Celebrating 197th Birth Anniversary Of Mangal Pandey: The Man Who Started The Indian War Of Independence

Mangal Pandey who instigated the first Bharatiya War of Independence in 1857 when he was just 30 years old, was born on 19 July 1827 to Divakar Pandey, Abhairani Pandey in a small village of Nagwa, Uttar Pradesh.

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Mangal Pandey was a sepoy in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry Regiment of the British East India Company. He led Indian soldiers to stop the use of a new British-introduced cow and pig fat cartridge, which was deemed religiously unsuitable for both Muslims and Hindus.

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Mangal Pandey, enraged by British intrusion, vowed to kill Lieutenant Baugh. Despite a missed bullet, Pandey overpowered Baugh, forcing him to escape. The Sepoy Mutiny spread to Meerut, Delhi, Cawnpore, and Lucknow.

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For this act of rebel, Mangal Pandey was imprisoned and sentenced to death. At the Military court trial, he was asked to name his partners in the crime. But like a true hero, he kept mum, which costed him his own life.

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He was scheduled to be hanged on April 18th, 1857. But his death was preponed to 10 days without a prior notice on 8th April 1857.

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The place where Mangal Pandey opened fire on the British Officers and where he was later hanged is known as ‘Shaheed Mangal Pandey Maha Udyan’ now.

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Pandey is regarded as a freedom fighter against British rule in India. The Indian government released a commemorative postage stamp featuring his likeness in 1984.