Meer Nisar Ali Titumeer

Identity

Syed Meer Nisar Ali alias Titumeer (also popularly known as Titu Mir) was the first Bangalee Indian To fight the British imperialism by launching a mass movement which shook the base of British Rule in Bengal and surrounding. He first started a social reform to free the Muslims from the exploitation of the local Zamindars which later on turned out to be a peasant movement in a wide area. He is very familiar for his bamboo fort made at Narkelbaria and his Lathial force (Force armed with bamboo sticks). His courage inspired others to start revolting against the British colonialists.

Biography

Birth and lineage

Titumeer was born in Chandpur Village in the Bashirhat (or Hydrapur) sub-division of Chabbish Pargana , West Bengal(India). The time of his birth is not confirmed, though he is assumed to be born in 14 Magh 1188 BS (1782 AD)^[1]. His father was Syed Meer Hasan Ali and mother’s name was Abida Rokeya Khatun. Like many aristocrat Indian Muslims, the Syed family claimed Arabian lineage and his family claimed they were the descendants of Ali, the son-in-law of Mohammed and the fourth Caliph. According to his family history one of the ancestors, Syed Shahadat Ali came to India from Arab to preach Islam. Syed Abdullah, the son of Shahadat Ali, was appointed the Kazi (judge) by the sultan of Delhi and he was later accorded the “Meer Insaf” title. The descendant of Shahadat Ali used both family titles, Syed and Meer.

Childhood

Titumeer started his early age at local Maktab(Islamik pre-school) as was the custom at that time, after which he was enrolled into a Madrasa(Islamik School). Titumeer memorized Quran within the age of 12 and he went for pilgrimage to Mecca. He studied religion their. He had a good command of Arabic and Persian philosophy and Islamic scripture. He was also interested in Arabic and Persian. He was also a good wrestler at school.Literature.

Youth

In 1822 Titumeer met an Islamic leader, Syed Ahmed Berelbhi. Berelbhi motivated Titumeer to lead his people away from anti-Islamic practices to pure Islam and liberate them from British colonialism. He returned home in 1827 and started preaching Islam practices among the Muslims of Twenty Fourth Pargana. His preaching was mainly directed to the cultivators and the weavers. He soon went into clash with Hindu Zamindaar Krishno Deb when he imposed a tax on keeping beard for the Muslims. Titumeer in order to defend the Muslims first called for resolution peacefully and later protested building a small Lathial force.

Death

Titumeer Died Valiantly while fighting the British Army along with his mates in his bamboo fort at Narkelbaria in 19 November 1831. He was heard to be died by a cannon shot.

Movement

Being afraid of Titumeers rising power the Zamindaars sought help from the British. The alliance of the Zamindaars includes the Zamidar of Gobar Danga Kali Prasanna Mukhopadhyay, the Zamidar of Taragonia Raj Narayan, the Zamidar of Nagur Gauri Prasad Chowdhury, and the Zamidar of Gobra Gobindopur Debnath Ray. To face the pressure he formed a small Lathial force. Titumeer’s nephew Ghulam Masum was the leader of the newly formed force. The Zamindaars asked for help from the British. The British Indigo dealer Davies was first to launch an armed campaign against Titumeer and was defeated. As a last resort to stop the extortion of the peasants by the local Zamidars, titumeer lodged a formal complain against the Zamidars to the authority employed by the East India Company. But the East India Company ignored his appeal as it was against their business interest Indigo being one of its top profitable exports from India. In 1831 Titumeer built a fort with bamboo at NarkelBaria. He recruited many young people into his force and gave them military training. Soon the his force exceeded five thousands. He armed his force with bamboo stick and other indigenous weapons. The collector of Barasat Alexander led another police campaign under the police officer of Bashirhat police station but his forced were also defeated. Soon his forces freed Chabbish Pargona, Nadia and Faridpur districts and brought the large territory under his dominion. Thus Titumeer’s reform movement turned into a peasant movement against the British imperialists.

Securing his territory Titumeer demanded levies from the Zamidars of Taki and Gobar Danga. The Zamidars sought help from the East India Company. A force was sent to crush titumeer from Kolkata. But Titumeer’s force defeated the combined British and Zamidar forces. Finally Bentinc sent a battalion of regular British army against Titumeer under Lt Colonel Stuart comprising 100 cavalry, 300 infantry and two heavy artillery guns. On 14 November 1831 the well equipped British army launched attack on Titumeer’s forces. In the battle Titumeer’s force armed with conventional Indian weapons failed to stand against the British fire power and took shelter into the bamboo fort. The British artillery guns demolished the fort killing Titumeer and a large number of his forces. The British troops captured 350 of Titumeer’s forces including their captain Ghulam Masum. Ghulam Masum was later hanged and his 140 forces were put under bars.^[2]

References

1. ^ http://banglapedia-bangladesh-encyclopedia.org/HT/T_0183.htm
2. ^ http://www.muktadhara.net/antibritish.html