquarters
. Major Vincent Eyre relieved the town on 3 August, defeated Kunwar Singh's force and destroyed Jagdispur
. Kunwar Singh left his ancestral village and reached Lucknow
in December 1857. In March 1858 he occupied Azamgarh
. However, he had to leave the place soon. Pursued by Brigadier Douglas, he retreated towards his home in Bihar
. On 23 April, Kunwar Singh had a victory near Jagdispur over the force led by Captain Le Grand. On 26 April 1858 he died in his village. The mantle of the old chief now fell on his brother Amar Singh who, despite heavy odds, continued the struggle and for a considerable time, running a parallel government in the district of Shahabad. In October 1859, Amar Singh
joined the rebel leaders in the Nepal
Terai.
, the troops under the control of the East India Company
were completely routed. While crossing the Ganges on way to his ancestral seat at Jagadispur, veer Kunwar Singh was wounded in the arm. Undaunted, veer Kunwar Singh severed the injured limb and flung it into the river Ganges as is was his last offering to the Ganges. Soon after, he completely routed the British forces
in the battle on 23 April 1858 and died the next day (24 April 1858) He was respected as a good and brave warrior.
named after him, was established by Government of Bihar
near his Jagdispur birth place.
The ICSE
board has in its hindi
text-book (Ekanki Suman) a play (by the name of Vijay Ki Vela, literally: Moment of Victory) on the later part of veer Kunwar Singh's life, starting from the time he was crossing the river Ganga and finishing with his death, because of his injury.
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
(Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
) house of Jagdispur
Jagdispur
Jagdispur is a sub division of the district Bhojpur of the state of Bihar state in eastern India. Having a golden historical background, this great historical place is related to the Babu Veer Kunwar Singh, the great freedom fighter of 1857...
, currently a part of Bhojpur district
Bhojpur district, Bihar
Bhojpur district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state in eastern India. Arrah town is the administrative headquarters of this district.-History:...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. At the age of 80 years, during India’s First War of Independence
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
(1857), he actively led a select band of armed soldiers against the troops under the command of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, and also recorded victories in many battles.
Early life
Kunwar Singh, king of JagdispurJagdispur
Jagdispur is a sub division of the district Bhojpur of the state of Bihar state in eastern India. Having a golden historical background, this great historical place is related to the Babu Veer Kunwar Singh, the great freedom fighter of 1857...
, was born in 1777, Jagdispur, near Arrah
Arrah
Arrah is a city and a municipal corporation in Bhojpur district in the state of Bihar, India. The actual name of Arrah is Ara but it was misspelt by the British and now corrected to Ara but still known as Arrah in many records. It is the district headquarters of Bhojpur district, located near the...
in the state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
.
He belongs to Panwar/Parmar(Ujjain Rajputs as they are locally known in Bihar or in and around his birth place). His ancestors belong to the dynasty of the great Raja Vikramaditya as well as Raja Bhoj of Malwa.
Indian rebellion of 1857
Babu Kunwar Singh was nearly eighty and in failing health when he was called upon to take up arms. The great warrior that he was, he gave a good fight and harried British forces for nearly a year and remained invincible till the end. Kunwar Singh assumed command of the soldiers who had revolted at DanapurDanapur
Danapur , sometimes known as Dinapur or Dinapore is a satellite town of Patna in Bihar state of India. It is located on the bank of the River Sone which merges with River Ganges at Digha a few kilometers from Danapur...
on July 5. Two days later he occupied Arrah
Arrah
Arrah is a city and a municipal corporation in Bhojpur district in the state of Bihar, India. The actual name of Arrah is Ara but it was misspelt by the British and now corrected to Ara but still known as Arrah in many records. It is the district headquarters of Bhojpur district, located near the...
, the district headquarters
Districts of Bihar
Bihar, a state of India, has currently thirty-eight administrative districts.A district of an Indian state is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a district magistrate or a deputy commissioner, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service...
. Major Vincent Eyre relieved the town on 3 August, defeated Kunwar Singh's force and destroyed Jagdispur
Jagdispur
Jagdispur is a sub division of the district Bhojpur of the state of Bihar state in eastern India. Having a golden historical background, this great historical place is related to the Babu Veer Kunwar Singh, the great freedom fighter of 1857...
. Kunwar Singh left his ancestral village and reached Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
in December 1857. In March 1858 he occupied Azamgarh
Azamgarh
Azamgarh is a town in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is headquarters of Azamgarh district and Azamgarh Division.-History:Azamgarh, one of the easternmost districts of the State, once formed a part of the ancient Kosala kingdom, except the north-eastern part of it which was included in the...
. However, he had to leave the place soon. Pursued by Brigadier Douglas, he retreated towards his home in Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. On 23 April, Kunwar Singh had a victory near Jagdispur over the force led by Captain Le Grand. On 26 April 1858 he died in his village. The mantle of the old chief now fell on his brother Amar Singh who, despite heavy odds, continued the struggle and for a considerable time, running a parallel government in the district of Shahabad. In October 1859, Amar Singh
Amar Singh
Amar Singh may refer to:* Amar Singh , Indian test cricketer* Amar Singh , Indian politician* Amar Singh, son of Maharana Pratap...
joined the rebel leaders in the Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
Terai.
Death
In his last battle, fought on 23 April 1858, near JagdispurJagdispur
Jagdispur is a sub division of the district Bhojpur of the state of Bihar state in eastern India. Having a golden historical background, this great historical place is related to the Babu Veer Kunwar Singh, the great freedom fighter of 1857...
, the troops under the control of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
were completely routed. While crossing the Ganges on way to his ancestral seat at Jagadispur, veer Kunwar Singh was wounded in the arm. Undaunted, veer Kunwar Singh severed the injured limb and flung it into the river Ganges as is was his last offering to the Ganges. Soon after, he completely routed the British forces
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in the battle on 23 April 1858 and died the next day (24 April 1858) He was respected as a good and brave warrior.
Legacy
To honour his memory and his contribution to India’s freedom movement, the Republic of India issued a commemorative stamp on 23 April 1966. Veer Kunwar Singh UniversityVeer Kunwar Singh University
-Introduction:Veer Kunwar Singh University , named after the well known national hero and legendary freedom fighter Veer Kunwar Singh, is a public university in the regional city of Arrah in the state of Bihar, India. It was established by the Bihar University Act 1976...
named after him, was established by Government of Bihar
Government of Bihar
The Government of Bihar, known locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Bihar and its 38 districts of its divisions...
near his Jagdispur birth place.
The ICSE
ICSE
ICSE might be an acronym or abbreviation for:* International Conference on Software Engineering* International Contract Services Expo* International Center for Sustainale Excellence* Indian Certificate of Secondary Education...
board has in its hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
text-book (Ekanki Suman) a play (by the name of Vijay Ki Vela, literally: Moment of Victory) on the later part of veer Kunwar Singh's life, starting from the time he was crossing the river Ganga and finishing with his death, because of his injury.