Munger Through Prism of History
The territory included within the district of
Munger (famously Monghyr) formed pent of the Madhya-desa as
“Midland” of the
first Aryan settlers. It has been identified with Mod-Giri a
place mentioned in the Mahabharata, which was the capital of
a kingdom in Eastern India
near Vanga and Tamralipta. In the Digvijaya Parva of
Mahabharata, we find the mention of Moda-Giri, Which seems
similar to Moda-Giri. Digvijaya Parva suggests that it was a
monarchical state during early times. A passage in the
Sabha-Parva describes Bhima’s conquest in Eastern
India
and says that after defeating Karna, king of Anga, he fought
battle at Modagiri and killed its chief. It was also known
as Maudal after Maudgalya, a disciple of Buddha, who
converted a rich merchant of this place into Buddhism.
Buchanan says that it was the hermitage of Mudgala Muni and
this tradition of Mudgal Risi still persists. Munger is
called “Modagiri” in the Monghyr copperplate of Devapala.
The derivation of the name Munger (Monghyr) has found the
subject of much speculation. Tradition arcribes the
foundation of the town to Chandragupta, after whom it was
called Guptagars a name which has been found inscribed on a
rock at Kastaharni Ghat at the north-western corner of the
present fort. It is insisted that Mudgalrisi lived there.
Tradition ascribes the composition of various suktar of the
10th Mavdala of the Rigveda to Rishi Mudgal and
his clan. However, General Cunnigham had strong suspicicion
when he connects this original name with
Mons as Mundas, who occupied this
part before the advent of the Aryans. Again Mr. C.E.A.
oldham, ICS, a farmer collector suggests the possibility of
Munigiha, ie , the abode of the Muni, without any
specification which later corrupted to Mungir and later
became Munger.
At the dawn of history, the present site of
the town was apparently comprised within the
Kingdom
of Anga, with the
capital Champa near Bhagalpur.
According to Pargiter, Anga comprises the modern districts
of Bhagalpur
and Munger commissionary. The Anga dominion at one time
included Magadha
and the Shanti-Parva refers to an Anga king who sacrificed
at Mount
Vishnupada. In the epic period
Modagiri finds mention as a separate state. The success of
the Anga did not last long and about the middle of the sixth
century B.C. Bimlisara of Magadha is said to have killed
Brahmadatta, the last independent ruler of ancient Anga.
Hence the Anga became an integral part of the growing empire
of Magadh. As epigraphic evidence of the Gupta period
suggests that Munger was under the Guptas. To the reign of
Buddhagupta (447-495 A.D) belongs a copper plate of A.D.
488-9 originally found at Mandapura in the district.
HIUEN TSIANG’S ACCOUNT:
However the first historical account of the district appears
in the Travels of HIUEN TSIANG, who visited this area
towards the close of the first half of the seventh century
A.D. Hiuen Tsiang observed “The country is regularly
cultivated and rich in produce flowers and fruit being
abundant, the climate is agreeable and manners of the people
simple and honest. There are 10 Buddhist monartries with
about 4,000 priests and few Brahminical temples occupied by
various sectaries”. The pilgrim’s “I-lan-ha-po-fa-to”country
is identified as this area. He had to pass through thick
forest and strange mountains into the country of
Hiranayaparvat. The capital Hiranayaparvat, lay, on the
southern bank of Ganga, and closed to
it stood mount
Hiranya, which “belched masses of
smoke and vapour that obscured the light of the sun and the
moon”. The position of this hill is determined from its
proximity to the Ganga, to be Munger
and though no smoke now comes from any peak, the numerous
hot springs in the hills point to
famous volcanic action. These hot spring are also mentioned
in Hiuen Tsiang’s Account. General Cunningham identified the
hot springs
being those of Bhimbandh and its offshoots. Other
authorities refer it as Uren in present Lakhisarai District.
