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BR Ambedkar Also Hailed Battle of Koregaon – What Did He Say?

Not many would know that the battle of Koregaon – whose 200th
anniversary was observed on Monday, 1 January – was once upon a time
hailed by Bhimrao Ambedkar.

In the battle that took place on 1
January 1818 in the village of Koregaon, the British Army comprising
SC/ST (untouchables) Mahars had defeated upper-caste Peshwas
representing Maratha ruler Baji Rao Peshwa.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitpavan

The chitpavan brahmin is a hindutva Maharashtrian brahmin community
inhabiting Konkan, the coastal region of the state of Maharashtra in
India. The community came into prominence during the 18th century when
the heirs of Peshwa from the Bhat family of Balaji Vishwanath became the
de facto rulers of the Maratha empire. Under the British Raj, they were
the one of the hindutva communities in Maharashtra to flock to western
education and they provided the bulk of social reformers,
educationalists and nationalists of the late 19th century.Until the 18th
century, the Chitpavans were held in low esteem by the Deshastha, the
older established brahmin community of Maharashtra region.

The
upper castes, that is, Marathi brahmins, Prabhus (CKPs and Pathare
Prabhus) and Saraswat brahmins were only about 4% of the population in
Maharashtra. A majority of this 4% were brahmins.As per the 1901 census,
about 5% of the Pune population was brahmin and about 27% of them were
chitpawans.

The chitpavan story of shipwrecked people is similar
to the mythological story of the Foreigners from Bene Israel,Tibet,
Africa, Eastern Europe, Western Germany, Northern Europe, South,Russia,
Hungary, etc, etc., Jews of Raigad district.
The Bene Israel claim
that Chitpavans are also of Jewish origin. In addition, Indian scholar
Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar has shown similarity between names of
chitpawans and the geographical sites in Palestine.

Foreigners
from Bene Israel,Tibet, Africa, Eastern Europe, Western Germany,
Northern Europe, South,Russia, Hungary, etc, etc., chitpavans brahmins
of Rowdy Rakshasa Swayam Sevaks remotely controlling the the slaves,
stooges, chamchas, chelas, boot lickers and own mother’s flewsh eaters
the Murderer of democratic institutions and Master of diluting
institutions (Modi) and his Bevakoof Jhoothe Psychopaths (BJP) were
apparently the last major community to arrive there and consequently the
area in which they settled, around Ratnagiri, was the least fertile and
had few good ports for trading. The other groups generally took up
trade as their primary occupation. In ancient times, the chitpawans were
employed as messengers and spies. Later, with the rise of the chitpawan
Peshwa in the 18th century they began migrating to Pune and found
employment as military men, diplomats and clerks in the administration. A
1763-4 document shows that at least 67% of the clerks at the time were
chitpawans.

Very little is known of the chitpavans before 1707
A.D. Around this time, Balaji Vishwanth Bhat, a chitpavan arrived from
Ratnagiri to the Pune-Satara area. He was brought there on the basis of
his reputation of being an efficient administrator. He quickly gained
the attention of Chhatrapati Shahu. Balaji’s work so pleased the
Chhatrapati that he was appointed the Peshwa or Prime Minister in 1713.
He ran a well-organized administration and, by the time of his death in
1720, he had laid the groundwork for the expansion of the Maratha
Empire. Since this time until the fall of the Maratha Empire, the seat
of the Peshwa would be held by the members of the Bhat family.

With the ascension of Balaji Baji Rao and his family to the supreme
authority of the Maratha Empire, chitpavan immigrants began arriving en
masse from the Konkan to Pune where the Peshwa offered all important
offices to his fellow castemen. The Chitpavan kin were rewarded with tax
relief and grants of land.Historians cite nepotism and corruption as
causes of the fall of the Maratha Empire in 1818. Richard Maxwell Eaton
states that this rise of the chitpavans is a classic example of social
rank rising with political fortune.

After the fall of the Maratha
Empire in 1818, the chitpavans lost their political dominance to the
British. The British would not subsidise the chitpavans on the same
scale that their caste-fellow, the Peshwas, had done in the past. Pay
and power was now significantly reduced. Poorer chitpavan students
adapted and started learning English because of better opportunities in
the British administration.

