Appendix B

(Page 209)

Translation of Tantia Topi’s Voluntary Deposition or Statement taken in Camp Mushairi on the 10th of April, 1859, in presence of Major Meade, commanding Field Force.

My name is Tantia Topi; my father’s name is Pandurang, inhabitant of Jola-Parganah, Patoda-Zillah, Nagar. I am a resident of Bithur. I am about forty-five years of age, in the service of Nana Sahib in the grade of companion or aide-de-camp.

In the month of May 1857 the collector of Kanhpur sent a note of the following purport to the Nana Sahib at Bithur, viz. that he begged him (the Nana) to forward his wife and children to England. The Nana consented to do so, and four days afterwards the collector wrote to him to bring his troops and guns with him from Bithur (to Kanhpur). I went with the Nana and about one hundred Sipahis and three hundred matchlock-men and two guns to the collector’s house at Kanhpur. The collector was then in the intrenchment, and not in his house. He sent us word to remain, and we stopped at his house during the night. The collector came in the morning and told the Nana to occupy his own house, which was in Kanhpur. We accordingly did so; we remained there four days, and the gentleman said it was fortunate we had come to his aid, as the Sipahis had become disobedient, and that he would apply to the general

Page 305

in our behalf. He did so, and the general wrote to Agra, whence a reply came that arrangements would be made for the pay of our men. Two days afterwards the three regiments of infantry and the 2nd light cavalry surrounded us and imprisoned the Nana and myself in the Treasury, and plundered the magazine and Treasury of everything they contained, leaving nothing in either. Of the treasure the Sipahis made over two lakhs and eleven thousand rupees to the Nana, keeping their own sentries over it. The Nana was also under charge of these sentries, and the Sipahis who were with us also joined the rebels. After this the whole army marched from that place, and the rebels took the Nana Sahib and myself and all our attendants along with them, and said, “Come along to Dehli.” Having gone three coss from Kanhpur, the Nana Sahib said that, as the day was far spent, it was better to halt there then, and to march on the following day. They agreed to this and halted. In the morning the whole army told him (the Nana) to go with them towards Dehli. The Nana refused, and the army then said, “Come with us to Kanhpur, and fight there.” The Nana objected to this; but they would not attend to him, and so, taking him with them as a prisoner, they went towards Kanhpur, and fighting commenced there. The fighting continued for twenty-four days, and on the twenty-fourth day the general raised the flag of peace, and the fighting ceased. The Nana got a female who had been captured before to write a note to General Wheeler to this effect, that the Sipahis would not obey his orders, and that, if he wished, he (the Nana) would get boats and convey him and those with him in the intrenchment as far as Allahabad. An answer came from the general that he approved of this arrangement, and the same evening the general sent the Nana something over one lakh of rupees, and authorised him to keep the amount. The following day I went and got ready forty boats, and, having caused all the gentlemen, ladies, and children to get into the boats, I started them off to Allahabad. In the meanwhile the whole army, artillery included, having got ready, arrived at the river Ganges. The Sipahis jumped into the water and commenced a massacre of all the men, women, and children, and set the boats on fire. They destroyed thirty-nine boats. One, however, escaped as far as Kola Kankar, but was there caught and brought back to Kanhpur, and all on board of it destroyed. Four days after this the Nana said he was going to Bithur to keep the anniversary of his mother’s death; they (the Sipahis) allowed him to go, and some of them also accompanied him. Having kept the anniversary, they brought him back to Kanhpur, and they took for their pay the money they had first made over to the Nana’s charge, and made arrangements to tight against Husan Fathpur, where they heard some Europeans had arrived from Allahabad, and they told the Nana to accompany them there. The Nana refused. I and the Nana remained at Kanhpur, and sent Jawala Parshad, his (the Nana’s) agent, along with them to Fathpur. Having arrived there and been defeated, they retreated to Kanhpur, and the aforesaid European force pressed them the whole way to Kanhpur, when there was a battle for about two hours, and the rebel army was again defeated, and

