Tatya Tope

Tatya Tope Biography

Tatya Tope is the other name of Ramachandra Pandurang Tope, freedom fighter of India. He was an Indian Maratha leader in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was a personal adherent of Nana Saheb of Bithur and one of its more renowned generals. He was executed by the British Government at Shivpuri on 18 April 1859 followed by the betrayal of his own trusted friend, Maan Singh.

Tatya Tope was born as the single child of Pandurang Rao Tope and Rukhmabai in 1814. When British deprived his father’s pension, Tatya Tope also became a sworn enemy of the British. He became the close associative of Nana Saheb. During the Siege of Cawnpore in 1857, under Nana Saheb’s attack, British were forced to leave their territory, Kanpur. However some of the British men were seized along with kids and ladies. Nana Sahib decided to use the captives for bargaining with the British. However they were defeated by the combined attack of East India Company and Colin Campbell in the Second Battle of Cawnpore. With this defeat, Tatya Tope joined hands with Rani Lakshi Bhai in freedom struggle.

But later, he lost in the battle of Gwalior too and had to flee to Rajputana along with Rao Sahib(nephew of Nana Sahib). He was unable to enter the town of Bundi and went west towards Nimach. A British flying column commanded by Colonel Holmes was in search of him that time. The rebel force was attacked by British commander in Rajputana, General Roberts. Then Tatya’s force led towards Udaypur.  Again they were defeated by Roberts's forces.

However Tatya was able to escape from them. He crossed the Chambal River and reached the town of Jhalrapatana in the state of Jhalwar. He then moved towards Indore, Sironj, Jhansi and Chota Udaypur, accompanied by Rao Sahib. By January 1859, with the major defeat Tope had to flee jungles of Paron. At that time he happened to meet Maan Singh and decided to stay with him. British were successful in negotiating with him to surrender Tatya to them in return for his life and protection of his family from maharaja of Gwalior. He was captured on 7 April 1859 and was executed at the gallows on 18 April 1859.

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Updated: September 28, 2017