Titumir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Titumir
|
|
|---|---|
A portrait of Titumir
|
|
| Born |
Syed Mir Nisar Ali
27 January 1782 Chandpur, Bengal, British India
|
| Died | 19 November 1831 (aged 49) Narikelbaria, Bengal, British India
|
| Movement | Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya |
| Parents |
|
Titumir, whose real name was Syed Mir Nisar Ali, was a brave Bengali leader. He lived from 1782 to 1831. Titumir is famous for building a strong fort out of bamboo. He used this fort to fight against the British rulers in India. His story is now a popular legend in Bengal. People remember him as a hero who stood up for his people. He was even ranked among the greatest Bengalis ever in a BBC poll.
Contents
Titumir: A Bengali Freedom Fighter
Early Life and Education
Titumir was born on January 27, 1782. His full name was Syed Mir Nisar Ali. He was born in a village called Chandpur in Bengal, which was then under British rule. His parents were Syed Mir Hasan Ali and Abidah Ruqayyah Khatun.
Titumir went to a local school called a madrassa. By the age of twenty, he had memorized the entire Quran. This earned him the title of hafiz. He also learned to speak Bengali, Arabic, and Persian very well. Titumir was also a skilled wrestler and gymnast. For some time, he worked as a bodyguard for a local landlord.
His Journey to Mecca
After some time, Titumir decided to go on a special journey. He traveled to Mecca, a holy city. This journey is known as Hajj. In Mecca, he met a religious leader named Syed Ahmad Barelvi. This leader taught him about making society better. He believed in following Islamic rules strictly. Titumir was greatly inspired by these ideas.
Standing Up for His People
When Titumir returned to Bengal, he started to share his ideas. He wanted to help the poor farmers. Many of these farmers were Muslim. He taught them to live simply and follow their faith closely. He spoke out against unfair practices, like charging high interest on loans.
Titumir also felt that the local landlords, called zamindars, were being unfair. Most of these landlords were Hindu. He believed they were working with the British rulers. Titumir encouraged people to grow beards and for women to wear burqas. Those who did not follow these rules were sometimes ignored by the community.
The poor Muslim farmers liked Titumir's message. However, the landlords, both Hindu and Muslim, did not like his activities. They felt he was challenging their power.
Fighting Unfair Taxes
In 1830, a landlord named Krishnadeva Rai started a new tax. He made all Muslim men with beards pay an extra yearly tax. This was meant to stop Titumir's influence. Titumir told the farmers not to pay this unfair tax.
Krishnadeva Rai became very angry. He sent armed men to attack the villages. They burned houses and even destroyed a local mosque. The farmers fought back, but the fight did not end clearly. Both sides complained to the police. The police told everyone to keep the peace.
Other landlords also started similar unfair taxes. They even put people in jail for not paying. The farmers tried to sue the landlords, but it did not help much. This made Titumir realize that they needed to fight back with force. He believed it was a fight against unfair landlords and the British.
The Bamboo Fort
Titumir moved his base to a place called Narikelberia. He started to gather an armed group of followers. In October 1830, he declared that he was the true ruler of the land. He said that only he had the right to collect taxes, not the British or the landlords.
Titumir and his followers attacked Krishnadeva Rai's home. They also set fire to places where moneylenders worked. They even sacrificed a cow in front of a temple. In response, the landlords teamed up with British indigo planters. They promised to help each other if Titumir's group attacked.
Titumir's group then attacked another landlord, Kaliprasanna Mukherjee. Even with help from a British manager and his men, the landlords were defeated. Many indigo farms were also set on fire.
The British Get Involved
The local police could not stop Titumir's growing resistance. Many landlords fled to Kolkata. The British government decided to send a larger force. On November 15, 1830, a British officer named Alexander set out to fight Titumir. He had 120 policemen with him.
But Titumir's group was much larger, with 500 fighters. They defeated Alexander's force. Alexander barely escaped. Fourteen other policemen, including their officer, were killed.
Titumir's Own Rule
By 1831, Titumir had taken control of a large area. He called himself the Badshah, which means emperor. Thousands of Hindu and Muslim farmers joined him. He appointed his own officials. His nephew, Ghulam Masum Khan, became his army chief. Landlords in the area had to accept his rule or leave their lands.
As a big fight with the British became certain, Titumir built a special fort. It was made entirely of bamboo and was called Banser Kella (Bamboo Fort). It was built in Narkelberia.
On November 17, 1831, the British governor general, Lord William Bentinck, sent a large army. Major Scott led this army. It included cavalry, infantry, 300 armed soldiers, and two cannons. They planned to attack Titumir's fort.
The Final Battle
On the morning of November 19, 1831, the British army attacked the bamboo fort. They used their cannons to break through the walls. The fort was very strong, but after about three hours, the British broke through.
Titumir was killed in the battle. About 50 of his soldiers also died. Around 800 others were arrested. They were put on trial. Ghulam Masum Khan, Titumir's nephew, was hanged. Many others were sent to prison. The British commander was surprised by how strong the bamboo fort was. He even wrote about Titumir's bravery in his reports.
Titumir's Legacy
Titumir is remembered as a great hero in Bengal. In 2004, he was ranked number 11 in a BBC poll of the Greatest Bengali of all time.
- Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, Titumir's story is very popular. A play about his bamboo fort was shown on television in 1967. A graphic novel about him was also well-liked. In 1971, a college in Dhaka was renamed Government Titumir College in his honor. On November 19, 1992, the government of Bangladesh released a special stamp to remember him. The main base of the Bangladesh Navy is also named 'BNS Titumir'.
- India (West Bengal)
In India, the writer Mahasweta Devi wrote a book called Titumir. It told his story from the perspective of the common people. In 1978, a play about Titumir was directed by Utpal Dutt. This play showed Titumir as a hero who fought against unfair history. It was very popular and successful.