Unfortunately, there is a historical gap of
almost two centuries when we find its fresh mention in the
Munger copper plate of Devapala discovered at Munger about
1780. We learn from this copper plate about Dharampala
(c.770-810) who preceded far beyond Kanauj in his military
campaigns. It refers to a campaign of Dharampala along the
foot of the Himalayas. Tripartite
struggle between the Palas, Rashhtrakutas and
Gurjar-Pratihars for subermacy over Kanauj was a dominant
factor in the history of northern
India. We find mention of
Pala king Gopal, his son Dharampala & Devapala. Munger
prominence is also corroborated by the Nawlagarth
inscriptions of Begusarai. The
Bhagalpur plate of Narayan pala,
executed at Munger, shows their policy of religious
tolerance and there patronage to the worshipers of Shiva &
Sakti cults.
Till the advent of the Turkish rule in
India. Munger was under
sway of the Karnataka dynasty of Mithila. However Bakhiyar
Khilji took possession of Territory any of Munger in AD1225.
Thus Munger in possession of the Khilji ruler Gyasuddin.
After a tussle and aftermath a peace treaty Munger came
under the control of Sultan of Bengal between 1301-1322,
which is corroborated by the Lakhisarai Inscription. Munger
came under the possession of Muhammad Bin Tugular who
annexed Munger to Delhi
for some time. In 1342 the whole of north
India
witnessed the turmoil and Late Spasmodic Illyas Shah of
Bangal taking advantage of the opportunities established his
sway over Bihar. An interesting
description of the Bengal sultan
still exists in Lakhisarai. Inscription bearing a date
corresponding to 1297 which mentions Rakmuddin Kalawao
(c1296-1302) and a Governor round Ferai Hitagim. During thus
conflict between the Tugulaqs of Delhi and Bangal Sultan
some portions of then Munger came under the possession of
the Sharqils of Jaunpur.
Some inscriptions found in Munger speaks of
the conflict between the Jampur rules and the Bangal Sultan
which resulted in farmer’s defeat and finally resulted in
peace. Here we came across the name of prince Danyal who
held the post of Governor of Bihar. It was prince Danyal who
had repaired the fortification of Munger and built in 1497
the voult over the shrine of Shah Nafah. This is also known
by the insemination but up by Danyal on the eastern wall of
the Dargah just within the southern gate of the fort.
Nasrat Shah succeeded Hussain Shah in
Bengal in 1590. His brother-in-law Makhdun Alam
took possession of Munger Fort and entrusted its
responsibility to one of his general named Kutub Khan who
made Munger the head quarters of Bihar
army of the rulers of Gaur. Bahar in his memoir mention that
when he invaded Bihar, Munger was
under the change of a prince. After the
Battle
of ghagra, Babar sent envoys to Nusarat Shah later Kutub
Khan was defeated and killed by Shur Shah. In 1534 again a
powerful army in command of Ibrahim Khan moved out to
Munger, The battles took place in the narrow plains of
Surajgarha in which Ibrahim Khan was routed and slain and
Sher Shah firmly placed himself to Kingshlip. Thus during
the Humayun-Sher Shah conflict Munger pardoner strategic
gamed. During the subsequent war between Sher Shah and
Humayun Munger was the seat of battle between, the Afghan
and the Empires in which Sher Shah captured Dilawar Khan son
of Daulat Khan Lodi. Mughal rule was substituted for Afghan
rule. During Akbar’s period when the great Bengal
military revolts started. Munger was for some time the
headquarters of Akbar’s officers in their expeditions
against the rebels. It was in this year that Raja Todarmal
took possession of Munger and tried to deal with three
refractory powerful semi-independent Zamindars of Akbar’s
time viz. Raja Gajapati of Hajipur, Raja Puran Mal of
Ghidhaur and Raja Sangram Singh of Kharagpur. The last two
belonged to the district of Munger. Gajapati was totally
ruined. After the final occupation of Bihar,
Raja Man Singh was appointed as the Governor and on the
basis of Akbarnama. It can be said that Raja Man Singh
succeeded well in his administration. Kharagpur at that time
was a great principality extending from the south of Munger
to the south of Bhagalpur
and Santhal Paragans. Sangram Singh remained loyal to the
Mughal rule till Akbar’s death in 1605. But the accession of
Jahangir and the rebellion of Prince Khusru led him to make
a final attempt to recover his independence. He collected
his forces, which, according to Jhangir’s memoirs, consisted
of about four thousand horses and a large army of foot
soldiers.
