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The Chaphekar brothers, Damodar, Vasudeo and Balkrishna along with Mahadeo Vinayak Ranade and Khando Vishnu Sathe, were residents of [[Chinchwad]]<ref>{{cite news |
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| isbn = }}</ref> near the former [[Peshwa]] capital [[Pune]], in the state of [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. On 22 June 1897, the Diamond Jubilee of the coronation of [[Queen Victoria]], they assassinated two British Officers, Rand |
| isbn = }}</ref> near the former [[Peshwa]] capital [[Pune]], in the state of [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. On 22 June 1897, the Diamond Jubilee of the coronation of [[Queen Victoria]], they assassinated two British Officers, Rand |
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and Ayerst. |
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The Chapekars are Chitpavan Brahmins coming from Konkan.<ref>{{cite web |
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| title = The Revolutionaries |
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| url =http://www.vandemataram.com/biographies/patriots/chapekar.htm |
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| accessdate =2009, 23-06 }}</ref>. The family came over to the Desh country and settled at Chinchawad. They did not receive much formal education and they helped their father, a professional Kirtankar, with his work. Their profession insisted on the performance of the daily Brahmanical rites, and in the general atmosphere of orthodoxy of Poona the brothers developed a strong conservative attitude, intolerant of the social reform movement. |
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They organized an association for physical and military training which they called “the society for the removal of obstacles to the Hindu Religion”. Their activities took the form of attacking leading social reformers in the dark, putting tar on the Queen’s statue near the Esplanade in Bombay and burning the examination pandal. |
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In 1896, a plague assumed an epidemic form in Bombay presidency and the British mercantile community panicked lest it might reach the shores of the British isles and affect their commerce. The British Government of India was asked to pursue strong measures to stamp out the epidemic. A law was passed and special officers were appointed in plague-affected areas to fight the disease. Rand was posted to the city of Pune (then Poona) in February 1897 and lost no time in establishing a plague hospital and segregation or quarantine camps and starting a campaign to disinfect the affected localities. |
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British soldiers were used to implement the programme strictly. This caused no little harassment to the public when their houses were searched, their family worship-places desecrated, their household goods scattered or destroyed and their womenfolk very roughly handled. The plague officer Rand showed little deference for public opinion and his high-handed conduct came in for strong criticism from the local press. The Kesar and other papers asked the people not to suffer quietly the oppression of Rand’s rule. The Chapekars could not remain immune to the propagandas. In revenge they determined to kill Rand, the chief source of all the harassment. |
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They procured weapons and watched Rand’s movements for a few days. On 22 June 1897 there were celebrations at the Government House in Ganesh Khind on account of the Queen’s diamond jubilee. Fireworks were let off from the nearby hills which attracted large crowds from the city in which the Chapekars easily mingled. As Rand’s carriage came out of the Government House at midnight, Damodar jumped on the back seat and fired his gun at Rand at point-blank range. |
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The officer collapsed immediately, as also Lt. Ayerst who was in the carriage in front and who was fired upon by his brother Balkrishna. |
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In October 1897, the police, working on information received from one Dravid, arrested Damodar in Bombay. By threat and cajoling they obtained his confession bringing out his part in the murder and put him on trial in February 1898. The sentence of death was confirmed by the High Court and Damodar died on the gallows on 18 April 1898, |
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Balkrishna, who had escaped in Nizam’s territory, was traced. He made a voluntary confession, was found guilty and was hanged on 12 May 1899. |
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In the meanwhile the third brother Wasudeo came to know of the treachery of Ganesh Shankar Dravid and gunned him in the evening of 9 February 1899. After a short trial he was sentenced to death and was hanged on 8 May. All the three brothers felt they were dying for a lofty cause and showed no signs of fear or remorse when mounting the gallows. They were all married but left no issues. |
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Sathe though a school student and a juvenile when the assassination took place, was sentenced to 10 years RI.<ref>{{Citation |
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== References == |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
Revision as of 20:24, 24 June 2009
The Chaphekar brothers, Damodar, Vasudeo and Balkrishna along with Mahadeo Vinayak Ranade and Khando Vishnu Sathe, were residents of Chinchwad[1], then a village[2] near the former Peshwa capital Pune, in the state of Maharashtra, India. On 22 June 1897, the Diamond Jubilee of the coronation of Queen Victoria, they assassinated two British Officers, Rand and Ayerst.