Page 306

ran away from Kanhpur. Under these circumstances the Nana and I fled to Bithur, arriving there at midnight, and the rebel army followed us. The next morning the Nana, taking some cash, with him, went to Fathpur. The rebel army followed, and looted the place. The Nana, Bala Sahib, Rao Sahib, and myself, with all our wives, crossed the Ganges in boas, and arrived at Fathpur in the Lakhnao territory, and put up with the Chaodri Bhopal Singh. Some days dosed, when the 42nd Native Infantry arrived at Sheorajpur, and wrote to the Nana to send them some one to take them to him. I went and told them that the Nana had sent for them. In the meanwhile the English army arrived, and the said 42nd regiment Native Infantry went to Bithur, and fought there. I accompanied the said regiment, and, having been defeated, we fled from Bithur and crossed the Ganges, and came to the Nana. Some days after, I received orders from the Nana to go to Gwaliar, and to bring back with me to fight the English such of the contingent as were at Morar. According to his order, I went to Morar, and brought back the contingent with me to Kalpi. The Nana had sent his brother, the Bala Sahib, to Kalpi, and, according to his order, I went with the army to fight against Kanhpur, leaving a small force and magazine at Kalpi. Having arrived at Kanhpur, there was a battle which lasted eleven days. After eleven days the rebel army was defeated, and we all ran away. The next day after this we fought at Sheorajpur, and there also, having been defeated, we ran away, having with us fifteen guns (including one horse-artillery gun). I and the Bala Sahib and the Rao Sahib, who had been sent by the Nana to Kanhpur, all crossed the Ganges at Nana Mau-ki-Ghat. We remained at a place called Khera for the night. I got orders from the Rao Sahib to go and take charge of the small force and magazine left at Kalpi, in obedience to which I went there. After my arrival at Kalpi, I received orders from the Nana to go and attack Chirkhari, and that the Rao Sahib should be sent after me. Accordingly I, with nine hundred Sipahis, two hundred cavalry, and four guns, went to Chirkhari, and lighting commenced. Four Jays afterwards the Rao Sahib came to Kalpi. I fought at Chirkhari for eleven days, and took it. I took twenty-four guns and three lakhs of rupees front the Rajah. The Rajahs of Banpur and Shahgarh, and Dewant Despat and Daolat Singh, the Kuchwaya Kharwala, and a great gathering of people joined me there at this time I received a note from the Queen of Jhansi to the effect that she was waging war with the Europeans, and begging me to come to her aid. I reported the news to the Rao Sahib at Kalpi. The Rao came to Jaipur, and gave me permission to go to the assistance of the Queen of Jhansi. Accordingly I went to Jhansi, and halted at Barua Sagar. There Raj Man Singh came and joined me. The next day, about a mile from Jhansi, the whole of our army had a fight with the English army. At this time we had twenty-two thousand men and twenty-eight guns. In this battle we were defeated. A part of the rebel army, with four or five guns, fled to Kalpi, and I went to the same place, via Bhanderi and Kunch, with two hundred Sipahis. The Queen of Jhansi arrived there the same evening as myself, and begged

Page 307

the Rao Sahib to give her an army that she might go and fight. The following morning the Rao Sahib ordered a parade of all the troops, and told me to accompany the Queen to battle. Accordingly I, with a force, accompanied the Queen, and there was a battle at Kunch which lasted till noon. We were again defeated, and fled, and I fled to “Chirki,” which is about four miles from Jalaur, and where my parents were. The Queen of Jhansi and the force which fled with her arrived at Kalpi. The Rao had a battle afterwards at Kalpi and was defeated, and he and his whole army arrived at Gopalpur; we all marched thence towards Gwaliar. We had one day’s fight with Maharajah Sindhia, and defeated him. Three days afterwards all Sindhia’s army joined the Rao Sahib, and having procured from the Gwaliar treasury, through Amarchand Batia (the Maharajah’s treasurer), the requisite funds, pay was distributed to the army. Ram Rao Govind was also with us. Some days afterwards the English army arrived at Gwaliar from Kalpi, and a force also came from Sirpur. Fighting again took place, and continued for four or five days, during which the Jhansi Rani was killed. Ram Rao Govind had her corpse burnt, and we were all defeated and fled, taking twenty-five guns with us. We reached Jaura-Alipur and remained there dining the night. The next morning we were attacked, and fought for an hour and a half. We fired five shots, the English army fired four shots, and we then ran off, leaving all our guns. We crossed the Chambal, and reached Tonk via Sirimuthia. The Nawab of Tonk fought with us, and we took four guns from him. With these guns we proceeded to Bhilwara via Mahdipur and Indragarh. We were there attacked by the English force, and I fled during the night, accompanied by my army and guns. At that time I had eight or nine thousand men and four guns with me. We all proceeded to a village called Kotra (about four miles from Nathduwara) and halted there for one night. The next morning we moved towards Patan, and, alter proceeding about one mile, the English army arrived, and an action took place. We left our four guns and fled, reaching Patan as fugitives. (The Nawab of Bandah, who had come with us from Kalpi, and the Nawab of Kumona, who had joined us at Indurki, were both with us.) On our arrival at Patan fighting commenced between us and the Rajah of that place; we conquered, and got possession of all the Rajah’s guns and magazines, and surrounded his palace, in which he was. The next day I went and told the Rajah to give some money to pay the expenses of my army. He said he could give me five lakhs of rupees, but not more. I returned and told the Rao Sahib this. The next day the Eat) Sahib sent for the Rajah and demanded twenty-five lakhs from him. The Rajah declared he could not give more than five lakhs; but, after some discussion, it was settled that he should pay fifteen lakhs. The Rajah said he would go to his palace and send this sum. He went accordingly, and sent two and a quarter lakhs in cash, and promised that the rest should follow. By the next day he had paid up five lakhs.

