Whether it was the Lucknow Residency in 1857, the Jhansi fort in 1858, Jallianwala Bagh in 1919, or Dandi in Gujarat in 1930, the memories stored within these places motivated Indians into breaking the torturous chains of colonial rule
India didn’t gain its independence from the British by relying solely on its people. Places and monuments played their role to inspire the fight for freedom. Today our leaders are gone but these historic landmarks, which witnessed the struggle, stand tall.
Whether it was Dandi in Gujarat in 1930, Jallianwala Bagh in 1919, the Jhansi fort in 1858, or the Lucknow Residency in 1857, the memories stored within these places motivated people into breaking the torturous chains of colonial rule.
Also read: India@75: The seven Westerners who fought for India’s Independence
As India marks 75 years of independence, let’s take a look at some of the structures — a fort, jail, ashram and more — that featured in India’s battle for freedom.
Barrackpore, West BengalBelieved to be the first cantonment of the British East India Company, Barrackpore was also the site of two mutinies. In 1924, some Indian sepoys, led by Bindee Tiwary, called by many the first martyr, refused to board the boats to cross the sea to Burma in the first Anglo-Burmese war.
One of the most famous names of the rebellion of 1857, Mangal Pandey, also comes from Barrackpore. It was Pandey who triggered the Indian rebellion of 1857, officially the First War of Independence, by attacking his British commander.
Lucknow Residency, Uttar Pradesh
During the 1857 revolt, Indian sepoys laid siege to the Lucknow Residency for close to six months. Wikimedia Commons
The Lucknow Residency was the official residence of the British Resident to the Court of Awadh. It was also the site of an important event in the struggle for Indian independence.
During the rebellion of 1857, Indian rebel sepoys laid siege to the Lucknow Residency for nearly six months starting from 30 June.
On 1 July 1857, the British made the Residency their headquarters. Soon, the Residency was besieged by the Indian forces that lasted 87 days. The British forces stuck inside the Residency received help from Kanpur and were successful to some extent after 87 days of siege.
In November, after the British forces and civilians escaped to Kanpur, the city was left in the control of the rebels. This was one of the first victories of the Indian people against the Raj and evoked strong sentiments of rebellion amongst the masses.
Red Fort, New Delhi
Red Fort has cemented its place in history. Even today, every prime minister hoists the national flag and gives a speech from the fort on Independence Day. PTI
Over the 75 years since 1947, the Red Fort has become synonymous with India’s Independence Day celebrations. It also remains one of the most iconic representations of anti-colonial resistance.
As the British influence grew in the region in the early 19th century leading to the rebellion of 1857, Red Fort started getting recognised as a symbol of the resistance to the Western forces.
As reluctant Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar agreed to become the leader of rebel soldiers, princes and nobles took up arms against the British.
Despite presenting a strong fight to the invaders, the rebellion could not last long as the emperor was exiled to Rangoon (now Yangon) and rebels were blown up with cannons or shot to death. In its aftermath, the British soldiers took it out on Red Fort by destroying two-third parts of its inner structure.
Red Fort still stands as a custodian of the memories of hundreds of rebels who dared to defend the motherland.
Jhansi Fort, Uttar Pradesh
During the 1857 revolt, Rani Lakshmi Bai was ruling Jhansi as a regent for her minor son. Wikimedia Commons
Situated on a large hilltop in the Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh, Jhansi Fort was one of the sites where Indian forces fought the British during the rebellion of 1857. When the revolt broke out in Meerut in 1857, Rani Lakshmi Bai was ruling over Jhansi as regent for her minor son.
When Jhansi was besieged by the British under the command of Hugh Rose, she decided to fight until her last breath.
For two weeks, the battle went on where Lakshmi Bai led her army of men and women valiantly against the soldiers of the Raj. Even in her death, she became a symbol of resistance against colonial rule.
