Rao Tula Ram:Shining Bright in the Galaxy

While the social fabric of Haryana lies torn today. This is the land that gave birth to luminaries drawn from different communities who became martyrs for the common cause-to liberate the motherland from the colonizer.Shining bright in the firmament of nationalists, there is a star called 'Rao Tula Ram'- woe it is that today these great men become circumscribed to their own community or religion.Let us recall the mission of these bravehearts when 'Divide & Rule' seems to resurface in disguise.

Rao Tula Ram Ahir - (1825 - 1862)

Sketch by Veena Rawat

Many of us, who are familiar with India’s capital, must have used the nation’s main international airport, Indira Gandhi International, at some point or the other. Enroute from the airport to the centre of the capital is a long and famous road, Rao Tula Ram Marg (‘Marg’ being the Hindi for street). Situated on this road is one of New Delhi’s finer higher education institutions, Rao Tula Ram University. All this begs the question, ‘who is this Rao Tula Ram?’

Rao Tula Ram was one of the great leadersof the Indian Uprising of 1857 against the colonial British forces. His story is one of rebellion and guerrilla warfare against the stronger and better-equipped imperialist forces of the British Army.       

                        

He was born on 9 December 1825 in the well known Rao family in village Rampura in the district of Rewari (a two-hour drive south-west of New Delhi), in what is now Haryana. His father was Puran and his mother's name was Gyan. He was educated according to the then prevalent customs and he knew Persian, Urdu, Hindi and a small amount of English. In November 1839, Rao Tula Ram ascended the throne on the death of his father.
In 1857, on hearing the news of rebellion atMeerut and other places, the people of the Rewari rose up in revolt. In the Rewari area,lead was given by Rao Tula Ram.

On l7 May 1857, Rao Tula Ram went to the ‘tehsil’, or headquarters, at Rewari with four to five hundred followers and took all the government buildings in their possession. For their headquarters, they chose Rampura, a small fortified village, one mile south-west of Rewari. Tula Ram, the elder Rao became Raja and Gopal Dev his commander-in-chief. 

After assuming charge, Rao Tula Ram organized the revenue department and collected revenue and taxes. He took donations and loans from the people of Rewari. He raised a force (about five thousand men) and set upa large workshop in the fort of Rampura where a substantial number of guns, gun-carriages and and ammunition were manufactured. Law and order was enforced; his State was defended from outside attacks.

At this time, Delhi was under attack from the British forces, so Rao Tula Ram helped the emperor Bahadur Shah in their fight against the British. But this help could not protect Delhi which fell to the British on September 20, 1857. Soon after Brigadier-General Showers led out a column (from Delhi) of 1,500 men with a light field battery, 18 two-pounder guns and two small mortars, "to attack and destroy Rao Tula Ram and his follower and to raze his fort (at Rewari)." The situation was serious and the Rao foresaw that a fight with the British forces in the mud fort of Rampura, in the changed circumstances after the fall of Delhi, would result in the complete destruction of his army without any seriousloss to the British. So he left his fort before Showers' arrival
.the fort of Rewari was taken without any opposition on October 6th. 

Immediately after the occupation of the fort of Rewari, Brigadier-General Showers sent a messenger to Tula Ram telling him that if he submitted along with guns and arms, hewould be treated on merits.

After a few days rest at Rewari (Rampura), on November 16, Gerrard marched to Narnaul. As the track was sandy, the column reached Nasibpur, a small village, two miles northwest of Narnaul and halted for a short rest. The rebel force, having abandoned their strong fort in the center ofthe town pounced on them. Rao Tula Ram's first charge was irresistible and the British forces scattered before them. The Patiala Infantry and the Multani Horse on the British side were completely disheartened. But at this juncture, the Guides and the Carabineers came to their rescue and saved the situation. The Englishfire, especially of the artillery was too muchfor the rebels. But soon the situation took an unexpected turn when Col. Gerrand wasmortally wounded by a musket ball.

With this, the British too, were demoralized.Taking full advantage of the circumstances, Rao Tula Ram .swooped down upon them. The British could not stand the charge and the Multani Horse fled away in bewilderment. They recaptured their guns and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. The right and the left wings of the British forces were thrown intoconfusion.Appreciating the gravity of the situation Major Caulfield, the officiating British Commandant, ordered his artillery to start heavy bombardment and his cavalry and infantrymen to charge straight on with full force in to their front ranks.

 Rao Tula Ram’s forces fought back furiously and stood their grounds. The British artillery fire, nevertheless, broke their backbone andsplit their forces into two parts - one engaged in the close quarter battle and the other fleeing to go out of the range of the British guns. Rao Tula Ram was defeated that day but luckily managed to flee to safety. His escape frustrated the British.The battle of Narnaul was undoubtedly oneof the most decisive battles of the Uprising of 1857. 

The English felt jubilant over their success in this confrontation, for it marked the ‘beginning of the end’ of the crucial period of the struggle in the Haryana region and northern Rajasthan. After the battle, Rao Tula Ram moved into Rajasthan; then joined Tantya Tope's forces for one year. On 1 November 1858, the British issued the promises of unconditional pardon and amnesty to all offences against the British to all except those who directly or indirectly took part in the murder of British subjects.

Story by Veena Rawat