1857 War of Independence in Murree
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In 1857 a war for independence from British rule broke out throughout British India (see Indian Rebellion of 1857). Resentment against colonial rule had been mounting for many years and there had been occasional isolated uprisings against British rule at various times since the British had established themselves in the subcontinent. What made 1857 different was that, although not centrally coordinated, the uprisings had the feel of something much larger - there was real anticipation that colonial rule would be overthrown. In the Murree hills it was the Dhonds and other hill tribes who rose up against the British[1].
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[edit] Background
Although the tribes of Murree had risen against the British, not everyone had been against British rule. Before British rule had been established in the area, the tribes had fought against the Sikhs.
Under the command of the Pir of Plasi Mohammed Ali Shah, (died 1845 and buried in central UC Bakot) they had fought against the Sikh Army in Balakot - the troops here were commanded by Seyed Shah Ismail Shahid and Syed Ahmad Shaheed (known as "The Martyrs)[2].
The Pir of Dewal Sharif, the grandfather of Abdul Majid Ahmed, had also died fighting in Dewal against the Sikh army chief Hari Singh Nalwa. He built a fort on frontier of Punjab and NWFP in 1815, now called Aarhi or Hadd. Nalwa's troops had brutally crushed the tribes of Circle Bakote and beheaded many of them. He also sold the ladies of these tribes in Jammu central bazaar in 1834,[3]
The British, after battling in Rawalpindi in 1845 had captured Rani Jindan, the widow of Ranjit Singh (the former Ruler of Punjab) - this caused the collapse of Sikh rule and, when the British marched into the Murree area, the local tribes initially welcomed them.
However, many of the tribes soon considered that they had exchanged one form of occupation for another and events elsewhere in India also encouraged an uprising.
The British had recruited many of the tribes in the area into their army, for example, numerous members of the Satti Tribe were recruited as Sepoys and the British commanders (like elsewhere across Colonial India) won this war largely by the use of native infantry.
[edit] War reaches Murree
The masterminds of this plan of independence were two Seyed brothers from Dhoke Syedan of Dewal Sharif.
The War against the British had reached Murree and the Southern Areas of Hazara part of which is now known as Circle Bakote in July 1857 when the Dhond Abbasi leader Sardar Sherbaz Khan planned to attack the British.
Sardar Khan had managed to obtain the backing of the following important tribal leaders.
- Satti leader Sardar Borha Khan
- Karhal leader Sardar Hasan Ali Khan
- Sardar Lalli Khan and Molana Mian Abdul Aziz of Birote
- Sardar Resham Khan of Ponch, Kashmir
[edit] Attack on Murree
A British report of the period describes the failed attack on Murree:
| “ | The drain made in the close of August on the Punjab stations in order to throw every available man on Delhi, had reduced it to a still more defenceless state.[4] | ” |
However Delhi still held out so Dhond tribesmen tried to seize Murree:
| “ | and by a most formidable combination rose simultaneously on every side, and, crowding up the nearer hill-sides threatened the destruction of the station. Nor were there only foes without, there were traitors within; several of the Mussulman table-servants were in league with the hill-men, and for some hours the danger to Murree was imminent.[4] | ” |
According to the 1857 Punjab Mutiny Report the attack failed due to the:
| “ | fidelity of one of Lady Lawrence's personal attendants, named Hakim Khan, himself an influential man of one of the tribes that had risen ..... were the means, under God, of saving Murree."[5] | ” |
Alerted to the danger the British organised defences, and quickly rallied volunteers commanded by Major Luard of the 55th NI and Captain HC Johnstone of the 5th N.I.
| “ | A cordon of sentries surrounded the station and the three weakest points were held in some force; so the Dhoonds (the distinctive name of these disaffected hillmen), stealing up the hill-sides in the dead of night, bent only on butchery and plunder, found the whole station waiting for them.[4] | ” |
After a few hours of skirmishing the Dhonds retreated with the loss of two or three of their men who had come within musket range of the British. The British however were to learn that the rebellion was wider than just the Dhonds.
| “ | After the repulse of the Dhoonds, it was found that the conspiracy affect many more clans and a much wider extent of country than had been suspected. It had reached far into Huzara and nearly down to Rawul Pindee; and, excepting the Khurrul insurrection in Mooltan, was by far the most extensive rebellion that had occurred in the Punjab during that year.[4] | ” |
The British also convicted and executed two Hindustani doctors for being involved in the plot. They had been educated in government institutions, were practising in Murree and employed by the government.
The British suspected that the Dhonds were expecting support from their Hindustani allies, so in addition to the doctors several domestic servants were seized and punished.
An urgent request was sent to troops in Hazara to reinforce Murree and Major Beecher sent every available man from Abbottabad to Murree - however the British troops in Murree had managed to secure the station and beat off the attack before the arrival of reinforcements.
According the Punjab Mutiny report however, the reinforcement themselves were almost ambushed:
| “ | They had to cross a most difficult country full or morasses and defiles. The Khurrals laid an ambush to cut them off, but Providence saved them. The road on which the trap was laid became impassable from the rains. The force turned off, and not till it had passed the spot, did it learn the greatness of the peril from which it had been delivered[5]. | ” |
[edit] Aftermath
However the revolt did not succeed - the rebels were betrayed and, as punishment, all of Sardar Sherbaz Khan's eight sons were blasted by cannon fire in Murree whilst Sardar Khan himself was hanged.