The Mughal army under Jahangir’s Kuli Khan
Lala Beg, Governor of Bihar, valiantly opposed him and a gun
shot in 1606 killed Sangram Singh. Sangram Singh’s son
succeeded in gaining favour of Jahangir but had to wait till
1615 when, on his conversion to Islam, he was allowed to
return to Bihar. He known in history
as Rozafzun (ie. Daily growing in power). He remained
faithful to the Emperor and in 1628 when Jahangir died he
was a commander of 1500-foot soldiers and 700 horses. When
Shahjahan became the Emperor, Rozafzun entered into active
Mughal services and accompanied Mahabat Khan in his
Kabul
expedition. He was a brave soldier and had to his credit his
participation in the Siege of Parendah and was promoted to
the higher ranks and became the commander of 2000-foot
soldiers and 1000 horses.He died in 1635 and was succeeded
by his son Raja Bihruz who was also a great fighter and held
the rank of 700-foot soldier and 700 horses, under Shahjahan.
He extended his territory, got many grants specially the
Chakla Midnapur, in which he built a town and named it
Kharagpur. A ruined palace built by him is there; adjoining
it is a three-domed mosque. There is still a marble slab,
which gives the date of building in 1656 A.D. But this brave
Kharagpur ruler died in 1656. During the civil (1657-58)
amongst the sons of Shahjahan, Shah Shuja, the second son of
the Emperor was governor of Bengal.
On hearing of the serious illness of his father in 1657 he
raised the standard of revolts and claimed the throne.
Though his capital was at Rajmahal, Munger the centre from
which he direct his preparations and here he returned in
1658 after his defeat. In June 1658, Auranzeb made an
attempt to conciliate Shuja by granting him the
province
of Bihar in
addition to Bengal. Munger came into
great prominence during this period of the civil war. Prof.
Quanungo writes that after the March of Imperial Army Shuja
wrote to Dara asking for the grant of Munger, which formed
the part of Dara’s province
of Bihar. Dara
was also prepared to give away the Fort of Munger on the
condition that the present fortress was dismantled and
Shuja’s son did not reside there. We also get a reference of
Murad’s letter in which the designs of Dara to deprive Shuja
of Munger has been hinted at. Shuja took shelter at Munger
to face the Imperialists. In course of this conflict Dara
was compelled to send urgent letters to his son to make
peace with his uncle. As a result of this treaty of 1685
Munger was added to Shuja’s viceroyalty but he was not
allowed to reside there. In 1659 Daud Khan took charge of
the province of
Bihar. Mir. Jumla and Prince
Muhammad pursued Shuja up to Munger. Shuja was forced by the
treachery of Raja Bihruz Khan of Kharagpur and Khaza Kamal
of Birbhum to abandon Munger in 1659. It was in this
connection that Raja Bihruz was made In charge of the whole
area of Munger. We also find a mention of a Aevastative
famine during the reign of the Governor, Ibrahim Khan which
continued from 1670-72. The Dutch traveller, De Graafe, who
travelled from Munger to Patna
in November 1670 gives a graphic picture of the horrible
sccnes. Marshall
also mentions very interesting details about Munger. He
inspected Shah Suja place built on the west side of the
Fort. He describes it, “as a very large house where the king
(Suja) lived, walled next to the river, for about one and
half Kos with bricks and stones, with
a wall fifteen yards high”. He entered the first gate but
was stopped at the other within which he saw two elephants
carved in stone and very large and handsomely”. The inside
palace was so strictly guarded that two Dutch men De Graafe
and Oasterhoff were imprisoned for their antiquarian
interest as they were taken as spies. They were released
after seven weeks of imprisonment in November , 1670 by
paying a fine of one thousand rupees to the Nawab of Patna.
Marshall
found a great garden and, at the south end, he saw several
thatched and many tombs and mosques.
