1857 Revolt in Bihar & Veer Kunwar Singh: Complete Question Bank for 72nd BPSC
Exhaustive notes on Bihar’s participation in the 1857 Great Revolt. Battle of Bibiganj, Rohini outbreak, Pir Ali in Patna, Babu Kunwar Singh’s campaigns from Jagdishpur to Azamgarh, and British commanders.
1. Outbreak in Rohini Village & Pir Ali’s Uprising in Patna
The 1857 uprising in Bihar commenced on June 12, 1857, at Rohini village (then in Deoghar district) where sepoys of the 5th Irregular Cavalry rebelled. The revolt gained urban momentum on July 3, 1857, in Patna under Pir Ali Khan, a bookseller who rallied citizens against British rule before being executed by Commissioner William Tayler.
On July 25, 1857, three native regiments stationed at Danapur (Dinapore Cantonment) mutinied and marched to Arrah, uniting with Babu Kunwar Singh.
| Region / District | Leader of the Revolt | British Suppressing Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Jagdishpur / Shahabad | Babu Kunwar Singh & Amar Singh | Vincent Eyre, William Le Grand, Lugard |
| Patna City | Pir Ali Khan | Commissioner William Tayler |
| Danapur Cantonment | Danapur Native Regiments (7th, 8th, 40th) | Major General Lloyd |
| Chhota Nagpur / Singhbhum | Raja Arjun Singh | Captain Dalton |
| Hazaribagh / Ranchi | Nadit Ali Khan & Jai Mangal Pandey | Major English |
2. Babu Kunwar Singh’s Military Genius and Legacy
At the age of nearly 80, Babu Kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur demonstrated extraordinary military mobility. He defeated Captain Dunbar near Arrah, linked up with Nana Saheb at Kanpur, liberated Azamgarh in March 1858, and returned to Jagdishpur.
Crossing the Ganga near Sheopur Ghat under enemy fire, Kunwar Singh severed his own wounded arm to prevent poisoning. On April 23, 1858, he routed the British force under Captain Le Grand before succumbing to injuries on April 26. April 23 is commemorated annually in Bihar as "Vijayotsava".