Vijay Singh Gujjar

With the establishment of the British State in India as a result of Battle of Plassey in 1757 AD, it started its protest in India and till the Revolution of 1857[3] there were many struggles in India, such as in 1818, Khandesh Bhils and Maro of Rajasthan fought.[4][5] Encouraged by the failure of the British in the Verma war in 1824 and the 42-Nativ Infantry in Barrackpur Cantonment, the Indians made efforts to achieve independence by cooperating with the people of Koli dominated area in Saharanpur-Haridwar area, Rohtak and Gujarat.[6][7] Indians at all three places fought strongly against the English state and tried to uproot the English state under the leadership of their traditional clan. Just as in 1857 the revolution started with the military revolt and later converted into a mass rebellion. A similar event took place in 1824.[1][2] Some historians have also called the Revolution of 1824 as the forerunner of the independence movement of 1857 and the rehearsal based on the equality of these events. In 1824, the flame of freedom struggle in the Saharanpur-Haridwar region was much faster than other places above.[8][9] In modern Haridwar district, there is a town named Landhaura in the east of Roorkee city. This town has been the capital of the Gujjar kings of the Parmar/Panwar dynasty till 1947.[10] In its climax, there were 804 villages in the Ladhaura principality and the influence of its rulers was in the entire West Uttar Pradesh. In the Karnal region of Haryana and also in Garhwal, there was widespread influence of rulers of this lineage. In 1803, the British defeated the Sindhis of Gwalior and got the entire Uttar Pradesh as their warrior hujin. Now in this area, all the powerful princely states of Landhaura, Gurjar Dynasty, Dasduri (Meerut) of Bhati Gurjar Dynasty (Gautam Buddha Nagar), Jute Kuchsar (Gadhar region) etc. were seen in the region like thorns in the eyes of the British. In 1813, King of Landhaura Ram Dayal Singh died. There was deep differences in the royal family over the question of his successor. Taking advantage of the situation, the British Government divided the repatriation to the various claimants and merged the major part of the principality into their state. Langahara was a cluster of princely states, Kunja-Bahadpur, which is situated near Lordpur on the Saharanpur-Roorkee road, there were 44 villages in this taluka,।[11] in 1819, Vijay Singh Gujjar became the talukdar here. Vijay Singh was a close relative of Landhaura Royal family. In the mind of Vijay Singh Gujjar, there was fierce indignation against the British imperialist policies. He could never accept the partition of Landhora principality.[12] On the other hand, the financial mismanagement of the government in this region and the continuous drought of many years made the situation very skewed for the farmers, rising revenue and the tyranny of the British forced them to revolt. Farmers of the area were oppressed by the harsh harsh regulation policy of the British and were ready to fight. Many revolutionary organizations were born among the farmers. Who were working against British rule. These organizations were similar to military squads based on military systems, their members were equipped with spears and swords, and could face any small force when required. The oppressive foreign rule used to call these revolutionary organizations a gang of dacoits, standing up against them. But these organizations have received a lot of support from people suffering from the English state. Among these organizations, Kalyan Singh Gujjar, a key leader of a revolutionary organization, was Kalua Gujjar. This organization was active in the Dehradun area, and here he kept the chill of the English state; the other organization's head was Kunwar Gujjar and Bhure Gujjar. This organization was active in Saharanpur area and had a headache for the British. Saharanpur-Haridwar-Dehradun area thus became a pile of gunpowder. Where ever the anti-British explosion could have been.[13]

The locals of Kunja-Bahadpur were keeping an eye on Vijay Singh's position. Initiating Vijay Singh's behalf on behalf of himself, all the anti-English collectors of West Uttar Pradesh, the Talukkars, the Chiefs, the revolutionary organizations established contact with him, and through the armed revolution, plan to give the British their excuse. A common gathering of British farmers was called on Bhagwanpur District- Saharanpur on the invitation of Vijay Singh. Farmers of Haryana, Saharanpur, Haridwar, Dehradun-Moradabad, Meerut and Yamuna crossing participated in the meeting. All the farmers present in the meeting accepted the revolutionary scheme of Vijay Singh from Harsovallas. The meeting urged Vijay Singh to lead the leadership of the future liberation war, which he gladly accepted. The leaders of the society assured Vijay Singh of providing full support to the future independence struggle. Kalyan Singh alias Kalua Gujjar also accepted the leadership of Vijay Singh. Now Vijay Singh was in the hope of a good opportunity to get two hands from the British. In 1824, news of the defeat of the British in the Battle of Burma created enthusiasm in the mind of freedom lover Vijay Singh. At that time the Indian army revolted against the British Government in Barrackpur. Time understanding your favor, according to Vijayan Singh's plan, the field farmers declared independence.[14]

