Nana Saheb Born in Bithoor (Kanpur District), Uttar Pradesh in May 1824. His birth name was Nana Govind Dhondu Pant. His father traveled from the Western Ghats to the court of Peshwa Baji Rao II in Pune to become a court official. He and his brother were adopted by the Peshwa who was childless in 1827. Nana Saheb’s mother was the Peshwa’s sister-in-law. His childhood friends were Tatya Tope and Manikarnika Tambe (later Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi).
Peshwa Baji Rao II lived in an estate at Bithoor after the Third Anglo-Maratha War. The British gave him a year’s pension. According to the Doctrine of Extinction laid down by Lord Dalhousie, any Indian state under the control of the British or any vassal of the British without its ruler having an heir would be annexed by the British.
After the Peshwa died, the British stopped providing pension to his adopted son Nana Saheb and refused to accept him as heir (as he was adopted) Despite being named as heir in Baji Rao II’s will, the British refused to accept Nana Saheb’s rightful claim to be the next Peshwa. This ‘insult’ from the British led him to take part in the 1857 rebellion.
Role in the Rebellion of 1857:
• In June 1857, Nana Saheb and the sepoys he led attacked and captured the British fortifications at Kanpur.
• In July 1857, the British managed to recapture Kanpur by defeating Nana Saheb’s forces.
• From Kanpur, Nana Saheb fled to Bithoor. The British seized his palace at Bithoor but could not seize Nana itself.
• In 1858 Nana’s associates Rani Laxmibai and Tatya Tope proclaimed him Peshwa in Gwalior.
• In 1859, he was believed to have fled to Nepal. It is not known how, when or where he died.
Written by : Vaishali Verma
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