HomeNationFifth generation of 1857 martyrs seeks to reclaim his family’s historical legacy

Fifth generation of 1857 martyrs seeks to reclaim his family’s historical legacy

X: @the_news_21

New Delhi: Musa Munir Khan, a student of Law Faculty of Law of Delhi University and a national player in Shotgun Shooting, is seeking to reclaim his family’s historical legacy. Musa Munir Khan is the fifth generation of the family whose ancestors had fought against the Colonial British in the First War of Independence in 1857.

“My ancestor’s and I hope you will be pleased to learn that they belong from erstwhile estate (Taluqdar) at Bulandshahr district, Uttar Pradesh and settled down twelve villages of Pathan on the shore of Ganges better known as Barah Basti and moreover they played a significant role during First War Independence of 1857 and fought against the Colonial Power under the overall command of Nawab Walidad Khan of Malagarh who’s niece was married to Prince Mirza Jawan Baqt the son of Bahadur Shah Zafar and Zeenat Mahal”, remarks Musa Munir Khan with pride.

Bara Basti, which translates to twelve settlements, is a significant term used to refer to a group of twelve villages that are currently situated in the Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, and Amroha districts. The origins of Bara Basti can be traced back to the era of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, during which a village named Basi Bangar was established by Sheikh Ruknud-din, the son of a Daudzai Afghan chieftain, along the banks of the Ganga River.

Sheikh Ruknud-din, known for his bravery as a warrior, was recognized by the Mughal rulers and eventually rose to the position of Mansabdar. He was also bestowed with the title of Sher Khan in recognition of his valour in the battle against Amr Singh, the Rana of Udaipur, during which he lost his arm to a sword stroke. Emperor Jahangir further honoured him by granting him the Jagir of Peshawar and the Pargana of Gujarat Sarkar.

Following his demise, a portion of his jagir and title were passed on to his brother and children. His son, Shaikh Kamaluddin Daudzai, continued to serve as a Mansabdar under Emperor Jahangir, but later joined Khan Jahan Lodhi in a revolt against the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in Peshawar.

Subsequently, Shaikh Allu Afghan, the younger sibling of the aforementioned individual, was incorporated into the Mughal nobility and received numerous grants. He established a village named after his name “Khanpur,” where he undertook the construction of a substantial Mud fort, a mosque, and various other edifices. As a result, Khanpur emerged as the administrative centre of Bara Basti village’s, which comprised the settlements of the Daudzai Afghans.

Shaikh Allu Afghan met his demise while combating the insurrectionist Raja Jagat Singh of Taragarh in Himachal Pradesh. His remains were returned to Khanpur, where he was interred during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan. The other villages within the Bara Basti included Bugrasi, Jalalpur, Chandiyana, Gesupur, Barwala, Amarpur, Sherpur, Bahadurgarh, Hasanpur, Mohammadpur, and Giroura. This overview provides a brief historical context of the Bara Basti and the estate of Khanpur, which thrived under Mughal rule.

The Historic event during the war of 1857.
The year 1857 witnessed a significant historical event involving the Khanpur estate and British forces. Nawab Mustafa Khan, known as Shefta, was ousted from Jahangirabad fort by Thakur Bheem Singh of Guraoli, Bulandshahr. Seeking aid, the Nawab sought help from the Khanpur family. Haji Munir Khan, the son of Azim Khan, rode on an elephant with a group of irregular cavalry troops, primarily recruited from the Pathans of Barabasti. Thakur Bheem Singh was defeated, and Haji Munir Khan escorted him to Khanpur fort, pledging not to cause any further trouble to Nawab Shefta.

The Role of Erstwhile Khanpur Estate and Barah Basti in the Great Uprising of 1857.
During the Mughal era, there were only few taluqdar estates in the current Bulandshahr district and these were Khanpur Chattari, Kuchesar, Pahasu and Shikarpur. When the great Uprising of 1857 broke out, there wasn’t much force at Meerut camp. Brand Sapte wrote letters to the taluqdars of district Bulandshahr asking for assistance of troops and horses.

