| Ajijan Bai | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ajijan Begum 22 January 1824 Rajgarh, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh |
| Died | 20 September 1857 (aged 33) |
Ajijan Bai (born Ajijan Begum, 22 January 1824 – 20 September 1857) was a female Indian freedom fighter. She played a role in the Indian freedom struggle during the 1857 revolt.
Early life
Ajijan Bai was born on 22 January 1824, in Rajgarh, located in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. Her father, Shamsher Singh, was a landlord in the area.
Role in the revolution of 1857
In 1857. She formed a group called "Mastani Toli," comprising around 400 women. These women performed mujra (traditional dance) at night to gather intelligence about British strategies, which they passed on to revolutionaries during the day.
On 1 June 1857, when Nana Sahib, Tatya Tope, Azimullah Khan, Bala Saheb, Subedar Tika Singh, and Shamsuddin Khan were planning the revolt in Kanpur, Ajijan Bai was present at the meeting. One day, Tatya Tope invited her to Bithoor for a dance performance. When he offered her money as a reward, she declined and instead requested a uniform of the revolutionary army. Tatya Tope then assigned her the task of gathering intelligence about the British.
During Holi, revolutionaries launched an attack on British soldiers from Ajijan's residence, killing many of them. After the defeat at the Battle of Bithoor, Nana Sahib and Tatya Tope fled, but Ajijan Bai was captured. General Havelock reportedly offered her clemency if she confessed her "mistakes" and revealed Tatya Tope's whereabouts. However, she refused and was executed that night by being tied to a cannon and blown apart.
References
- Varma, Vrindavanalala (1 January 2001). Lakshmi Bai, The Rani of Jhansi: Lakshmi Bai, The Rani of Jhansi: Unveiling the Legend of Courage and Independence by Vr?ndavanalala Varma and Amita Sahaya. Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-87100-54-6.
- "આજનો ઇતિહાસ 22 જાન્યુઆરી: અયોધ્યા રામ મંદિર પ્રાણ પ્રતિષ્ઠા થશે; 1857ની ક્રાંતિમાં અંગ્રેજોને હંફાવનાર અજીજન બેગમ નર્તકી કોણ હતી?". Indian Express - Gujarati (in Gujarati). 22 January 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- "Ajijan Bai Birthday: अजीजन बाई एक ऐसी नर्तकी, जिन्होंने 1857 के संग्राम में अंग्रेजों की छक्के छुडाए". Nai Dunia (in Hindi). 22 January 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- "मां तुझे प्रणाम: मौत सामने थी, अजीजन बाई ने मांगी थी आजादी, उनकी टोली करती थी अंग्रेजों की जासूसी". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- Sharma, Rinkal (2024). Forgotten Gems : 75 Brave Women of India (1st ed.). Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd, 2024. pp. 22–24. ISBN 9789359648897.
- "घुंघरू की झंकार से तलवार की धार अपनाकर अंग्रेजों के नाश में जुट गईं थीं अजीजन बाई, पढ़ें - यह खास खबर - freedom fighter ajijan bai fought against british empire know about her jagran special". Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- "Azizan Bai: a dancer at night and warrior in the day". www.awazthevoice.in. Retrieved 8 December 2024.