Comments on: The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi, 1857 http://www.zackvision.com/weblog/2007/09/the-last-mughal/ The art of keeping up with yesterday's blogging Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:10:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Ajmal http://www.zackvision.com/weblog/2007/09/the-last-mughal/comment-page-1/#comment-12083 Ajmal Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:06:27 +0000 http://www.zackvision.com/?p=1660#comment-12083 <p>As you know my grandfather (father of your grandfather) was born in 1868 0r 1969. As narrated to me by my grandfather before 1955 <span class="caps">AD, </span>his father had told him about what process he had been through all his life. As I remember, grandfather told me:</p> <p>Heart-burning among Indians had commenced with British taking the role of rulers from being merely traders.</p> <p>So far as locals in the East India Company are concerned, Gurkhas were recruited first as soldiers. Sikhs were taken on to the side of the company by exploitation of their actual or supposed maltreatment by Hindus and Muslims. <br /> Later, Punjabis from Pothohar area of Punjab were recruited as soldiers because they belonged to barren lands and needed to feed their families. </p> <p>The notice-able uprising started from Bengal and it included Muslims and Brahmins but it had actually taken birth in Hyderabad Dakhan. The reason was that it came to be known that animal fat used on gun cartridges which had to be removed by using teeth was from cow or pig. The heart-burning and hatred against British being already there, the matter of fat showed the match. </p> As you know my grandfather (father of your grandfather) was born in 1868 0r 1969. As narrated to me by my grandfather before 1955 AD, his father had told him about what process he had been through all his life. As I remember, grandfather told me:

Heart-burning among Indians had commenced with British taking the role of rulers from being merely traders.

So far as locals in the East India Company are concerned, Gurkhas were recruited first as soldiers. Sikhs were taken on to the side of the company by exploitation of their actual or supposed maltreatment by Hindus and Muslims.
Later, Punjabis from Pothohar area of Punjab were recruited as soldiers because they belonged to barren lands and needed to feed their families.

The notice-able uprising started from Bengal and it included Muslims and Brahmins but it had actually taken birth in Hyderabad Dakhan. The reason was that it came to be known that animal fat used on gun cartridges which had to be removed by using teeth was from cow or pig. The heart-burning and hatred against British being already there, the matter of fat showed the match.

]]> By: Captain_Arrrgh http://www.zackvision.com/weblog/2007/09/the-last-mughal/comment-page-1/#comment-12082 Captain_Arrrgh Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:45:16 +0000 http://www.zackvision.com/?p=1660#comment-12082 <p>Since I know next to nothing about this period in the sub-continent’s history, this seems like an interesting place to start learning. Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Zack.</p> Since I know next to nothing about this period in the sub-continent’s history, this seems like an interesting place to start learning. Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Zack.

]]> By: Desi Italiana http://www.zackvision.com/weblog/2007/09/the-last-mughal/comment-page-1/#comment-12081 Desi Italiana Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:36:40 +0000 http://www.zackvision.com/?p=1660#comment-12081 <p>“most of the soldiers were high caste Hindus from the eastern Hindi belt and not the so-called martial races of India (an idea which probably came later)”</p> <p>I read a paper <span class="caps">LONG TIME AGO </span>by Guha (I think that’s who the writer was) that broke down this “martial races” notion. According to him, the British had elected Sikhs and Gurkhas as the “martial races.” There were quite a few tracts that they had written about Sikhs being wheat- fed, tall, strong, and “khalsa warriors.” They were definately romantized by the Brits, and as Desis are wont to do, we often take the stereotypes that others make of us and pride ourselves on it :)</p> “most of the soldiers were high caste Hindus from the eastern Hindi belt and not the so-called martial races of India (an idea which probably came later)”

I read a paper LONG TIME AGO by Guha (I think that’s who the writer was) that broke down this “martial races” notion. According to him, the British had elected Sikhs and Gurkhas as the “martial races.” There were quite a few tracts that they had written about Sikhs being wheat- fed, tall, strong, and “khalsa warriors.” They were definately romantized by the Brits, and as Desis are wont to do, we often take the stereotypes that others make of us and pride ourselves on it :)

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