1857 uprising--war of Independence or sepoy mutiny?

Barrackpore, Aug 18 (UNI) Was the 1857 uprising India's first war of Independence or merely a sepoy mutiny? Controversy seems to dog the event as many historians, including Professor R C Majumder, had differed saying it was neither first nor a war of independence.

This view was expressed by Mr Dipak Shyam Roy, a former district judge, who formally released a handbook "1857-The Great Uprising" that depicts the chronology of Indian resistance between 1757 to 1859 and a brief history of the leaders of the uprising with comments from experts.

Mr Roy said Prof. Majumdar once defied the view that the 1857 mutiny was India's first war of independence in the presence of Annada Shankar Roy, an eminent ICS, during a public function which he presided.

The historian had claimed that the war between Mohammad Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan in 1191 was the first war of India's independence as the latter fought to resist Ghori's invasion.

Roy also alleged that a section of historians had been trying to distort the fact by misinterpreting history.

The 40-page handbook has been published by the Barrackpore branch of Kolkata Kendra Bharati and compiled by S K Bannerjea, a member of the organisation.

UNI XC RH PL KLC1415