BRITISH WERE FRIGHTENED TO CAPTURE THE DEAD BODY OF BABU KUER SINGH APRIL 23 IS A LIVING DOCUMENTS OF BRAVERY IN THE HISTORY OF INDIA

BRITISH WERE FRIGHTENED TO CAPTURE THE DEAD BODY OF BABU KUER SINGH

APRIL 23 IS A LIVING DOCUMENTS OF BRAVERY IN THE HISTORY OF INDIA

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RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------------April 23, 1858 is a living document of bravery in the history of India. At a time when the Indian Princely States were either surrendering themselves to the British or the British were capturing those Princely States by force or deceit, Veer Babu Kuer Singh at the age of 80, freed Jagdishpur fort from the British and captured it again. Jagdishpur estate remained under the control of the British for almost a year and the got independence from the British rule on April 23, 1858. Veer Babu Kuer Singh breathed his last in unfettered atmosphere at the Jagdishpur Fort where he was borne. The British flag Union Jack was uprooted from Jagdishpur Fort while he was alive but it was not easy. For this a long battle took place and sacrifices were made.

Major Vincent Eyre attacked the Jagdishpur Fort for the first time on August 11, 1857 and a fierce battle took place here but Veer Babu Kuer Singh had to retreat and the British captured the Jagdishpur Estate. Babu Kuer Singh along with his family members took shelter in the hills of Kaimur whence he toured India and se5 out on a mission to unite the Princely Estates against the British. The British had attacked the Jagdishpur Fort with great preparation. Bhagan Singh, an informer from Nachaap village of Buxar, was working as liner and was telling the routes to the Britishh and also was providing other necessary information. Babu Kuer Singh’s brother Amar Singh, somehow got the information of his treachery and caught and killed him.

After leaving Jagdishpur, Babu Kuer Singh kept planning to capture the Jagdishpur Fort. He was coming to Jagdishpur from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh via Balia when he encountered the British and got injured by the British canon at the Shivhar Ganga ghat in Balia. His hand was completely injured and he cut off the injured hand and let it flow in the river Ganga with fear of possibility of poison spreading in the body.

On April 23, 1858, Veer Babu Kuer Singh started a war to capture the Jagdishpur Fort. The then Captain Le Grande of 34 Battalion of the English came with 190 soldiers to face Babu Kuer Singh but he lost his life along with his 110 soldiers in the fierce battle that took place while his 80 soldiers of the English army escaped to safety. Once again, Babu Kuer Singh’s flag was unfurled on the Jagdishpur Fort.

Shahabad range’s Regional Historian Anil Kumar said that the British had kept a reward of Rs. 25000 on the head of Babu Kuer Singh to nab him alive or dead. He added that after the victory of the Jagdishpur Fort, Veer Babu Kuer Singh could not enjoy the victory for long and he breaded his last in the Fort where he was born in the unfettered atmosphere on April 26, 1858. The news of his death came to the British but they dared not capture his body and his cremation was done in very secretive manner. Even after being declared alive or dead, the British did not get the body of the Veer Babu Kuer Singh. Such was the terror of Babu Kuer Singh among the British.