Imam Ali, Wirdi-major 5th Irregular Cavalry, ill-treated the Rajah very much, and the latter fled during the night. We remained there five

Page 308

days, and issued three months’ pay to our troops at the rate of thirty rupees each sawar, and twelve rupees to each foot-soldier per mensem.

We then marched for Sironj, taking eighteen guns with us. On reaching Rajgarh the English army came up and attacked us. We left our guns and fled, and reached Sironj via Nija Kila. We halted at Sironj eight days, and, having taken four guns from the Tonk Nawab’s agent at Sironj, we proceeded thence to Isagarh. On arrival there we demanded supplies; but the Isagarh people would not give them. We therefore attacked Isagarh, and plundered it. The following day we halted, and the Rao Sahib told me to go to Chanderi, and that he would come round by Tal Bahat. I accordingly went to Chanderi, and the Rao Sahib came to Lalitpur from (or by) TM Bahat. On my reaching Chanderi, four shots were first fired on us from the fort, which we attacked and fought with Sindhia’s agent. After three days we marched from Chanderi towards Mangrauli, taking with its eleven guns, viz., seven which we had brought from Isagarh and the four we had got from Sironj. On our march to Mangrauli, we met the English army. Shots were fired for a short time, when we left all our guns and, fled. (Of the eleven guns five were with me and six with the Rao Sahib. I lost my five in this fight, but the Rao kept his six).

[NOTE. – It would appear that the Rao was not in this action.]

I reached Jaklaun, and the next day went to Sultanpur, where the Rao Sahib also arrived. After three days the English force arrived, and the Rao Sahib took his army to Jaklaun (about five miles from Lalitpur), and some firing took place there. I was not present in this fight. The Rao Sahib returned to Lalitpur, and the following day proceeded to Kajuria (ten miles from Sultanpur) and halted there. The next day the English army came up just as we were going to march, and an action commenced which lasted an hour and a half. We then left all our guns and fled, and reached Tal Bahat. We halted there, and the following day went to Jaklaun, and thence to a village called Itawah, twelve miles distant, where we stopped. We there heard that the English army was coming to surprise us, and marched at night. The English force came up in the morning, and our army became separated. I accompanied the Rao Sahib, and we proceeded, via Rajgarh, and crossed the Narbada, and got to Kagaon Batis via Kandula. The troops who were with us burned the Government thana208 and bungalow at Kandula. The Rao Sahib forbad their doing so, but they would not obey him. This was about four months ago. At Kagaon Batis there were some of Holkar’s troops – one hundred and forty sawars, one company of infantry, and two guns. These we forced to join us, and took them with us when we marched the following day towards Gujrat, crossing the high road where the telegraph-wire ran. The Sipahis broke the wire and plundered seven hackeries which were on the road proceeding with Government property towards Gwaliar, and seized the

Page 309

chaprasis and chaukidars209 who were with the hackeries, and took them with them. Some of the chaukidars belonging to the chauki were hanged by them. We there left the high road and proceeded westward. The next day we were surprised by the English force, and leaving our two guns, we fled, and reached the Narbada. An officer, with a hundred men, was on the opposite bank. Our force commenced to cross, and this officer and party of sawars ran off. We plundered a village there called Chikla, and marched thence at midnight. After proceeding thirty-four miles, we halted at Rajpura. The next day we took three thousand nine hundred rupees and three horses from the Rajah of that place, and from it went on to Chota Udaipur. The following day the English force surprised us; some of them were killed, and some of ours. From Chota Udaipur we went on to Deogarh Bari, and our army became separated. There was jungle at that place, and I halted there two days. Our troops having been collected again, we started, and went to Banswara. Our men plundered there sixteen or seventeen camel-loads of cloth (some of Ahmadabad) belonging to a mahajan210 which they found there. We thence went to Salomar, and I called on Kaisar Singh, agent for the Udaipur Rajah, to furnish us with supplies. He sent us some, and the following day we again started with the intention of going to Udaipur. However, en route we received tidings of the English force, and retraced our steps to Bhilwara. We remained there two days, and then proceeded to Partabgarh, where we fought for two hours with a body of English troops which had come from Nimach. About 8 o’clock P.M. we ran off, and proceeded about six miles to the east of Mandesar, and halted there. We then went on to Zirapur, making three stages en route. An English force surprised us there, and we were again surprised by another force at Chapra Barod. We fled thence to Nahargarh, the agent of the Kota Rajah, at which place nine shots were fired at us from guns. We moved out of range, and halted there during the night; and the Rao Sahib sent Risaldar Nannu Khan to call Rajah Man Singh. The Rajah came and accompanied us – Le. the Rao Sahib, myself, and our force – to a place about two miles from Paron, where we halted. We remained there two days, and on the third went on to a place about eight miles beyond Kilwari, whose name I do not remember. Rajah Man Singh accompanied us as far as a river which we crossed en route, and then left us. We made two stages thence to Indragarh; and Firuzshah, with the Khas Risala (bodyguard) and 12th Irregulars, met us there. The next day we went on, making two stages to Dewas, which is fourteen miles from Jaipur. The English force surprised us there; some men on both sides were killed, and, flying thence towards Marwar, we reached a village about thirty koss from Marwar, whose name I do not remember. At 4 o’clock that night we were surprised by the English force, and the 12th irregular cavalry separated from the Rao Sahib’s army.