He further writes “the town stands upon an
ascent, the river bank by it being 8 or 10 yards high, the
brick wall by the river side at the south end of Munger was
about 5 yards high and 20 yards long with a little tower at
each end and each wall is a fortification to place the gun
on it. Towards the close of the 18th Century we find that
Munger was merely station of “Power Magazine” established
there….” For most vivid lightning often about Munger
attracted by the iron ore which abounds in the neighboring
hills and if it fell upon the magazine, the while Fort could
certainly be destroyed by the explosion”. We find mention in
the travel account of R.Heber in his book “Narrative of
Journey Through the Upper Province of India (1827)” that
Munger was noted for its good climate and Warren Hastings
also speaks of the delightful change of atmosphere from that
of Bengal. Heber further wrote
“Munger presents an imposing appeardance…. The Fort is now
dismantled. Its gates, its battlements etc. are all of
Asiatic architecture and very much similar to the
Khitairagorod of Moscow.” Miss Emily Eden was also much
struck by the inland tables and boxes and expressed surprise
on such curious workmanship (Miss Eden-Up the Country quoted
in Munger Gazetteer 1960). The remark of Miss Eden is also
attested in the writing of Fanny Parkes who wrote “Among the
articles manufactured here the black vases for flowers
turned into while wood and lacquered whilst in the Lathe
with scaling wax are pretty”. Joseph Hooker also speaks
highly of Munger, “By far the prettiest town, Munger was
celebrated for its iton manufacture, especially of muskets,
in which respect it is the Burmingham of Bengal”.
When we come down to the early Mughal period
we get a few references to the district in the famous book
“Ain-I-Akbari” prepared by Abul Fazl. According to it Sarkar
Munger consisted of 31 mahals or Parganas, paying a revenue
of 10,96,25 981 dams (40 dams equal to One Akbar Shahi
rupee). It is also mentioned that Sarkar Munger furnished
2150 horses and 50,000 foot soldiers. Raja Man Singh who is
said to have reconqucred Bengal and
Orissa had for some time Munger as his residenoc.During the
reign of Aurangzed we find mention of Munger inconnection
with the death and burial at Munger of the poet Mulla
Mohammad Saiyed, who wrote under the nom-de-plume of Ashraf.
The poet Ashraf stood in high favour with prince Azim-Us-Shah,
Aurangzeb’s grand son, who happened to be the Governor of
Bihar. The poet Ashraf had also been for a long time the
teacher of Zebunissa Begum, Aurangzeb’s daughter who was
herself a poetcss of rupute. It 1704 while on his way from
Bengal to Mecca,
the poet died at Munger where his tomb is still pointed out.
Nicholas Graafe, a Dutch physician who visited in the
beginning of the century was struck with admiration at the
sight of its white wall, towers and minarets. But by 1745
when Mustafa Khan, a rebellious General of Alivardi Khan
advanced against it in his march northwards the fort was a
ruinous fortification which the Governor and his little
garrison tried to put up some Defence but failed miserably.
The besieger got upon the wall and scized the
fort though the leader was killed by a stone that fell upon
him. Mustafa Khan, however, following the custom of those
days, had music played to celebrate his success, he also
took some guns and ammunition from the fort and after a halt
for a few days marched off towards
Patna. During the period of the
disintegration of Mughal Empire Munger had to witness new
changes. Bihar came to be joined to
the Suba of Bengal, which had practically become independent
of Delhi.
Alivardi, who was the Fauzdar of Rajmahal had now become the
District Governor of Munger. Munger was politically and
strategically so important that it did not escape even the
Maratha expendition. The second Maratha invasion under
Raghujee Bhonsla occurred in 1743.