In the initial period of freedom struggle, Kalyan Singh was active in the hills of Shivalik with his military squad and he had good influence in the Dehradun area. Sheikhjamam and Sayajam of Nawada village were special informers of the British, and kept secret information about the activities of the revolutionaries to the British. Kalyan Singh attacked Nawada village and imposed proper punishment to these patrons, and seized his property. The Assistant Magistrate acted as a warning to this incident of Nawada village and it started showing signs of a full armed revolution against the English state. Kalyan Singh attacked Raipur village on May 30, 1824 and arrested British patriots in Raipur and took them to Dehradun and punished them near the district headquarters of Dehradun. Seeing the seriousness of the miserable situation of the Assistant Magistrate Shore with this challenging behavior of Kalyan Singh, he called the Sirmaur Battalion. Kalyan Singh's strength was far less than the Sirmaur Battalion, so Kalyan Singh left the Dehradun area, and instead of its center of revolutionary activities, Saharanpur, Jwalapur and Karapur were the centers of revolution. On September 7, 1824, the Karupur Police check was destroyed by the possession of the leo. After five days, he attacked Bhagwanpur and won him. Joint Magistrate Girthal of Saharanpur ordered an inquiry into the incident. The fact of the revolutionary activities in the investigation came from the fact that the operation of the fort of Kunja Now Girthal issued summons to Vijay Singh, on which Vijayan Singh did not pay attention and started preparing for the decisive battle.[15]

On October 1, 1824, the government treasury was going from Jwalapur to Saharanpur in a tight security of 200 police guards equipped with modern weapons. In the leadership of Kalyan Singh, the revolutionaries attacked the police team at a place called Black Haatha. In the war, the British police got badly defeated and ran away from the treasure. Now Vijay Singh and Kalyan Singh announced an indigenous state and issued several orders to stabilize their new state. Many villagers, including Raipur, accepted the revenues, and the winds of freedom began to move around and the English state seemed to be confronted with this region. Kalyan Singh planned to free the prisoners of freedom fighter in Saharanpur jail by jail for the purpose of providing new power to the freedom struggle. He also attacked the city of Saharanpur and decided to liberate it from the English rule. The English administration was anxious with this action plan of revolutionaries, and a massive army was called out from the outside. Captain Young was given command of the British army The English army soon reached Sikandarpur near Kunja. King Vijay Singh played a march outside the fort and Kalyan Singh within the fort and within the fort. The Indians had two gunas in the fort. Under the leadership of Capt Young, the English army, which was mainly Gurkha, had come very close to the Kunja. On October 3, the British army suddenly attacked and alerted the freedom fighters. Indians got control over the situation and took up the front of the ground and started counter-response. Fierce war broke out, the most brave warrior Kalyan Singh of freedom fighters who fought in this struggle, became martyred in the first attack of the British, News of freedom struggle being fought in Kunja in entire western Uttar Pradesh, Spreading from, the kings of Meerut's Bahasuma and Dadri principality also traveled along with their armies to the Kunja. The Kalsian Gujjar peasants of the Chauhan clan settled near Bagpat and Munjfernagar also came out in large numbers to help King Vijaysingh in this freedom struggle. When the British came to know of this stir then the ground beneath their feet came out. He worked with great finesse and spread the news of the killing of Kalyan Singh in entire western Uttar Pradesh. Along with this, he also gave false rumors of the defeat of the fort of Kunja and the defeat of freedom fighters. The English trick was successful. Influenced by rumors, freedom fighters coming from other areas were discouraged, and frustrated and returned to their areas. The British took the job of a cannon by repairing a ram. And started bombing. The British tried to fly the fort from the cannon. The castle wall was made of raw soil on which the cannonballs could not have special effects. But in the end the fort was broken by the cannon. Now the Gorkha army of the British succeeded in entering the fort. There was a fierce battle from both sides. Assistant magistrate was badly injured in the Mid-Noise War. But Vijay was finally received by the British. King Vijay Singh was martyred while fighting bravely.[16]

The reason for the defeat of the Indians was mainly lack of modern weapons, they mostly fought with weapons like sword, spearheaded guns. While the British Army had the modern rifle (303 bore) and carbine at that time. On this, the Indians fought bravely, and they fought the British till the last breath. According to the British government figures, 152 freedom fighter martyred, 129 injured and 40 arrested.[17][18] But in reality the number of martyrs was very high. The martyrdom of Indian revolutionaries also did not fill the heart of the English army. After the battle, they also dropped the walls of the fort of Kuna. The British army arrived in Dehradun celebrating the celebration of victory; he also took with him two artillery guns, Kalyan Singh's lion and Vijay Singh's breasts. These toes were placed on the Purdah of Dehradun. In order to disturb Indians, the British Government hung Vijay Singh's chest and Kalyan Singh's head in an iron pigeon and hung on the gate of the Dehradun jail. In the initial stage of Kalyan Singh's war, the revolution ended in its infancy due to martyrdom. Captain Young had accepted after the battle of Kunja that if this revolt had not been thrown at a speedy pace, then in the time of two days, this war would have gained support of thousands more others. And this revolt spread all over West Uttar Pradesh.[19] [20]

The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Harish Rawat paid tribute to the freedom fighter Gujjar on the occasion of his martyrdom day in Kunja Bahadurpur in Haridwar. He said several institutions, roads and scholarships would be renamed after the martyr in sync with the State Government’s commitment to hold him in grateful remembrance.

He announced that his contribution in the nation’s freedom movement will be incorporated in the history book at higher secondary level education, he announced while adding that the Government Inter College Kunja Bahadurpur in Haridwar would soon be renamed after him by way of remembering his supreme sacrifice for the posterity.

Also, the Government of Uttarakhand will observe Singh’s martyrdom day each year and the meritorious students from Other Backward Classes will be given scholarships in the name of Vijay Singh.

Harish Rawat also announced that a veterinary hospital will be opened in Kunja Bahadurpur bearing the name of the martyr. The road connecting Bhagwanpur to Jhabrera will be renamed after "Raja Vijay Singh".[1][2]