Western Nimad's sons also fought during 1857 revolt

Barwani, MP, May 14 (UNI) During the First War of Independence in 1857, western Nimad's Bhil warrior Bheema Nayak and other revolutionaries also fought against the British on the lines of Sepoy Mangal Pandey, according to official records and research papers.

One such revolutionary was Khwaja Nayak, the brother-in-law of Bheema who was known as Nimad's Robin Hood. Khwaja was a sepoy in an East India Company detachment entrusted with patrolling a 34-mile stretch from western Nimad's Sendhwa-Jamli Post to Maharashtra's Shirpur Post.

He served the Britishers for two decades from 1831 and was then awarded ten years' imprisonment for fatally beating up a highway robber while on patrol. However, he was freed in five years owing to good behaviour.

In 1857, when sepoys were revolting across northern India, Khwaja was re-enlisted by the Company but quit and joined Bheema after being insulted by a British captain. Besides looting the treasury, they fought against British.

The Britishers made several attempts to crush the rebels but in vain. The latter were surrounded on April 11, 1858 at Amba Pani between Barwani and Silawad. In the ensuing battle, Khwaja's son Daulat Singh and several other Bhils were martyred.

A few years later, treachery by relatives led to an arrest of Khwaja and Bheema who were subsequently incarcerated at the Cellular Jail at Port Blair along with their associates.

Western Nimad's Khargone and the surrounding area was ruled by the Holkars. One of their jagirdars, Raghunath Singh Mandloi, wielded considerable influence over tribal villagers in the vicinity of Barun.

As news spread of Tantya Tope's arrival in Nimad in 1857, several Holkar employees and citizens rebelled. Raghunath was among them.

His instigating the uprising led to the jagir being snatched and handed to Daulat Singh Mandloi.

Thousands of Bhil revolutionaries gathered at Barun under Raghunath's leadership and supplies came from Banjaras. The Holkars arrested Raghunath who was suitably aided by Sitaram. The latter was martyred while fighting a force led by Captain R H Keating.

UNI