Balaji Maratha entered into Bihar
and advancing through Tekari, Gaya,
Manpur, Bihar and Munger. It is also
mentioned that during the 4th Maratha invasion in 1744
Raghuji passed through the hills of Kharagpur. When British
force was pursuing Jean Law, the French adventurer and
partisan of siraj-ud-duala, who was flying northwards after
the Battle of Plassey, Major Coote reached Munger late at
night on 20th July, 1757 and requisitioned a number of boats
which the Governor of Munger supplied. But Munger Fort was
in such a good condition that he was not allowed to enter
the Fort and when he approached the walls he found that
garrison was ready to fire. Coote wisely resumed his march
without any attempt to enter the Fort. Nearly three years
after in the spring of 1760 the army of Emperor Shah Alam
marched out of the District when he was being pursued by
Major Caillaud and miran. The Emperor had been defeated by
Caillaud and Miran at sirpur on
the 22nd February, 1760. This time Johan Stables,
who had succeeded Caillaud was given charge of Munger. It
was he who directed to attack the Kharagpur Raja who had
openly defied the authority of the new Nawab, Kasim Ali
Khan.
The modern history of Munger came again into
Prominence in 1762 when Kasim Ali Khan made it his capital
instead of Murshidbad in Bengal. The
new Nawab removed his treasure, his elephants and horses and
even the gold and silver decorations of the Imam Bara from
his old capital. He favored General Gurghin (Gregory) Khan,
an Armenian of Ispahan, re-organized the army and had it
drilled and equipped after English model. He also
established and arsenal for the manufacture of fire-arms and
it is from this time that Munger can trace back its
importance for the manufacture of guns. Even today that
glorious tradition is being carried on by hundreds of
families who specialize in the manufacture of guns.
Two days
a week he sat in a public hall of audience and personally
dispensed justice. He listened Patiently to the complaints
and grievances of everyone and gave his impartial order. The
Nawab, indeed, was a terror both to his enemies and to wring
doors. He also honored learning and the learned and welcomed
scholars and savants to his court and he surely earned the
respect and admiration of both friends and foes alike.
Unfortunately, however, destiny did not help him and Mir
Kasim Ali soon came into confrontation with the English.
MIR KASIM AND HIS CONFICT WITH THE ENGLISH:
The first quarrel appears to have been caused by the
tactless conduct of Mr. Ellis, who was in incharge of an
English factory at patna.
Mr. Ellis had received a vague report that two English
deserters were concealed at Munger. A long dispute followed
and it was finally compromised by Mr. Ironsides, the Town
Major of Calcutta , who conducted the search of the Fort
with the due permission of the Nawab. No deserters were
found inside the Fort, the only European in the place being
an old French invalid. In April, 1762 Warren Hastings was
sent from Calcutta
to arrange the terms between the Nawab and Mr.Ellis. The
Nawab received him well but Ellis refused to meet Warren
Hastings and stayed in his house at Singhia, 15 miles away
from Munger. Beside this personal rancor, serious trade
disputes arose between the Nawab and East India Company. The
East India Company had been enjoying exemption frm heavy
duty transit levied on inland trade. After the battle of
Blassey the European servants of the Company began to trade
extensivdy on their own account and to claim a similar
exemption for all goods passing under company’s flag and
covered by Dastak or certificate signed by the Governor or
any agent of the factory. Great abuses followed when the
English in some cases lent their names to Indians for a
consideration and the latter used the same Dastak over and
over again or even began forging them.
Warren Hastings in 1762 says that every boat
he met on the river bore the company’s flag and became aware
of the oppression of the people by the Gumashtas and the
Company’s servant. Mir Kasim bitterly complained that his
source of revenue had been taken away from him and that his
authority was completely disregarded. Eventually in Octuber,
1762, Mr. Vansittart, the Governor left
Calcutta
in order to try and conclude a settlement between the two
parties. He found the Nawab of Munger smarting under the
injuries and insults he had received. But at length it was
agreed that servants of the company should be allowed to
carry on the inland private trade, on payment of a fixed
duty of 9% on all goods- a rate much below that paid by the
other merchants. The dastak also remained with a new
provision that it should also be countersigned by the
nawab’s collector. Mir Kasim agreed to these terms but, of
course, very unwillingly. Sair-ul-Mutakharin gives a
detailed account of the visit of Vansittart. The Nawab
advanced six miles to meet vansittart and arrange for his
residence in the house which Gurghin Khan had crected on
hill of Sitakund (Pir Pahar).
