Kunwar Singh
| Kunwar Singh | |
|---|---|
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| Nickname(s) | Veer Kunwar Singh |
| Born | 1777 Jagdispur, Bihar |
| Died | April 26, 1858 (aged 80–81) Jagdispur, Bihar |
| Allegiance | India |
| Rank | King |
| Relations | Shabzada Singh (father), Panchratan Devi (mother) |
Kunwar Singh (1777 – 26 April 1858) belonged to a royal Ujjainiya Rajput house of Jagdispur, currently a part of Bhojpur district, Bihar, India. At the age of 80 years, during India's First War of Independence in 1857, he actively led a select band of armed soldiers against the troops under the command of the British East India Company. He was the chief organizer of the fight against the British in Bihar.
Kunwar Singh was born in November 1777 to Raja Shahabzada Singh and Rani Panchratan Devi, in Jagdispur of the Shahabad (now Bhojpur) District, in the state of Bihar. He belonged to the Ujjainiya Rajput clan which is a branch of the Parmars. He married the daughter of Raja Fateh Naraiyan Singh (a Mewari Sisodiya Rajput), a wealthy zamindar of Gaya district, Bihar, and a descendant of Maharana Pratap of Mewar.
Singh led the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in Bihar. He was nearly eighty and in failing health when he was called upon to take up arms. He gave a good fight and harried British forces for nearly a year and remained invincible until the end. He was an expert in the art of guerilla warfare. His tactics left the British puzzled.
Singh assumed command of the soldiers who had revolted at Danapur on 25 July. Two days later he occupied Arrah, the district headquarters. Major Vincent Eyre relieved the town on 3 August, defeated Singh's force and destroyed Jagdishpur. During the rebellion, his army had to cross the Ganges river. Douglas' army began to shoot at their boat. One of the bullets shattered Singh's left wrist. Singh felt that his hand had become useless and that there was the additional risk of infection due to the bullet-shot. He drew his sword and cut off his left hand near the elbow and offered it to the Ganges.
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