Role of The Jats in The First War of Independence 1857 (Haryana and Delhi Volume-2)

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The uprising of 1857 has become a metaphor for the freedom struggle in popular imagination. However, the historians of 1857 did not try to assess the contribution of the Jats in the First War of Independence, and it remained an unexplored part of history. The Revolt started from Meerut and spread mainly in the Jat abounding areas of North-west India.

This volume provides a clear and accurate, factual and scientific study of the participation of the Jats of Delhi and Haryana in 1857 Uprising, based on the accessible sources, containing unprinted chronicles of Sarvakhap, or letters in private hands, unrecorded eyewitness and family accounts as well as in the Pariwar Chitthas and legends, folk songs, Sakhas and oral narratives. All these sources were examined judiciously and after crosschecking and authenticating the data, used to underline the role of the Jats in the freedom's first struggle, who neither fought for their personal gain, nor massacred any European or Indian, except in the battle field. There is not a single case in history of 1857 Uprising, where any Jat was engaged in rapine or plunder, except the government's, usurers' or usurpers' papers and documents. In the First volume the participation of the Jats of the Western Uttar Pradesh was discussed and in this volume, of Delhi and Haryana are appended.

Dr. Rajendra Kumar, a double Ph.D., in Literature and History, well-versed in linguistics and history of Mankind, taught Russian and French languages for over two decades, is the Director of Maharaja Surajmal Centre for Research and Publication, Surajmal Memorial Education Society, Janakpuri, New Delhi. He is one who knows how to locate, decipher and analyze the sources of history, particularly the historically subordinate position of the lives of the Jat people, and in recognizing their 'subalternity' giving them a voice and an agency. In this field he organized four national seminars and presented papers in various national and international seminars.

It gives me great pleasure to write a few words about second volume of the book 'Role of the Jats in the First War of Independence, 1857 dedicated to the Jats of Delhi and Haryana because till now it was completely an unexplored and untouched part of the history of India. The Revolt of 1857, which is called India's first freedom struggle, was in fact a serious attempt to throw off the yoke of slavery of the British. The British, who ruled this country for almost two centuries, exploited this country not only economically but also socially, politically and culturally in every way. Tired of their exploitation, atrocities and destructive actions, people stood up against them, fought and became martyrs. The frightened East India Company's administrators called it Mutiny of Bengal Native Army and subsequent English historians presented the Uprising in terms of the consolidation of British Imperialism. First of all Karl Marx, and afterwards Indian historians reversed this idea and linked it with the national movement and named it the First War of Independence of India. These events generated much contemporary documentation and they have since often been taken to mark watershed in both British rule and the Indian response to it. But the interpretation of these events remained controversial, as almost every section of the people of India participated enthusiastically in this struggle. However, in popular history, it was repeated that the elite and wealthy feudal people led the rebellion and their soldiers fought against the British, no special importance was given to the struggle made by the common people or the masses. But from the latest researches it became clear that these feudatories fought against the British for their own reasons, and not for the sake of country, whereas the ordinary person, or a community who did not have any significant social status, especially one who was a member of neither royalty, nobility, nor any part of aristocracy, fought for the country without any personal gain. The Jats were also one of them, who fought against the British on each bed and sacrificed their self for the country, but remained unnoticed by the historians.

Lord William Bentinck arrived Calcutta in 1828 as Governor General of India. His arrival touched off an unprecedented era of the possession of authority, arbitrary choice, reform and innovation in India. Only recently India had come full British control, and it exhibited a curious mixture of Mughal survivals, administrative innovations, and mercantile conservatism. Though stripped of its commercial character and subjected to the surveillance of a Boards of Control in London, the East India Company retained the powers of government. The directors of the Company controlled all India patronage, apart from the provincial governorships, and all dispatches to India originated in their offices at Leadenhall Street, London.

Before Bentinck's arrival, the East India Company's Government, and its official superiors were obstinately conservative. They carefully respected Indian customs and did their best to conciliate all elements of Indian society, as their hold over India was after all still uncertain, and they were not at all anxious to stir up unnecessary trouble. Although misunderstanding and blundering had brought a good deal of change in traditional institutions of India, particularly in the realm of land tenure, the goal of British policy before 1830 was almost invariably that of preservation. From the earliest time onward, all the most prominent officials of East India Company had looked sympathetically upon the ancient civilization of India and its varied religious beliefs and traditions. But by the first quarter of the 19th century there occured a new reforming sentiment in Great Britain due to social and economic changes led by Industrial Revolution. This reforming enthusiasm laid the doctrine of liberalism and indeed the East India Company's College at Haileybury, where all civil servants (ICS) received their training. was one of the strongest centres of liberal orthodoxy. After two years' study of law with the Benthamite William Empson, and of political economy with Malthus and James Stephen, the young civil officers came away to rule India, practically, about which they knew nothing. Hence discontent occured.