This request was positively responded immediately. However, the Khanpur Estate decided to join the Uprising. Nawab Walidad Khan of Malagarh came to the Doab with a Sanad from Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

1: Azim Khan alias Azam Khan was the deputy of Nawab Walidad Khan of Malagarh in the Bulandshahr district of the former United Provinces. The family owned the erstwhile Khanpur Estate in the same district.

During the Great Uprising of 1857, Nawab Walidad Khan, who was related the Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar by virtue of marriage within the royal family, was chosen as a leader of this movement to overthrow the colonial government.
On 10 October 1857, British forces attacked Malagarh.

Azim Khan put up a stiff resistance under the overall command of Nawab Walidad Khan at Khurja and paralysed the British for a few days. He was finally arrested by Khusi Ram, the Police Officer of Anupshahr, while trying to cross the Ganga to move into Rohilkhand. He was tried by a court martial and subsequently hanged.

2: Haji Munir Khan was the only son of Azim Khan, the landlord of the Khanpur estate in Bulandshahr district. Munir Khan was the chief commander of the revolutionaries of the Bulandshahar district during the Great Uprising of 1857.
In the famous second battle of Gulaothi which was fought on 29 July 1857, British forces wanted to take control of the whole of the Bulandshahr district.

To stop their advance, Nawab Walidad Khan of Malagarh deputed his main commanders, Haji Munir Khan and Ismail Khan, to Gulaothi. Both of them established a picket on the canal just before Gulaothi to stop the colonial forces from entering the Bulandshahr district. In the ensuing battle, both Haji Munir Khan and Ismail Khan received severe sword cuts on their faces.

Later, Haji Munir Khan crossed the Ganga with Walidad Khan and joined Khan Bahadur Khan’s forces and fought at Kachhlaghat and also served as Naib Kotwal under government of Khan Bahadur Khan rebel government. He continued fighting until his last breath.

3: Abdul Latif Khan was the nephew of Azim Khan, the landlord of the Khanpur’s estate in the Bulandshahr district. Abdul Latif Khan was the second wealthiest landholder in the district and the proprietor of 225 villages, with its headquarters in the Barah Basti villages.

During the Great Uprising of 1857, the British District Magistrate of Bulandshahr called upon all the principal landholders of the district, including Abdul Latif Khan, to help him by furnishing troops to suppress the revolt. Abdul Latif Khan initially refused to help the British, but when on 4 October 1857, Bulandshahr was occupied by the British force under Lieutenant Colonel Farquhar, he paid his due balance of land revenue to the British government. But he soon shifted his allegiance to Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Though he never came to the battlefield, Abdul Latif Khan gave shelter to the revolutionaries of Bulandshahr district including Nawul Gujjar, Raheemoddeen and the Pathans of Barah Basti village’s when they were engaged in fighting the British forces. For these acts, he was tried by a military court and sentenced to transportation for life to Andamans or Kala Pani for aiding the revolt of 1857.

The family’s erstwhile Khanpur estate in Bulandshahr district was subsequently confiscated by the British after the 1857 uprising was crushed by the colonial forces.
As punishment for rising against British forces, the Khanpur estate was confiscated by the British Empire & was given to given to Sardar Bahadur Syed Meer Khan the nephew of Jan Fishan Khan, a close ally of the British who helped them in the Anglo-Afghan War & awarded a Jagirs in Meerut as Sardhana estate. Jan Fishan Khan also helped the empire during the war of 1857.

Some portion was auctioned afterward which was purchased by the loyal Zamindars of the district. Then after the confiscation, the Khanpur family was expelled overnight. They immigrated again to the village Basi Bangar, the village which was first established by their patriarch Shaikh Rukhnu din Khan Afghan on the shores of the Ganga River.

The grandson of Haji Munir Khan Janab Saeed ur Rehman also joined & participated in the freedom struggle of the Allama Mashriqi movement of Indian freedom struggle & was imprisoned in the Bulandshahr jail for a year or more. Later his son Saud ur Rehman joined the Indian army and served in the signal regiment & participated in the 1965 war & 1971 wars.

2 COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Must Read

spot_img