Page 310

The next day Thakur Narayan Singh, Ajit Singh, uncle of Rajah Min Singh, and Thakur Ganga Singh joined us at that place (? to which the Rao’s army had fled). They were coming in this (the Paron) direction. I had been quarrelling with the Rao Sahib all the way from Deogarh Bari, and told him I could flee no longer, and that, whenever I saw an opportunity for doing so, I should leave him. The opportunity for doing so here offered, and I left him and accompanied the (three) above-named parties in this (the Paron) direction. When I left the Rao Sahib he had about six thousand men with him. But three men (two Pandits to cook my food and one sais) and three horses and one tattu accompanied me. The names of the two Pandits were Ram Rao and Narayan. The sai’s name was Gobind, but he left me and ran off after coming two stages. We reached the Paron jungle and met Rajah Man Singh. Ajit Singh took leave of Rajah Man Singh, and went to his home. Narayan Singh and I remained with Rajah Man Singh. The Rajah said, “ Why did you leave your force? You have not acted right in so doing.” I replied that I was tired of running away, and that I would remain with him whether I had done right or wrong. I heard after this that the Rao Sahib’s army had gone to Patan. and thence towards Sironj. I told Rajah Man Singh I would send a man to get intelligence of them, and he approved of my doing so. I sent accordingly, and got information that the Rao Sahib was not there; but Imam Ali, Wirdi-major, Firuzshah, and the Ambapani-wala Nawab, Adil Muhammad, were there with eight or nine thousand men. Imam Ali, Wirdi-major of the 5th Irregular Cavalry, wrote to me to come and join them. I had lost my master’s (the Nana’s) seal, and had another made up at Paron.

When I heard, as above, from the Wirdi-major, I sent a man to Rajah Min Singh, who was at Mahudia in Major Meade’s camp(he had then been there three days), to inform him that I had received a note of this purport, and to ask him if I should go or remain. Rajah Man Singh had consulted me before giving himself up to Major Meade, and had left one of his men with me, saying, “Stop wherever this man takes you.” Rajah Man Singh replied to my message that he would come in three days to see me, and we should then settle what to do. He came accordingly on the third day, at night, and spoke a great deal to me, and told me that he had met Major Meade, and that his disposition was good. When I asked him what he advised – whether I should go or remain – he said he would reply in the morning. I then went to sleep, and during the night some of the Sipahis of the Government came and seized me, and took me to Major Meade’s camp.

Signature of Tantia Topi

Agent of the Nana Sahib.

Question by Major Meade. – Have you made this statement of your own free will and without compulsion? and has any promise been made, or hope held out to you, to induce you to give it?

Answer. I have, of my own free will, caused this statement to be

Page 311

written; and no one has forced me to do so, or held out hope or promise of any sort to induce me to do so.

Signature of Tantia Topi,

Agent of the Nana Sahib.

Signature of Witnesses,

(Signed) Ganga-Parshad Munshi, Meade’s Horse.

Rubhulal Naib-Kaindar of Sipri.

The above deposition or statement was made by the prisoner Tantia Topi in my presence on the 10th of April, 1850, at Camp Mushairi, of his own voluntary act and without compulsion of any sort, or promise made, or hope held out to him as an inducement to make it.

(Signed) H. J. MEADE, Major,

Commanding Field Force.

Certified that the above is a true and correct translation of the original deposition or confession of Tantia Topi appended hereto.

(Signed) J. J. M. GIBBON, Lieutenant,

Adjutant Meade’s Horse.

(True copy) (Signed) E. MEADE.

Footnotes

208. “Thana,” a station. – G. B. M.

209. “Chaprasi,” a belted attendant nr messenger. “Chaukidar,” a watch man. “Chauki,” a post, in this settee; also a chair.

210. “Mahajan,” banker, merchant. – G. B. M.

This collection transcribed by Chris Gage
hosted by ibiblio Support Wikipedia