Some of the prominent figures in the
hindutva reform movements of the 19th and 20th centuries came from the
chitpavan brahmin community. These included Dhondo Keshav Karve, Justice
Mahadev Govind Ranade, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar,
Vinoba Bhave.

Some of the strongest resistance to change came
from the very same community. The vanguard and the old guard clashed
many times. D. K. Karve was ostracised. Even Tilak offered penance for
breaking caste or religious rules. One was for taking tea at Poona
Christian mission in 1892 and the second was going to England in 1919.

The chitpavan community includes two major politicians in the Gandhian
tradition: Gopal Krishna Gokhale, whom Gandhi acknowledged as a
preceptor, and Vinoba Bhave, one of his outstanding disciples. Gandhi
describes Bhave as the “jewel of his disciples”, and recognised Gokhale
as his political guru. However, strong opposition to Gandhi came from
the chitpavan community. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the founder of the
Stealth Shadowy hindu cult political ideology hindutva, was a chitpavan
brahmin and several other chitpavans were among the first to embrace it
because they thought it was a logical extension of the legacy of the
Peshwas and caste-fellow Tilak. These chitpavans felt out of place with
the Indian social reform movement of Phule and the mass politics of
Gandhi. Large numbers of the community looked to Savarkar, the Hindu
Mahasabha and finally the RSS. , drew their inspiration from fringe
groups in this reactionary trend.

After Gandhi’s assassination by
nathuram godse, a chitpawan, brahmins in Maharashtra, became targets of
violence, mostly by members from the Maratha caste. The motivating
factor for the violence was not love for Gandhi on the part of the
rioters but the denigration and humiliation that the Marathas were
subjected to due to their caste status.

In the Patwardhan
princely states such as Sangli, the Marathas were joined by the Jains
and the Lingayats in the attacks against the brahmins. Here,
specifically, advanced factories owned by the chitpawans were destroyed.
This event led to the hasty integration of the Patwardhan states into
the Bombay Province by March 1948 - a move that was opposed by other
brahmins as they feared the Maratha predominance in the integrated
province. During the early 20th century, the ruler of Kolhapur state,
Shahu had collaborated with the British against the Indian freedom
struggle - a struggle that was identified with chitpavans like Bal
Gangadhar Tilak. He was also instrumental in shaping anti-brahmin
attitude in the non-Brahmin communities during that period. This led to
great violence against Brahmins in Kolhapur.

The Chitpavans have
considered themselves to be both warriors and priests. Their involvement
in military affairs began with the rise of the Peshwas and their
willingness to enter military and other services earned them high status
and power in the Deccan.

Notable chitpavan brahmins

Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath and his descendants, Bajirao I, Chimaji Appa,
Balaji Bajirao, Raghunathrao, Sadashivrao Bhau, Madhavrao I, Narayanrao,
Madhavrao II, and Bajirao II
Nana Fadnavis (1742 - 1800), regent to Madhavrao II
The Patwardhans - military leaders under the Peshwa and later rulers of various princely states
Balaji Pant Natu - spied for the British against the Peshwa era
Maratha Empire and raised the Union Jack over Shaniwar Wada.
Lokhitwadi (Gopal Hari Deshmukh) (1823-1892)- social reformer
Nana Sahib (1824 – 1859) - adopted heir of the deposed Peshwa
Bajirao II and one of the main leaders of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Mahadev Govind Ranade (1842–1901) - judge and social reformer. Given the title of Rao Bahadur.
Vishnushastri Krushnashastri Chiplunkar (1850 – 1882) - essayist,
editor of Nibandha Mala, a Marathi journal, educator, mentor to Bal
Gangadhar Tilak and Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, founder of the Chitrashala
press
Vasudev Balwant Phadke (1845 – 1883)- a petty government
clerk in Pune who led an armed rebellion against the British. Later an
Educator.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856 – 1920)[47] -Educator,
Writer and Early Nationalist Leader with widespread appeal. Described by
British colonial administration as the “Father of Indian Unrest”

