The 1857 Uprising at Jalgaon

In the Jalgaon district of present-day Maharashtra, home to the Bhil community, suspicious and unfair revenue collection mechanisms of the British became the reason for growing resentment in the community, which ultimately resulted in the 1857 Uprising in the region. Kajarsingh, the Naik (Leader)of the Bhil community in Jalgaon, enjoyed a cordial relationship with the British administration during the early 1850s. However, when he was charged for murdering a fellow Bhil community member, he was arrested and jailed. During the 1857 Revolt, the Bhil community nominated Kajarsingh as their leader. Together, they plundered government buildings, villages, the treasury and seized important roadways. The group was joined by the army of Bhima Naik, the representative of the Emperor of Delhi in the region. The army of 1500 people had seized over seven lakh rupees and had several armed confrontations with the British, where they lost over 60 men. On 11 April 1858, at Ambapani, over four hundred women, who had participated in the uprising, were arrested by the British, while about 57 people were sentenced to death. As confrontations grew, the revolters had to retreat further as the Colonial Government relentlessly recaptured lands due to their military might. By the end of 1858, the region had fallen into the power of the British, who re-established their governance and suppressed the political unrest in the district.