The Chapekars are Chitpavan Brahmins coming from Konkan.[3]. The family came over to the Desh country and settled at Chinchawad. They did not receive much formal education and they helped their father, a professional Kirtankar, with his work. Their profession insisted on the performance of the daily Brahmanical rites, and in the general atmosphere of orthodoxy of Poona the brothers developed a strong conservative attitude, intolerant of the social reform movement.
They organized an association for physical and military training which they called “the society for the removal of obstacles to the Hindu Religion”. Their activities took the form of attacking leading social reformers in the dark, putting tar on the Queen’s statue near the Esplanade in Bombay and burning the examination pandal.
In 1896, a plague assumed an epidemic form in Bombay presidency and the British mercantile community panicked lest it might reach the shores of the British isles and affect their commerce. The British Government of India was asked to pursue strong measures to stamp out the epidemic. A law was passed and special officers were appointed in plague-affected areas to fight the disease. Rand was posted to the city of Pune (then Poona) in February 1897 and lost no time in establishing a plague hospital and segregation or quarantine camps and starting a campaign to disinfect the affected localities.
British soldiers were used to implement the programme strictly. This caused no little harassment to the public when their houses were searched, their family worship-places desecrated, their household goods scattered or destroyed and their womenfolk very roughly handled. The plague officer Rand showed little deference for public opinion and his high-handed conduct came in for strong criticism from the local press. The Kesar and other papers asked the people not to suffer quietly the oppression of Rand’s rule. The Chapekars could not remain immune to the propagandas. In revenge they determined to kill Rand, the chief source of all the harassment.
They procured weapons and watched Rand’s movements for a few days. On 22 June 1897 there were celebrations at the Government House in Ganesh Khind on account of the Queen’s diamond jubilee. Fireworks were let off from the nearby hills which attracted large crowds from the city in which the Chapekars easily mingled. As Rand’s carriage came out of the Government House at midnight, Damodar jumped on the back seat and fired his gun at Rand at point-blank range. The officer collapsed immediately, as also Lt. Ayerst who was in the carriage in front and who was fired upon by his brother Balkrishna.
In October 1897, the police, working on information received from one Dravid, arrested Damodar in Bombay. By threat and cajoling they obtained his confession bringing out his part in the murder and put him on trial in February 1898. The sentence of death was confirmed by the High Court and Damodar died on the gallows on 18 April 1898,
Balkrishna, who had escaped in Nizam’s territory, was traced. He made a voluntary confession, was found guilty and was hanged on 12 May 1899.
In the meanwhile the third brother Wasudeo came to know of the treachery of Ganesh Shankar Dravid and gunned him in the evening of 9 February 1899. After a short trial he was sentenced to death and was hanged on 8 May. All the three brothers felt they were dying for a lofty cause and showed no signs of fear or remorse when mounting the gallows. They were all married but left no issues. Sathe though a school student and a juvenile when the assassination took place, was sentenced to 10 years RI.[4][5]
The award winning Marathi film 22 June 1897 covers the events prior to the assassination, the act and its aftermath.[6][7]
References
- ^ Express News Service (2005, 07-04). "Face lift for Chapekar Wada". Pune Newsline; cities.expressindia.com. Retrieved 2009, 23-06.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - ^ Chapekar, Damodar Hari. Autobiograhph of Damodar Hari Chapekar (PDF). From Bombay Police Abstracts of 1910, Pages 50 to Pages 107.
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(help) - ^ Vandemataram.com. "The Revolutionaries". Vandemataram.com. Retrieved 2009, 23-06.
{{cite web}}
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(help); Text "date" ignored (help) - ^ Maharashtra Government Publication, Historic Perspective: Resistance to British rule, retrieved 2009,22-06
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- ^ Chapekar Bandhu, retrieved 2009,22-06
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(help) - ^ *22 June 1897 at IMDb
- ^ Kailashnath, Dr. Koppikar; Chheda, Subhash, 22 June 1897, Celebrating 25 years., retrieved 2009,22-06
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