Revolt of 1857 and role of brave Dalit hero Banke Chamar
Banke Chamar was a Dalit revolutionary and one of the early freedom fighters in the 1857 Indian Rebellion. He belonged to the Chamar community and hailed from the Jaunpur region of present-day Uttar Pradesh.
Guerrilla Warfare: Banke Chamar organized local peasants and Dalits into a guerrilla force. He used the jungles of Machhlishahr, Jaunpur as his base to attack British officials, treasuries, and supply lines.
Attack on British: He and his companions targeted British officers and collaborators. He became a symbol of fear for the British administration in the Jaunpur–Azamgarh belt.
Symbol of Dalit Resistance: Unlike many self-proclaimed upper-caste leaders of 1857, Banke Chamar represented Dalit assertion against both colonial rule and caste oppression. His participation shows that 1857 was not limited to sepoys and kings – common people and marginalized communities also fought.
Capture of Banke Chamar and Martyrdom:
Banke Chamar led guerrilla attacks on British camps in Jaunpur during 1857. The British were so threatened that they put a huge bounty of ₹50,000 on his head – an enormous sum when “2 cows were sold for 6 paisa” at the time.
Traitor who betrays Banke Chamar:
Banke Chamar was captured after an informer tipped off the British. The informer was Ramashankar Tiwari, a former British soldier. After fierce fighting that caused many British casualties, Banke and 18 of his companions were captured. He was sentenced to death and publicly hanged along with his 18 associates in Machhlishahr, Jaunpur, on 18 December 1857. The British did this to create terror and stop further uprisings.
Legacy:
– Banke Chamar is remembered as a brave Dalit martyr who fought against the British regime in 1857.
– In 2021, the UP government announced a memorial for Banke Chamar in Jaunpur.
– His story highlights the role of Dalits in India’s first war of independence, which is often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
Why Important:
Banke Chamar’s fight shows two things about 1857:
- It was a people’s revolt, not just a sepoy mutiny.
- Dalits and lower castes also asserted political agency against British rule, linking freedom with social dignity.