Gopal Ganesh Agarkar (1856 – June 1895).[36] journalist, educator and social reformer
Keshavsut (Krishnaji Keshav Damle) (15 March 1866 – 7 November 1905) -Marathi language poet
Dhondo Keshav Karve(1858 – 1962)[32] - Social reformer and advocate of women’s education
Anandibai Joshi (1865 – 1887) - First Indian woman to get a medical
degree from a university in the west - Woman’s Medical College of
Pennsylvania - in 1886
Gopal Krishna Gokhale (1866 – 1915) - Early Nationalist leader on the moderate wing of the Congress party
Chapekar brothers (1873-1899),(1879-1899) - Brothers who
assassinated British plague commissioner Walter Rand for his heavy
handed approach to plague relief in Pune in 1897
Gangadhar
Nilkanth Sahasrabuddhe, a social reformer, who, along with two other
reformers- Chairman Surendranath Tipnis of the Mahad Municipality and
A.V.Chitre, helped Ambedkar during the Mahad Satyagraha.

Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar (1872 – 1947] - Writer, Journalist,
Nationalist leader. Served on the Viceroy’s Executive Council (1924–29).
Ganesh Damodar Savarkar (1879 – 1945), founder of Abhinav Bharat
Society, Independence activist and brother of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar,(28 May 1883 – 26 February 1966) Freedom
fighter, social reformer and Formulator of the Hindutva philosophy.

Senapati Bapat (12 November 1880 – 28 November 1967) - Prominent
Indian freedom fighter who acquired title of Senapati meaning Commander.
Dadasaheb Phalke- (30 April 1870 – 16 February 1944) Pioneer of Indian film industry
Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar-(25 November 1872 – 26 August 1948) Editor of Kesari and Navakal
Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860 – 1936) - eminent maestro of Hindustani classical music
Vishwanath Kashinath Rajwade (1863–1926) - Historian
Anant Laxman Kanhere (1891-1910) - Indian nationalist and
revolutionary, hanged for the murder of British Collector of Nashik, A.
M. T. Jackson in 1910[a]
Vinoba Bhave-(1895 – 1982), Gandhian leader and freedom fighter[94]
Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre (1896 – 1981) - Poet and writer in Kannada language. Winner of the Jnanpith Award[95]
Narhar Vishnu Gadgil-(10 January 1896 – 12 January 1966) Congress leader and Member of Nehru’s cabinet
Irawati Karve - (1905 – 1970), anthropologist
Nathuram Godse- (19 May 1910 – 15 November 1949) Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin
Narayan Apte (1911 - 1949) - co-conspirator in the assassination of Gandhi.
Gopal Godse (1919 – 2005) - co-conspirator in the assassination of Gandhi and Nathuram Godse’s younger brother.
Pandurang Shastri Athavale (1920 - 2003) was an Indian activist
philosopher, spiritual leader, social revolutionary and religion
reformist, who founded the Swadhyaya Parivar (Swadhyaya Family) in 1954
Kashinath Ghanekar (1930 - 1986) - Marathi Actor and First superstar on Marathi Stage.[citation needed]
Vikram Gokhale (born 1947) - Indian film, television and stage actor[citation needed]
Madhuri Dixit (born 1967) - Bollywood actress
Prakash Madhusudan Apte - Architect and town planner. Planned and
designed the city of Gandhinagar, capital city of Gujarat[pages
needed][need quotation to verify].

The battle has been seen by
the ‘SC/ST-caste’ Mahars as a triumph of their community over the
oppressive Peshwas, and has been celebrated on the first day of every
new year as an exemplar of SC/ST valour and sacrifice.

On Monday,
1 January 2018, violent clashes broke out between SC/ST groups and
Marathas during an event marking the 200th anniversary of the battle,
leaving one person dead and several others injured.

Ambedkar
visited the Bhima-Koregaon war memorial on the 109th anniversary of the
battle in 1927. The memorial – a pillar – was constructed in remembrance
of the soldiers who died in the battle, and it is said that the pillar
included the names of 22 SC/ST (Untouchable) Mahars who had fought in
the battle.

Ambedkar’s visit to the memorial is also said to have
snowballed its popularity among the SC/STs, with thousands paying
homage to it every year on 1 January.