Jallianwala Bagh, Punjab
Jallianwala Bagh, where General Dyer massacred thousands of India, is one of the darkest stories of India’s freedom movement. PTI
On the fateful day of 13 July 1919, a large crowd had gathered at Amritsar’s Jallianwala Bagh to protest against the Rowlatt Act and the arrest of pro-independence activists Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satya Pal.
The day has been marked in the darkest pages of history and India’s freedom struggle as hundreds were shot at and killed under the command of Brigadier General R E H Dyer. An estimate puts the number of people dead at 1,500, and an almost equal number of people were fatally injured.
Jallianwala Bagh has since achieved the status of a pilgrimage, where thousands of people pay homage every year to those killed at the hands of a ruthless general. India has long demanded that Britain should apologise for the massacre. However, none have been issued even after more than a hundred years of the despicable act.
Cellular Jail, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
This three-storeyed prison, constructed by Britishers in 1906, is a pilgrimage destination for freedom fighters. This colossal edifice has mutely witnessed the most treacherous of inhumane atrocities borne by the convicts, who were mostly freedom fighters.
The jail was used by the British government for the purpose of exiling political prisoners to the remote archipelago. Many notable independence activists, including Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Batukeshwar Dutt, Diwan Singh Kalepani, Yogendra Shukla, Sohan Singh, Hare Krishna Konar, Shiv Verma, and Sudhanshu Dasgupta were imprisoned here during the struggle for India’s independence.
The complex today serves as a national memorial monument.
Champaran, Bihar
Mahatma Gandhi started the first satyagraha movement from Champaran in Bihar in 1917. He united the farmers of Bihar against the British mandate of growing indigo, which left the soil infertile and required a great amount of water.
Gandhi led protests and strikes against the landlords, who were then forced to sign an agreement granting more compensation and control over farming for the farmers of the region, and cancellation of revenue hikes and collection until the famine ended.
It was the first time that the British experienced the power of Gandhi’s civil disobedience and nonviolent communication that was going to pave a firm road to India’s freedom 30 years later.
Dandi, Gujarat
In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi again decided to use the weapon of nonviolent civil disobedience against the British government’s infamous salt tax. To send the message to the rulers, Bapu took on a 390-kilometre walk from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi.
Gandhi broke the British salt law by picking a pinch of salt at Dandi and sparked large-scale acts of civil disobedience across the country in which millions of people were involved.
The Dandi march and Gandhi’s subsequent arrest caught international attention through extensive news coverage. Even though the act of civil disobedience did not produce immediate progress toward dominion status or self-rule for India, the world started to recognise the legitimacy of claims by Gandhi and the Congress party.
The Salt Satyagraha also influenced another major civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr in the 1960s.
Sabarmati Ashram, Gujarat
On his return from South Africa, Gandhi’s first Ashram in India was established in the Kochrab area of Ahmedabad on 25 May 1915. The Ashram was then shifted on 17 June 1917 to a piece of open land on the banks of the river Sabarmati.
Home to Gandhi from 1917 until 1930, Sabarmati Ashram served as one of the main centres of the Indian freedom struggle. Originally called the Satyagraha Ashram, reflecting the movement toward passive resistance launched by the Mahatma, the Ashram became home to the ideology that set India free. It aided countless other nations and people in their own battles against oppressive forces.
Today, the Ashram serves as a source of inspiration and guidance and stands as a monument to Gandhi’s life mission and a testimony to others who have fought a similar struggle.
Swaraj Bhawan, Uttar Pradesh
Swaraj Bhawan in Allahabad was donated to the Indian National Congress by Motilal Nehru. Wikimedia Commons
Once owned by Motilal Nehru, Swaraj Bhawan was home to the Nehru family in Allahabad until 1930.
It was the nerve centre of political activity during India’s freedom struggle against the British Raj. Motilal Nehru donated it to the Indian National Congress in 1930 to be used as the party’s official headquarters in the region.
In 1940, the British government confiscated the building on the plea of holding anti-government activities here and it remained with them until 1946.
Rooms of this sprawling property near Allahabad University saw some of the most heated debates among the leaders who led the fight for freedom from the front against the British.
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