The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-12-04
Mana Sahih.

The following is q sketch of the per-
son and life of Mana Sahib, who has re-
Gently fallen into the hands of the
British:
Mana Sahib, the title of Dhundoo
Punt, Hindoo chieftain and leader
of the Sepoy mutiny in 1857, was born
in 1924. He was the son of Brahmin
of the Deccan, and when little more
than year old he was taken to Bittoor,
where Baiee Row. the Peishwa or chief
of the Mahrattas, adopted him in 1927.
On the death of Baiee without heir of
his body in 1851, an estate in the neigh
borhood which had been bestowed upon
him during pleasure by the British was
declared lapsed to the East India
Company, as they had previously refused
to recognize inheritance of lands by
adoption, and pension of $3.50, 600 a
year granted to him and his family in
1918 was also stopped. Mana Sahib
sent an agent to England to advocate
his claims, but without success, and
this supposed wrong he never forgave.
He lived, however, in apparent friend
| ship with the English, initiating their
customs as far as he could, and was per-
| mitted to occupy the town of Bittoor,
| where he possessed great wealth and
much influence When the Sepoy
mutiny broke out in 1857, he was fully
trusted by the English, who applied to
him for a body of soldiers to guard the
| treasury at Cawnpore, which he imme
diately granted but no sooner had the
insurrection occurred at the latter place
than he put himself at the head of the
rebels and killed all the Europeans that
| fell into his hands, among whom were
| two large parties, principally women
and children, who were endeavoring to
/ T11&4
gurh. The English at Cawnpore in the
meantime defended themselves until
June 27, when they surrendered on the
Mana promising to send them safe to
Allahabad. They were permitted to
embark, but Immediately afterward
were fred upon and many were killed
and the rest brought back to land. The
men were put to death at once the
women and children, after suffering
horrible outrages, were massacred July
10, the day before Havelock arrived at
Cawnpore, and their bodies thrown into
a well. The Mana retreated to Bittoor,
where Havelock defeated him on the
18th, driving him out of the town and
destroying his army. He soon got to-
gether another army, with which he fol-
| lowed Havelock into Dude, but after
ward returned toward Cawnpore with
the intention of attacking Gen. Neill,
who was in garrison there with a small
force. Reoccupying Bittoor, he was
driven back in confusion by Gen. Neil
Aug. Is and on the next day Haveiock,
who had returned from Dude, defeated
his whole force in sharp engagement
Owing to the exhaustion of the victors
and their want of cavalry, the Mana es-
capped, and, without coming directly in
contact with the British, except once
more at Cawnpore, where Sir Colin
Campbell defeated him Dec. 6, con-
tinued an active and harassing warfare.
On the occupation of Gwalior by the
rebels in June, 1858, he was chosen
Peishwa of the Mahrattas, and his
nephew, Row Sahib, was placed in com.
mand of the city. His subsequent ca
reer is difficult to be traced, for his en-
ergies were bent rather upon escaping
pursuit than conducting offensive opera
tions. Long after the other leaders
had submitted or been captured, he
continued, with the Begun of Dude and
about ten thousand rebels, to infest the
northern parts of Central India and the
frontiers of Napaul. A report that he
had died of fever in the latter part o.
1858 was generally discredited, and un
til now it had been uncertain whether
he was alive or not. His arrest at this
time will doubtless be pleasant sur
prise to the British government, who
will, no doubt, give him the punishment
he fully deserves,