Cawnpore is a town in India, on the right bank of the Ganges. In 1857 the native regiments stationed here mutinied and marched off, placing themselves under the command of the Rajah of Bithoor, the notorious Nana Sahib. General Wheeler, the commander of the European forces, defended his position for some days with great gallantry, but, pressed by famine and loss of men, was at length induced to surrender to the rebels on condition of his party being allowed to quit the place uninjured. This was agreed to but after the European troops, with the women and children, had been embarked in boats on the Ganges, they were treacherously fired on by the rebels; many were killed, and the remainder conveyed back to the city, where the men were massacred and the women and children placed in confinement. The approach of General Havelock to Cawnpore roused the brutal instincts of the Nana, and he ordered his hapless prisoners to be slaughtered, and their bodies to be thrown into a well. The following day he was obliged, by the victorious progress of Havelock, to retreat to Bithoor. Research Cawnpore Mutiny
Sir Henry Havelock was a British soldier. He was born in 1795 at Bishop-Wearmouth, near Sunderland and died in 1857 of dysentry. Having entered the army, he served with distinction in the Burmese war of 1824 to 1826. In 1829 he married a daughter of Marshman, the celebrated missionary, became a Baptist, and was noted during the remainder of his life by his earnest religious zeal. He attained his captaincy in 1838, participated in the Afghan war, was present at the storming of Ghazni and the capture of Kabul, and in Sale's march to Jelalabad, and assisted in the defence of that city, and in the defeat of Mohammed Akbar in 1843.
He was made a Companion of the Bath, and brevet-major, took part in the Mahratta war, and distinguished himself in the Sikh war of 1845, being present at Mudki, Ferozeshah, and Sobraon. In 1851 he was promoted to the adjutant-generalship of the queen's forces in India, and he commanded a division in the Persian war of 1856 to 1857. On the outbreak of the Indian mutiny he was despatched to Allahabad in order to support Sir H. Lawrence at Lucknow and Sir H. Wheeler at Cawnpore. On his march to Cawnpore he defeated the rebels at Fattihpur, Aong, Pandunadi, and Maharajpur. On arriving at Cawnpore he found that Nana Sahib had massacred the prisoners. Pursuing his march to Lucknow, he defeated the rebels at Bithoor, and finally, with the aid of Outram, won the battle of Alumbagh. Having captured Lucknow, Henry Havelock and Outram were shut up there until relieved by Sir Colin Campbell on the 17th of November 1857. He died of dysentery at Dilkusha on the 24th. He was raised to the rank of major-general, made a K.C.B., and (before his death was known) created a baronet. Research Henry Havelock
Jam Sahib Ranjitsinhji was an English cricketer. He was born in 1872 and died in 1933. He played for Cambridge University, Sussex - whom he captained from 1899 to 1903 and England, and is known as one of the greatest stylists and a keen bowler. As a batsman he broke numerous records during the 1890s and in 1899 was the first to score 3000 runs in a single season. Research J S Ranjitsinhji
Nanak was an Indian guru who formed the religion of Sikhism. He was born in 1469 and died in 1539. He was born into a Hindu family at Talwandi in the Punjab (now known as Nankana Sahib, in present- day Pakistan) . Legends about his life are contained in the four janam sakhis ('evidences of his life'). As a child, Nanak learned about Islam as well as Hinduism, and he used to compose hymns together with a Muslim musician. He was a house- holder for the first part of his life, but at the age of 30 he went travelling in search of spiritual inspiration. He underwent a religious experience in which he had a vision of God. Nanak then proclaimed that he was neither a Hindu nor a Muslim; he gave away all his possessions and became a wandering preacher, hoping to bring Muslims and Hindus together by expounding his message of the oneness of God and the equality of men. He preached a new path to the orthodox Hindu goal of release from the cycle of rebirth and attainment of union with God and practised a form of inward and disciplined meditation on the name of God. He returned to the Punjab after years of travelling and set up a community of disciples, who became known as Sikhs (from Sanskrit, shishya, 'pupil'). His teachings in the form of short devotional hymns are contained in the Adi Granth. Many details of his life and travels remain uncertain, although hagiographical collections of anecdotes, called Fanam-sakhis, are in circulation among Sikhs, who revere him as the first of their ten gurus (religious teachers). Research Nanak
Robert Clive, LordClive and Baron of Plassey, was the principal founder of the British Empire in India. He is also known as Clive of India. He was born in 1725 at Market Drayton and died in 1774. As a child he formed a protection racket and demanded money from the local shop keepers.
