The Sannyasi Rebellion & Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak - First War of Indian Independence
The Sannyasi Rebellion (1761-1802) & Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak - First War of Indian Independence - 1st Freedom Revolutionary of India.
Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak (পন্ডিত ভবানীচরণ পাঠক/ पंडित भवानीचरण पाठक) was leader of the chronic religious struggle named 'Sannyasi Rebellion of 18th century in Bengal against British rule & exploitation- tyranny of Murshidabad Nawab. The Sannyasi Rebellion is considered to be the First ever Freedom Struggle of India against British imperialism.
Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak belonged to the Srotriya Varendra Brahmin sect of Pundravardhan and had been a supremely religious Shakta Tantra sadhaka. In the 'Rangpur District Gazetteers' written by the English writer Glazier, he is mentioned as a resident of Bazpur area of Rangpur district.
He established a revolutionary militant group consisted of Adi Shankaracharya followers Dashnami Naga & Giri Sampradaya Hindu Sannyasi warriors along with a vast army of oppressed peasants. The spark of the Sanyasi rebellion campaign against the British spread over a vast area ranging from Rangpur, Mahasthangarh, Natore, Dinajpur, Maldah, Kochbihar and Maimansingh in main area of Pundravardhan to Durgapur & hilly jungle covered districts like Birbhum and Medinipur in RarhBangla.
He established an independent Sanatani Hindu Dharmarajya governed by Dashnami Sannyasis by liberating the whole of Northern Bengal from the Mughal Nawab and the British. He received in his activities the active help and support of his obedient disciple Devi Chaudhurani, the great conductress of this rebellion. Raja Ramkanta Maitra & his wife Rani Bhavani Maitra of Natore kingdom funded the rebellion supplying arms to the rebels.
★ Sanyasi-British Conflicts :
● Battle of Mymensingh (1761 AD):
In 1761 the Sannyasi warriors led by Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak launched a joint attack towards the British camp of Mymansingh. Defeating the British, complete independence was established in large area of Mymansingh and Mahasthangarh by Sannyasis. As a result of the war victory, two of the British settlers in these areas were arrested.
● Battle of Dhaka (1763 AD):
In 1763, the Dhaka factory was captured by a group of Sannyasi rebels. Battle occurred there between British & Sannyasis in which the rebels got victory & the British commander Sir Edward was killed.
● Battle of Ghoraghat (1771 AD):
In 1771, a fierce battle was fought in Ghoraghat straight to Dinajpur by Sannyasis against British under leadership of Pandit Bhabani Pathak and Devi Chaudhurani. In 1784 the Dhaka factory was recaptured, the firing of the Sannyasis seriously wounded Robertson, a British army officer, and British troops suffered heavy losses.
● Battle of Govindaganj (1791 AD):
On June 16, 1791 Pandit Bhabani Pathak again engaged in a naval battle with the British in Brahmaputra river near Govindganj of Rangpur district. This time British generals used heavy cannons to suppress arrogance of the Sannyasi rebels. Unfortunately here the sanyasis were defeated and Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak was martyred.
Another 50 people among the Sannyasis were injured and taken prisoner. In addition, seven more boats loaded with rebel weapons were confiscated by the British. Death of Pandit Bhabanicharan was huge loss to the rebels. However in leadership of Devi Chaudhurani the rebellion continued for more 11 years till 1802.
★ Gobarjana Kali temple & Durgapur tunnel :
Shakta-avdhut Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak established the Gobarjana Kali temple on the banks of river Kalindri near Gauda in Maldah as a form of establishment of Dharmarajya. He also got Kali Mandir built at Jalpaiguri and Durgapur. A tunnel path was also built for secret travelling from Dinajpur to Durgapur.
★ Legacy of the Sannyasi Rebellion :
The spark of revolt started from Sannyasi rebellion later took the shape of fire in Rarhbangla. It was the first of a series of revolts and rebellions in the Western districts of the province including (but not restricted to) the Dhalbhum Chuar Revolt of 1799 led by Raja Jagannath Singha Dhal of Ghatshila, Raja Durjan Singha, Raja Achal Singha, Rani Shiromani of Karnagarh and the Santhal Revolt of 1855–56 led by Sidhu Murmu, Kanhu Murmu, Chand, Bhairav.
The best reminder of the Rebellion is in literature, in the Bengali novels Anandamath(1882) and Devi Chaudhurani(1884), written by India's first modern novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. The song, 'Vande Mataram', which was written in 1876, was used in the book 'Anandamath' in 1882 and the 1952 movie based on the book. Vande Mataram was later declared to be India's Jātīẏa Stōtra.
Hearing this fills me with immense pride as a bengali...hare murare madhukaitavare
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