Saquib Salim

Colonial historians, and their later followers, tried to paint the Indian War of Independence of 1857 as a localized event that had no, or little, impact on regions outside the Northern Indian plains. There seems a general amnesia in popular discourse regarding the revolt, in 1857, outside Delhi, Lucknow, Jhansi, Arrah and Kanpur. In fact, Indians outside North India showed no less courage. We find stories of valour across the country. Heroic fight against the British by Maulvi Syed Alauddin of Hyderabad is one such story which has largely been forgotten. 

On 10 May, 1857, Indian sepoys of the English East India Company Army at Meerut rose up in revolt against their English officers and raised the flag of independence. These sepoys marched to Delhi, raising the slogans of ‘Diin, Diin’ (Religion, Religion) and declared the last Mughal Ruler, Bahadur Shah Zafar, their leader. Soon, dissatisfied rulers like Begum Hazrat Mahal, Nana Saheb, Rani Lakshmibai, and Tantia Tope, religious figureheads like Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah of Faizabad and peasants joined the revolt.

In June 1857, Indian sepoys of the English Army led by Cheeda Khan and Amir Khan rose up in revolt at Aurangabad cantonment. To suppress the revolt, English soldiers under the command of General Woodburn shot dead, hanged, blown from cannon and transported dozens of the Indian sepoys. The English declared a reward of Rs. 3,000 to catch the leader of the revolt, Cheeda Khan. Khan, in a hope of popular support, fled with a few of his loyal sepoys to Hyderabad.

On 2 July, 1857, forces of the ruler of Hyderabad, Nizam, arrested Cheeda Khan and his loyalists from Secunderabad. Shivcharan, Madhav Das, Anoop Singh, Kishan Das, Lal Khan and Kader Khan were other soldiers arrested by the Nizam’s forces for waging a war against the British. As Cheeda Khan hoped, people of Hyderabad rose up in support and demanded that the sepoys should be immediately released.

An arrtist's imagination of the fight between the British troops and the Indian nationalists in Hyderabad

On 17 July, 1857, Maulvi Alauddin after the Friday prayers addressed the people to stand in support of the sepoys. He himself declared that he was ready to die. Soon, people started marching towards the English Residency in Hyderabad. The Prime Minister of Nizam, Salar Jang, intervened and tried to convince people not to attack the Presidency but nobody would listen. Alauddin with his men reached Begum Bazar, where Turrebaz Khan, a Rohilla leader, was ready to join Alauddin with his men.

Alauddin with around 500 Rohillas attacked the Residency where the news of the attack had already reached. The gates of the Residency were closed and European soldiers led by Major Briggs, Captain Holmes and Captain Scott took their positions to defend any Indian attack. At least five cannon guns were also mounted to fire upon the Indians. As soon as Alauddin and his men reached the Presidency, they were fired upon by the English soldiers. Alauddin and Turrebaz Khan took shelter at the building owned by jai Gopal Das.

Here, Alauddin told Khan that he was ready to die as a martyr and would not run away. Turrebaz argued that there is no intelligence in dying at a place where one would not receive an honourable funeral. In the end Turrebaz succeeded in pursuing Alauddin as they fled in the early morning from the house of Gopal Das.

 Alauddin told the court:

“Turrebaz Khan told me that the tables were turned, so it was better to escape. I replied that he may go but I would prefer to die on the spot. At this, Turrebaz Khan prepared himself to die. When the morning dawned we offered prayers, Turrebaz Khan told me that though they had decided to die their dead bodies would be left to decay uncared. So it would be better to run away from that place. As all of them were of the same opinion we started from there and reached Begum Bazar.”

During this attack on the Presidency at least 29 Indians lost their lives, of whom Rohillas were able to take 25 dead bodies with them to Begum Bazar.

The Nizam Government under the influence of the English passed the to confiscate the properties of Maulvi Alauddin and Turrebaz Khan, demolish the house of Jai Gopal Das, and to arrest Alauddin and Turrebaz. Alauddin in the meanwhile reached Kunda and then Mangalpalli, where he remained in hiding for almost one and a half years. Peer Mohammad, of Mangalpalli, kept Alauddin at his house and his identity was revealed when an epidemic disease spread in the area and Maulvi Alauddin gave a talisman for its cure.

After this, the Nizam’s forces did not take much time in arresting Alauddin and Peer Mohammad in 1859. A court case followed where Alauddin was sentenced for the transportation for life at the Andamans. He was found guilty of spreading anti-British message from Mecca Masjid and leading attack on the Residency.

Also read: Nizam's regime was against Moulvi's release

Meanwhile, Turrebaz Khan was arrested much before and sentenced for transportation to the Andamans. On 18 January, 1859, Turrebaz escaped from the jail with the help of sympathetic sentries. A reward of Rs. 5,000 was declared for catching him dead or alive. On 24 January, 1859, he was killed by the Nizam’s army. His body was brought to Hyderabad and hung up at a public place.

Maulvi Alauddin was transported to the Andamans on 28 June, 1859, where he breathed his last in 1884.

(Saquib Salim is a historian and a writer)