Vansittart returned to
Calcutta in January 1763 after a week
long stay at Munger but he was sorry to find that the
agreement concluded with the Nawab has been repudiated. The
Nawab, however, had honestly sent the copies of the
Governor’s agreement to all of his officrs for its immediate
implementation. The result was that English goods then in
transit, were stopped and duty caimed upon them. The English
council reacted sharply and wanted that the English dastak
should pass free of duty. The Nawab on the other hand
protested at this breach of faith and passed orders
abolishing all transit duty and thereby, throwing open the
whole inland trade free from any custom duty. The English
regarded this as an act of hostility and preparations for
war began but English decided first to send a deputation
headed by Messrs. Amyatt and Hay to arrange fresh tersm with
the Nawab.Mr. Ellis was also informed of this development
and was warned not to commit any act lof aggression even if
the mission failed and Amyatt and Hay were well out of the
Nawab’s power.
The members of the mission
reached Munger on the 14th may, 1763 and opened
up negotiations, but it was soon found that they were
undocked. The Nawab who was offended at the rough and over
bearing manner in which he was addressed by the English
linguist and refused to speak to him. At subsequent
interviews also the Nawab tried to avenge the English insult
and refused to come to any terms. The Envoys were kept under
strict supervision and when some of the party wished to ride
out from Munger they found their way barred by the Nawab’s
soldiers with lighted matches ready to fire. Just at this
tenses moment English cargo boats for
Calcutta
were detained at Munger and 500 Muskets intended for the
factory at Patna
were found out hidden under the cargo. The Nawab, naturally,
became suspicious of the English move which might have been
to seize the fort and the city at Patna.
He wanted , therefore, a thorough check-up by his own troops
otherwise he would declare war. In the mean time he
permitted Mr. Amyatt and others of the party to leave for
Calcutta, but detained Mr. Hay and
Mr. Gulson as hostages for the safety lof his officers who
had been arrested by the English.
As regardes the final
rupture between the English and Bengal Nawab it was
precipitated by the action of Mr. Ellis who believed that
war was in any case inevitable, and seized the city of
Patna on hearing the news that the detachment was advancing
from Munger to reinforce the Nawab’s garrison. The Nawab
also retaliated promptly, reinforcements were hurried up and
the Fort quickly recaptured. This news of the success gave
Kasim Ali the keenest delight. Even though it was mid-night,
he immediately ordered music to strike and awakened the
whole town of Munger.
At day-break the doors of the public halls were thrown open
and every one hastened to offer him congratulations. He ,
now, proclaimed the outbreak of war and directed his
officers to put the English to sword wherever they were
found. In pursuance lof this general order Mr. Amayat was
killed at Murshidabad and the factory at Cossim (Kasim)
Bazar was stormed. The survivorsw surrendered and were sent
to Munger to join their unfortunate companions from
patna.
The British force under
Major Adams quickly advanced against the nawab and defeated
his troops at Suti. On Hearing of his defeat, he sent his
Begums and children to the fort at Rohtas and set out
himself accompanied by Gurgin khan to join his army that was
now concentrated on the banks of the Udhua Nullah near
Rajmahal. Before leaving Munger, however, he pur to death a
number of his prisoners including Raja Ram Narayan, till
lately Deputy Governor of Bihar, who
was thrown down into the river below the fort with a pitcher
filled with sand bound to his neck. Gurgin Khan not
satisfied with this butchery also urged the Nawab to kill
his English prisoners but this the Nawab refused to do.
Jagat set Mahtab Rai and Sarup Chand, two rich bankers of
Murshidabad who had been brought from that place by Mir
Kasim Ali as they were believed to favour the British cause
also appears to have escaped. Though as the tradition says
they were also drowned at the same time. This story is,
however, contradicted by the author of Sair-UI-Mutakharin
who says that they were hacked to pieces at Barth. The exact
location of the tower of castle
of Munger
from where Jagat Seth and others were thrown down has not
yet been located.
Before the Nawab could join
his army at Udhua Nullah he heard of a second decisive
defeat that he had sustained and thereafter returned to
Munger. He stayed there only for two or three days and
marched to Patna
with his prisoners like Mr. Hay, Mr. Ellis and some others.
