Mangal Pandey

Mangal Pandey
A soldier who played a key part in events immediately preceding the out break of the Indian Rebellion 1857-The soldier is Mangal Pandey. He was a soldier in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry regiment of the British East India company. Mangal Pandey was born in July 1827 in Nagwa. He had joined Bengal army in 1849. In March 1857 Mangal Pandey was a private soldier in the 5th company of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry. On March -1857 Pandey was pacing in front of the regiments guard room by the parade ground armed with a loaded gun calling upon the men to rebel and threatening to shoot first European. Baugh a soldier immediately armed himself and seated on his horse to lines. 

Pandey took position behind with gun and took aim to Baugh. He missed Baugh. Baugh quickly returned and seizing one of his pistols. But he missed. Pandey attacked with a heavy Indian sword. English commander Major Hewson had arrived on the parad ground and arrested Pandey. In the meantime a report of the incident had been carried to commanding officer General Hearsey.  Hearsey ordered the soldiers to do their duty by seizing Mangal Pandey. The men of the quarter guard fell in and followed Hearsey towards Pandey. Pandey then put the muscle of the musket to his chest and discharged it by pressing the trigger with his foot. He collapsed bleeding. Pondey then recovered.
During the incident itself he shouted to other soldiers -Come out,Europeans are there- There were a wide range of factors causing apprehension and mistrust in the Bengal army. Pandeys reference to cadridges is usually attributed to a new type of bullet cadridge. As a result of the East Indian companys action they lost that special status since Oudh no longer existed as a nominally independent political entity. The attack by and punishment is widely seen as the opening scene of what came to be known as the Indian Rebellion 1857. Mangal Pandey would prove to be influential for later figures in the Indian Nationalist movement like V.D.Savarker. Pandey as the master mind behind a conspiracy to revolt against British. Indian goernment issued a postal stamp of Mangal Pandey on October5-1984. 



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