Kalu Singh Mahara was a Kumaoni(Kumauni) leader during the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the for ...

. He is known as a freedom fighter from the state of

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

, then in the

United Province United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

. Kalu Singh began a campaign named as Krantiveer. It became was popular among freedom loving

Kumaonis Kumaonis, also known as Kumaiye and Kumain (in Nepal), are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who speak Kumaoni language as their first-language and live mostly in Kumaon region in the Indian Himalayas . Kumaoni is also used as an add ...

Mahara is a surname found in Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand. Some people write their surname in its variant spelling in English as

Mehra Mehra is a surname found in India and Iran. Also Mehra is a Parsi Girls name, the meaning of the name is "Affectionate, Kind" from Persian origin. This name is mainly used in Parsi. As per Indian Hindu and Sikhism, this name is suggested for Who b ...

Kalu Singh Mahara was Thakur of Bisung Patti of Kumaon(Kumaun), known as Karnakarayat now. This region is situated near Lohaghat, in district

Champawat Champawat ( Kumaoni: ''Champāvat'') is a town and a Nagar Palika Parishad in Champawat district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Champawat district. The town was the former capital of the Kumaon Kin ...

of Uttarakhand.

The rebellion

On receiving a confidential letter from

Oudh The Oudh State (, also Kingdom of Awadh, Kingdom of Oudh, or Awadh State) was a princely state in the Awadh region of North India until its annexation by the British in 1856. The name Oudh, now obsolete, was once the anglicized name o ...

Awadh Awadh (), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It is synonymous with the Kośāla region of ...

,Arun K. Mittal (1986). British Administration in Kumaon Himalayas: A Historical Study, 1815 – 1947. Mittal Publications - Kumaon Himalaya – p 17, of 249 pages inviting him and followers to join a rebellion against the British Kalu Singh responded. The government of

proposed that after regaining power from British, the hill area would be given to locals whereas Tarai (plain area) below the hills will be governed by

. Kalu Singh Mahara agreed to this campaign against

British empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

Skirmishes across the area of Kali , Sui, Gumdesh and adjoining areas, frustrated the British. His militiamen composed mainly of riflemen ''Bandukchi'' ambushed and harassed the British forces on several occasions. However in the end the British quashed the rebellion across northern India. But it led Queen Victoria to declare India as no longer a company territory transforming it into what is known as British India. (see

)

Revered in Uttrakhand

Kalu Singh Mahara is revered as a hero in Kumaon division of Uttarakhand. In 2009 a statue of this freedom fighter was installed in Dehradun the capital of Uttarakhand. Recently the Uttarakhand postal department released a new first day cover to honour him (https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/amp/uttarakhand-postal-dept-releases-special-envelope-on-kalu-mahara/2178058 )

References

* ''The Himalayan Gazetter'' by E. T. Atkinson * ''The History of Kumaun'' by B. D. Pandey

The rebellion

Revered in Uttrakhand

References

See also