Barrackpore, 1824: The fire of mutiny first lit

Has there been a typo in the title? Isn’t Barrackpore associated with the year 1857 and not 1824? But there was indeed an uprising in the same Barrackpore cantonment thirty years prior to the events of 1857, and this little conflagration had its full effect on the more well-known ‘India’s First War of Independence’.

By 1824, the East India Company’s (EIC) mastery of the Indian subcontinent was almost complete. The Marathas had been subdued via various battles and treaties by 1818 and the smaller states subdued or made allies – such as the Nizam. The Sikhs were limited to the west of the Sutlej via the Treaty of Sutlej and Sindh was hardly a headache. The problem had cropped up from the east in the form of the Burmese kingdom which had overrun Manipur and Assam and threatened British possessions in Bengal. The Burmese capture and massacre of a small British garrison at Ramu near Chittagong made matters worse. Rumours quickly spread about the ‘eminent’ march of the Burmese general Maha Bandula towards Calcutta, sending the EIC into a tizzy.

The British replied by sending a naval expedition to Rangoon, which Maha Bandula evacuated and he retreated to Ava. With the naval expedition not finding success, the EIC resorted to sending troops overland – via the Cachar hills of Manipur and via Chittagong into Arakan, a province of Burma. They were to then reach the Irrawaddy river valley and join the soldiers who had taken Rangoon.

The EIC had three Presidency Armies – one each for Bengal, Madras and Bombay. The Bengal Army was obviously the oldest and largest and also best positioned for this Burma expedition. Hence, the 26th, 62nd and the 47th Regiments of the Bengal Army, then stationed at Barrackpore in Bengal, were ordered to take up the expedition. Their commander was one General Sir George Paget – a name which should have been known to us as an example of brutality under British rule but sadly isn’t. While Paget’s experience as a military man was vast, his experience in India was nil. Grievances considered genuine by Indian soldiers but thought to be trivial by General Paget led to a very combustible situation a few days later.

For starters, the soldiers of the 47th Regiment had undertaken frequent long marches in the recent past. This was another tiring march against an unknown enemy in harsh and foreign conditions. Moreover, most of the Bengal Army consisted of Brahmins or Purubias. Following the prevalent caste norms, each soldier would carry his own utensils into a campaign. Transporting this baggage meant employing large numbers of bullocks. General Paget refused to provide either – sufficient number of bullocks or sufficient money to purchase bullocks.

Another problematic issue was the knapsacks provided to the soldiers; many of those were worn out or torn and unfit for a long campaign into the jungles of Burma. In protest, the 47th Regiment refused to march to Burma on the designated day in November 1824.

These were genuine concerns which could have been settled amicably. Instead, General Paget reached Barrackpore with two British battalions, an artillery company, and some bodyguards of Governor General.

Next morning immediately, the British Battalions stood facing the 47th Regiment of the Bengal Army. The sepoys of the latter were armed and joined by some disgruntled elements from the other two Barrackpore regiments. They peacefully made a petition to their commander, listing their problems. Although General Paget agreed that none were to be sent via the sea, he was in no mood to listen to the other grievances. He was of the view that the sepoys should first lay down their arms. Bear in mind that no Indian soldier had so much as fired a shot so far.

General Sir George Paget then ordered his artillery to open fire, without warning, on the 47th Regiment of the Bengal Army! This was followed by a cavalry charge of the British battalions. Over a hundred died almost instantly. Many drowned trying to escape via the nearby Ganges. A court-martial of the entire regiment was held on the same day, with 41 being sentenced to death. A dozen was hanged the next day to ‘set an example’. Only the Jallianwala Bagh would match the death count in an unprovoked shooting. The Regiment itself was disbanded.

Its effect on 1857? The memory of 1824 played its role in the events of 1857 – least of all the place. In fact, one of the soldiers hanged to death became a martyr of sorts for the Barrackpore regiments. His utensils and brass paraphernalia were preserved like relics. Although the ‘uprising’ began on the first of November 1824 and was brutally suppressed the next day, its memory and effect continued to felt more than thirty years later. In fact, General Paget’s actions gave ample reason for the killing of British officers in 1857, opine some.

Thus Barrackpore finds a firm place in our history not once, but twice!

The writer is the author of Brahmaputra — Story of Lachit Borphukan and Sahyadris to Hindukush — Maratha Conquest of Lahore and Attock. Views expressed are personal.