Birth Anniversary of Shaheed Mangal Pandey | 21 Jul 2025

Source: PIB 

The Prime Minister paid tribute to the great freedom fighter Mangal Pandey on his birth anniversary on 19^th July. 

Mangal Pandey 

• Early Life: He was born on 19^th July, 1827,  in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. 
  • He joined the 34^th Bengal Native Infantry of the East India Company’s army at the age of 22. 
• Mutiny: He refused to use the newly introduced Enfield Pattern 1853 rifle-musket, as sepoys believed its cartridges were greased with beef and pork fat, which offended Hindu and Muslim religious sentiments. 
  • On 29^th March, 1857, he mutinied and fired at his Senior Sergeant Major. 
• Impact of His Actions: The movement of protest and rebellion came to be known as the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, also known as the First War of Independence. 
  • Soldiers of the 7^th Awadh Regiment revolted but were suppressed, while discontent spread to Ambala, Lucknow, and Meerut. 
  • On 10^th May, 1857, Meerut sepoys rebelled, marched to Delhi, and declared Bahadur Shah Zafar II as Shah-en-shah-i-Hindustan, giving the 1857 revolt a symbolic national leadership. 
• Execution & Legacy: He was hanged on 8^th April, 1857, at Barrackpore, and his regiment was disbanded for showing resentment. 
  • He symbolized Indian resistance against British rule, reflected the grievances of sepoys and peasants, and is recognized as a key figure in India’s First War of Independence.