BENGALI books written elaborately on the 1857's Great Rebellion in India are not many. Among a few of these worth mentioning there are Promothnath Bishi's novel Lalkella (The Red Fort), Utpal Dutt's play Tota (The Cartridge) and, in recent time, Rahman Chowdhury's Mohabidroho O Shamrat Bahadur Shah (The Great Rebellion and the Emperor Bahadur Shah), published by the Bangla Academy in 1995. For its diction, analysis of history and depiction of characters, this play stands out from the recent Bangla plays in our country.
The Great Rebellion in 1857, which is only a Sepoy Rebellion to the English historians, was the first national revolt against British colonial rule. It shook the base of the British reign over India.
Two unsuccessful rebellions against British rule occurred at Baharmpure and Barackpur where the mutineers lost their jobs. Then on 10th May, 1857, the first successful mutiny broke out at Meerut cantonment. The Indian sepoys refused to bite open the cartridge of the new enfold rifle. Because the cartridge was rumored to be greased with cow and pig fat. The former is sacred to Hindus and the latter is unclean to Muslims. The prophecy spread by Fakirs, a Muslim rebel group, that India will be ruled by a foreign power for a hundred years, gave spiritual support to the mutineers at the centenary of the Battle of Plasscy. Having killed some British officers there one and a half thousand sepoys on horseback travelled the whole night to Delhi. On 11th May morning they reached the Red Fort, Emperor Bahadur Shah's palace.
The play starts here in Bahadur Shah's chamber with the Emperor, himself a poet, discussing poetry with the great poet Mirza Ghalib of his court. Bahadur Shah was a titular emperor and pensioner of the East India Company. As all the power rested with the company, the eighty four-year old Mughal emperor took consolation from poetry and music. The company even did not bother to guard his palace with enough soldiers.
After reaching the Red Fort the mutineers wanted to meet the emperor and demanded talks with him. But Bahadur Shah refused them. They killed the guards, entered his court by force and prostrated themselves before the trembling emperor. They declared him emperor of independent India and wanted his approval of the mutiny. It took some time for the emperor to overcome his hesitation and regain self-control. Thus, in that stormy moment of history, Bahadur Shah stood at the helm of the first national revolt of India.
The rebels had all the moral support from the people at large. But there always remain some to pull the wheel of history behind. In the next scene we see some conspirators such as Nawab Zaiuddin, Moulovi Rajjab Ali, Hakim Ahsan Ullah, Banian Shiu Prashad and Banian Devi Singh discussing things against the mutineers. There is
shows outright loyalty towards her husband and thus towards the rebels. But later, as a concerned mother, she tries to reach a secret deal with the company. In the next scene we see Prince Mirza Mughal, commander of the army, represent the decaying Mughal dynasty with all its false pride and moral downfall. Inexperience, loose morality and wasteful life-styles of the princes lead to the mutineers' continued defeats. The number of the rebel soldiers increased day by day but they failed to win against a small numbers of company's soldiers. The difference of power between the Mughal and the company is clear when Major Srigram says, "Dear Prince, the days of swords are gone. Now war is done with guns and can-
nons. Learn how to shoot, Sir. Since now the sword will only decorate your wall." Here comes the brave, experienced and skillful military officer Bakhat Khan, head of the Berily force. He along with his large strong force reached the palace of Delhi on the 2nd July and was appointed as head of the army by the emperor replacing Mirza Mughal. This rekindled the glimmer of hope among the mutineers, but made the prince unhappy and envious. So a conspiracy by them ensues against him. They plan to set Ghaus Mohammad, head of the Nimokh force, against Bakht Khan.
This split within the rebel force is exploited in full by the traitors like Hakim Ahsan Ullah. The traitors even try to spoil this struggle for independence by provoking communal riot between Muslims and Hindus. In addition to the acute financial problems among the rebels, relationship between Ghaus Mohammad and Bakht Khan turns bitter and bitter. To prevent the approaching victory of the company's force, all the opposing rebel groups tried to reunite themselves for an all-out attack for the last time. But by then it was too late.
Company's force crushed the rebels' last futile attempts and marched victorious into the Red Fort. One hundred fifty million Indians lost at the hands of a paltry forty thousand British soldiers. Despite having all the sincerity and the deepest kind of patriotism, the rebels embraced defeat instead of victory for their internal conflicts, narrow self-interest and jealousy against each other. The mutineers headed for Lucknow to reorganize and keep fighting against British rule. But the fate of India's next ninety years under the British was sealed there that day at Red Fort.
In last scene the sorrows of Zinat Mahal, Bakht Khan and Bahadur Shah sadden our hearts deeply. Yet above all we see Bahadur Shah shines not only as a great emperor, but as a great man too. In spite of all his faults Bakht Khan is the epitome of patriotism. And in Zinat Mahal cries the heart of Mother India.
Though for writing a historical drama the dramatist need not be true to history in all aspects, Rahman Chowdhury has followed the historical events almost in detail except in some dialogues. But it is not a more drawing of those past days. The objective of the playwright has been to show the reasons of failure of the Great Rebellion. That he has done by focussing on the clashes of ago between characters, their sorrows and joys and individual passions.
On June 30, 1857 after fifty days of the mutiny's eruption at Meerut, Karl Marx, while in London, wrote, "The rebels at Delhi are very likely to succumb without any prolonged resistance. Yet, even them, it is only the prologue of a most terrible tragedy that will have to be enacted.' And this prologue is also a most terrible tragedy in itself, Rahman Chowdhury's Mohabidroho 0 Shamrat Bahadur Shah is quite heartfelt and remarkable in its depiction of that unforgettable event in India's history.