Bhaskar Rao Bhave, also known as Baba Saheb of Nargund, was a

Zamindar A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; ''zamindar'' is the ...

Nargund Naragunda is a town in Gadag district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Geography Nargund is located at . It has an average elevation of 605 metres (1984 feet). Etymology The name "Nargund" comes from "Nari Gundu", which means "Hi ...

Gadag Gadaga-Betageri is a city municipal council in Gadag district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Gadag District. The original city of Gadag and its sister city Betageri (or ''Betgeri'') have a combined ...

district of

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, who revolted against British rule during the

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

. Bhaskar Rao Bhave came to the throne of Nargund in 1842 and was an efficient administrator. He did not have a son and successor and planned to adopt a son as heir. However, under the Doctrine of lapse, the British refused to recognise the adoption, which enraged Baba Saheb. He rallied the support of other local rulers like Mundaragi Bhimaraya, Surpur Venkatappa Nayakaand to lead an insurrection. Baba Saheb was aware of the rebellion in the north and wanted to coordinate his revolt with it. On learning that he had accumulated a large amount of

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

and ammunition in his fort, the British asked him to deposit them in Dharwad. Baba Saheb feigned cooperation and sent the weapons towards Dharwad, but at the same time secretly organised an attack on the convoy and brought them back to Nargund. In May 1858, when the British sent a large force to Nargund, he attacked the force and killed its commanding officer Manson. He brought Manson's severed head to his fort and displayed it to his people. He then went on to capture the British held Koppaldurg fort. When he attacked the fort of Amargol, the British countered by sending a large force to Nargund. Baba Saheb and his army of 2,500 fought bravely, but several men from his camp betrayed him and joined the British and he was defeated. Baba Saheb escaped to a nearby forest near Torgal, but was betrayed and captured by the British. On 12 June 1858, he was executed in

Belgaum Belgaum (Kannada ISO 15919, ISO: ''Bēḷagāma'', ), officially known as Belagavi (also Belgaon), is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located near its northern western border in the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters ...

In popular culture

Bhaskar Rao Bhave was depicted in the Kannada language television serial 'Nargund Baba Saheb'.

References

Kannada people History of Karnataka Resistance to the British Empire 19th-century Indian people Revolutionaries of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 1858 deaths Year of birth missing People executed by British India {{India-royal-stub