When he was nineteen years old he entered the East India Company's service at Madras as a writer, but in 1747 quit the civil for the military service. It was a perilous time for British interests in India. The French under Dupleix had gained important privileges and large grants of territory, and in alliance with Chunda Sahib, nabob of Arcot,were threatening the very existence of the British establishments.
In 1751 Robert Clive, who had already a reputation for skill and courage, marched on the large city of Arcot with 200 British troops and 300 Sepoys, and took it, although strongly garrisoned, without a blow, withstood a siege by Ghunda Sahib for nearly two months, and at last routed the enemy, took possession of important posts, and returned to Madras completely victorious.
In 1753 he sailed to England to recover his health, and was received with much honour. Two years later he was back in India, in his governorship of St David's, from which he was soon summoned to command the expedition sent to Bengal, where the nabobSuraj-ud-Dowlah had attacked the British, destroyed their factories, taken Calcutta, and suffocated over 120 of his prisoners in the Black Hole. Robert Clive soon took possession of Calcutta and brought Suraj-ud-Dowlah to terms, but having no trust in the loyal intentions of the nabob he resolved to dethrone him. With the help of Meer Jaffier, one of the nabob's officers, he effected his purpose, and in the Battle of Plassey completely overthrew Suraj-ud-Dowlah's forces. Meer Jaffier now became the new nabob, and Robert Clive was made governor of Calcutta. Here he was equally successful against the encroachments of the Dutch, defeating their forces both by sea and land.
Robert Clive now visited England again, where his success was highly applauded without much inquiry as to the means; and in 1761 he was raised to the Irish peerage with the title of LordClive, Baron of Plassey. In 1764 fresh troubles in India brought him back, but now as president of Bengal, with command of the troops there. Before his arrival, however, Major Adams had already defeated the Nabob of Oude, and Robert Clive had only the arranging of the treaty by which the Company obtained the disposal of all the revenues of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa.
In 1767 he finally returned to England. In 1773 a motion supported by the minister was made in the House of Commons, that 'LordClive had abused the powers with which he was intrusted;' but it was rejected for a resolution that 'LordClive had rendered great and meritorious services to his country.' His health was by this time broken, and in one of his habitual fits of melancholy he committed suicide on November the 22nd, 1774.
Robert Clive was of a reserved temper, although among his intimate friends he could be lively and pleasant. He was always self-directed and secret in his decisions, but inspired those under his command with the utmost confidence, owing to his bravery and presence of mind. In private life he was kind and exceedingly liberal. He married the sister of the astronomer - royal Dr. Maskelyne. Research Robert Clive
Tippoo Sahib was a sultan of Mysore. He was born in 1749 and died in 1799. The son of Haider Ali, whom he succeeded in 1782, he fought during the first Mysore War, concluding the treaty of Mangalore, in 1784. Two years later he declared war on the Marathas, and in 1789 attacked Travancore, a state allied with the British. This occasioned the second Mysore War, which ended in Tippoo's defeat in 1791. Founding a secret confederacy of all discontented native rulers, and strengthened by the promise of French help, Tippoo planned vast schemes for the expulsion of the British and his own exaltation. However, the plot was discovered and Wellesley made a rapid advance on Seringapatam, during the capture of which Tippoo was killed. Research Tippoo Sahib
HMS Sahib was a British Sealion Class submarine of 715 tons displacement launched during the early 1940's and sunk during the Second World War. HMS Sahib was armed with one 3-inch gun; one 20 mm anti-aircraft gun; three machine-guns; six 21-inch torpedo tubes in the bow and one external 21 inch torpedo tube. She had a top speed of 14.5 knots surfaced and 10 knots submerged, could crash dive in 30 seconds and carried a complement of 44. Research Sahib
Abbreviations
Research Cawnpore Mutiny