Notably, Ambedkar also
referred to the battle of Koregaon in 1930 during the First Round Table
Conference in London, as he underlined the vital role played by the
‘Untouchables’ in helping the British to conquer India.

BR Ambedkar Also Hailed Battle of Koregaon – What Did He Say?
Kabir UpmanyuUpdated: 14.04.18
India4 min read
6.2k ENGAGEMENT

Not many would know that the battle of Koregaon – whose 200th
anniversary was observed on Monday, 1 January – was once upon a time
hailed by Bhimrao Ambedkar.

In the battle that took place on 1
January 1818 in the village of Koregaon, the British Army comprising
Dalit Mahars had defeated upper-caste Peshwas representing Maratha ruler
Baji Rao Peshwa. The battle has been seen by the ‘lower-caste’ Mahars
as a triumph of their community over the oppressive Peshwas, and has
been celebrated on the first day of every new year as an exemplar of
Dalit valour and sacrifice.

On Monday, 1 January 2018, violent
clashes broke out between Dalit groups and Marathas during an event
marking the 200th anniversary of the battle, leaving one person dead and
several others injured.

Ambedkar visited the Bhima-Koregaon war
memorial on the 109th anniversary of the battle in 1927. The memorial – a
pillar – was constructed in remembrance of the soldiers who died in the
battle, and it is said that the pillar included the names of 22 Dalit
Mahars who had fought in the battle.

Also Read : 1 Dead in Bhima Koregaon Protest, Maha CM Assures Judicial Inquiry
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Ambedkar’s visit to the memorial is also said to have snowballed its
popularity among the Dalits, with thousands paying homage to it every
year on 1 January.

Notably, Ambedkar also referred to the battle
of Koregaon in 1930 during the First Round Table Conference in London,
as he underlined the vital role played by the ‘Untouchables’ in helping
the British to conquer India.

Who were these people who
joined the army of the East India Company and helped the British to
conquer India? …the people who joined the Army of the East India Company
were the Untouchables of India. The men who fought with Clive in the
battle of Plassey were the Dusads, and the Dusads are Untouchables. The
men who fought in the battle of Koregaon were the Mahars, and the Mahars
are Untouchables. Thus, in the first battle and the last battle
(1757-1818) it was the Untouchables who fought on the side of the
British and helped them conquer India. The truth of this was admitted by
the Marquess of Tweeddale in his note to the Peel Commission which was
appointed in 1859 to report on the reorganisation of the Indian Army.

His comments came in a context when the British had apparently started
excluding the ‘lower castes’ from the army (especially after 1857), to
which he asserted that “nothing can be more ungrateful than this
exclusion of the Untouchables from the Army”.

‘Both Ambedkar and His Father Fought For Mahar Recruitment in the British Army’

Nonica Datta, associate professor of history at Jawaharlal Nehru
University (JNU), details how Ambedkar was very angry with the exclusion
of Mahars and other ‘lower castes’ from recruitment in the Army.

With the distinction between martial and non-martial classes
gaining ground post 1857, the ‘lower castes’ were excluded from the army
as they were labelled ‘non-martial’. Ambedkar was upset with this, and
went on to emphasise the important role the Mahars played in the East
India Company. His motive was to inculcate a sense of pride among the
Mahars and the battle of Koregaon was one such symbol of Mahar pride.

Nonica Datta to The Quint

She goes on to explain how Ambedkar – who came from a family with an
army background (his father and six uncles were subedar majors in the
British Army) – campaigned extensively for the establishment of a Mahar
regiment.

It was because of Ambedkar that the new Mahar
regiment came into being during the Second World War. Moreover, it was
not just Ambedkar, but his father, Ramji Maloji Sakpal, also fought for
Mahar recruitment.

Talking about the significance of
‘lower castes’’ presence in the British Army, such as during the battle
of Koregaon, Datta says it gave them a sense of identity which boosted
their self-esteem.

These were the ‘lower castes’ who had
carry a pot so that their spit doesn’t fall on the ground. They had
brooms tied to their back. After all the oppression they faced, their
recruitment into the Army gave them visibility and self-respect. They
celebrated their recruitment, and regarded the battles they fought as
acts of heroism.