On the way Mr. Kasim halted on the bank of Rahua Nullah, a
small stream near Lakhisarai. It was here that Gurgin Khan
met his death and was cut down by some of his own troopers
who were demanding arrears of their pay. A scene of wild
confusion followed. Makar, another Armenian General, fired
off some guns, the thought that the English were upon them
and fled in terror, Mir Kasim himself flying on an elephant.
There was great confusion in the army because of this false
alarm but Mir Kasim marched on the next day to
Patna.
In the meantime the British army moved on
rapidly towards Munger and at this time Munger was placed
under the command of Arab Ali Khan, who was a creature of
Gurgin Khan. On the
first of October 1763 the main body of the army
arrived on batteries that had been thrown up and were
immediately opened. For two days heavy fire was maintained
but in the evening the Governor capitulated and surrendered
himself and his garrison. The English at once set to work to
repair the breaches and improve the defences.
The Fort was left under the command of
Captain John White who was further directed to raise locally
another battalion of sepoys. This news of the capture of
Munger infuriated the Nawab who as soon as he heard of it
gave order that his English prisoners at
Patna should be put to death. This
order was carried out by the infamous Samru and is known in
history, as the ‘Massacre of Patna’.
There years later in 1766 there was a mutiny
of the European officers of Bengal
army because of the reduction of “bhatta” which was
an extra monthly sum to cover the increased expenses when
the soldiers were on active military duty. After the battle
of Plassey Mir Jafar Khan had granted an extra-allowance,
called “double bhatta” which had continued during the role
of Mir Kasim also. But the Directors of the companies now
passed order that this allowance should be abolished except
for the grant of half-bhatta to the troops stationed at
Patna
and Munger. This curtailment was bitterly resented by the
army officers and on
the first of May, 1766 a memorandum to this
effect was signed by officers of the first brigade stationed
at Munger under Sir Robert Fletcher who transmitted it to
Lord Clive at Murshidabad.
Clive lost no time and proceeded to Munger
in person by forced marches and in the mean time sent
forward some officers to deal with the situation as well as
they could. When arrived at Munger late at night on the 12th
May, the army heard too much of drums beating and going
further to Robert Fletcher’s quarter they found the European
regiment drinking, singing and beating drums. Next morning
two of them went to Kharagpur and returned with two
battalions to Munger. But we learn that on 14th
the European battalion broke out in open mutiny and Captain
Smith seized the saluting batteries which were situated upon
hillock. The hillock was known as Karn Choura hill. Captain
Smith gained possession of the hill and was successful in
suppressing the rebellion. In short, Munger was recaptured
by the prompt and brave action of Caption Smith and sir
Robert Fletcher.
Clive hadd already reached Munger and he
held a parade of troops. He explained the circumstances
under which the “bhatta” had been withdrawn and he further
applauded the loyal conduct of the sepoys and condemned the
conspiracy of some officers. They were further threatened
that the ring leaders would get the severest penalties under
Martial Law. After his address, the brigade gave their
hearty cheers and marched off quietly to the barracks and
the lines. Thus, the rebellion of the British officers at
Munger was successfully suppressed. For some time John
Maccabe was a Deputy Commissioner, Government of Munger
before 1789.
The subsequent history of the
district is uneventful with the extension of the British
dominions, the town of Munger
ceased to be an important frontier post. There was no
arsenal, no regular garrison was kept up and no attempt was
made to bring the fortification up-to-date. Munger, however,
was still important for its fine situation and salubrious
air and was used as a sanatorium for the British troops. So
great a resort that it was the journey up the
Ganga
followed by a stay was regarded of as healthy as a sea
voyage. We find that a trip to Munger was prescribed for the
wife of Warren Hastings when she was in ill health and in
1781 when Warren Hastings was on his way to meet Chait Singh
at Banaras he left his wife here for
the benefit of her health. But during the early part of the
19th century Munger was degraded to a lunatic
asylum for sepoys where there was also a depot for army
clothing and it became an invalid station for British
soldiers.
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