Sahebs Right Hand
Tatia Tope was born in 1814, the son
of Panduranga Pant. Panduranga Pant belonged to Yewale, a small place near
Nasik. He had eight children; the second was Raghunath. It was this boy
who later became famous in the War of Indian Independence as' 'Tatia Tope'.
Peshwa Baji Rao the Second of Poona
was then the ruling chief of the Marathas.
Panduranga Pant was a respected member
of his court. Occasionally the boy Tatia used to accompany his father during
his visits to the Peshwa. It was not long before the smart boy
eyes attracted the attention of the Peshwa. Impressed by the brilliance
of the boy, The Peshwa decorated him with a 'topi' (cap) bright with jewels.
'Tatia' is a term of affection in Marathi. Those near and dear to Raghunath
used to call him Tatia. Since the Peshwa presented the 'topi' it
became his life-long companion. So he came to be called Tatia Tope and
the name stuck to him to the last.
By that time the English had become
supreme in India. Those who came six thousand miles as merchants soon threw
away the scales and took over the scepter; they became rulers and masters.
The kings and princes of India were quarrelling among themselves. It became
easy for the British to set one against the other. The British conquered
territory after territory. Crowns rolled in the dust. King doms fell like
a pack of cards. The conquest of the whole of India was the much-cherished
dream of the English. But the Marathas refused to yield to the British
might. They kept there the arm that carried freedom. They were the swords
But the English were not disheartened.
They were biding their time. It was not long
before such a day arrived. By 1800
death had snatched away many Maratha heroes and statesmen. A week and pleasure
-loving man like Baji Rao the Second became the Peshwa. Wisdom had departed.
Greed and jealousy corrupted the people's minds. Many joined hands with
the English. They were on the road to ruin. As a result, the Marathas were
totally defeated in their war against the English in 1818. Unfortunate
India stoodhumbled as slavery gripped her.
The defeated Peshwa surrendered his
kingdom to the English in exchange for an yearly pension of eight lakh
rupees. He moved to Brahmavarta near Kanpur to live a life of retirement.
Many Maratha families followed him to this place. So did the loyal
Panduranga Pant. The boy Tatia Tope
followed his father.
All who were Tatia Tope's playmates
in Brahmavarta later won deathless fame in the War of Independence.
The most important of them was Nana
Saheb, the adopted son of Baji Rao the Second, and later the brain behind
the revolutionary war of 1857. His nephew was there, Rao Saheb. During
the revolution Rao Saheb was to accompany Tatia Tope like a shadow in all
his military exploits. Then there was a little gid Manu, the daughter of
Moropant Tambe, a loyal
Courtier of the Peshwa. The radiant
girl was affectionately called 'Chabili',the same girl ho was to dazzle
the country and the enemies later as 'Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi'. Brahmavarta
was the home of such great little ones.
There were teachers to educate the
children. They were bound to one another in childhood affection,
played games of war and learnt their lessons in sword-play and horse-riding
together. Tatia Tope soon mastered the arts of war.
After the death of Baji Rao the Second
in 1851, Nana Saheb became the Peshwa. He had a strong sense of self-respect
and a deep love of freedom. He wanted to wash away the shame of slavery.
No sooner had he become the Peshwa than he picked up the sword, which his
father had abandoned in 1818. To regain the lost empire and to avenge its
loss was the one single thought that occupied Nana's mind. Tatia Tope was
he companion, trusted friend and adviser. They shared the same dream.