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Peepul Tree Remembers the 1857 Battle at Sikandar Bagh
This story is told by a very old peepul tree in Sikandar Bagh.
Long ago, the garden was a peaceful place where people enjoyed music and shade.
During the 1857 revolt, fighting and frightening noises came to Lucknow.
One November morning, fighters secretly entered the garden and hid behind walls and pillars.
A person climbed into the tree and used guns to shoot at approaching troops.
After the battle, many people lay beneath the tree.
The troops looked up and discovered the shooter.
They found that the shooter was a woman, not a sepoy.
The story shows that women also took part in the fighting.
A peepul tree in Lucknow’s Sikandar Bagh tells the story of the 1857 revolt.
The peaceful garden became a place of hiding and preparation for a battle.
Fighters attacked men in red coats, leading to fierce fighting around the garden.
After the battle, the attackers discovered bodies shot in the head beneath the tree.
The shooter was revealed to be a woman wearing unusual trousers and carrying two old-fashioned guns.
- Who
- Fighters in Sikandar Bagh, opposing troops in red coats, Captain Dawson, Wallace, and a woman sharpshooter.
- What
- A battle took place at Sikandar Bagh during the 1857 revolt, with a woman firing at opposing troops from a tree.
- Where
- Sikandar Bagh in Lucknow.
- When
- One November morning during the events of the 1857 revolt, after months of heat and rain.
- Why
- The passage depicts fighters confronting opposing troops during the revolt; it does not state the specific cause of this battle.
Fighters in the Garden
Attacking Troops
Battle position
Fighters in the Garden
The fighters hid around Sikandar Bagh and one shooter climbed into the peepul tree.
Attacking Troops
The opposing troops entered through a hole in the garden wall after the first fighting.
Fighting
Fighters in the Garden
The fighters fired from hiding and fought with tulwars during the battle.
Attacking Troops
The troops in red coats advanced in large numbers and returned fire.
The woman sharpshooter
Fighters in the Garden
The woman was portrayed as a skilled shooter who had killed several attackers from above.
Attacking Troops
Captain Dawson identified her as a woman, while Wallace regretted shooting her after discovering who she was.
Key facts
- Location
- Sikandar Bagh, Lucknow
- Historical setting
- The 1857 revolt
- Narrator
- A peepul tree at the centre of Sikandar Bagh
- Battle preparations
- Fighters hid behind pillars, on the roof, and beside the garden wall.
- Weapons
- The fighters used firearms, while fierce fighting also involved tulwars.
- Sharpshooter
- A woman carrying two old-fashioned guns was discovered in the tree.
- Source
- Excerpted from People, Places, Things: The Story Of 1857 by Nandini Nayar
Quotes
Captain Dawson
An enemy captain who investigates the fallen soldiers at Sikandar Bagh.
“Oh, if I had known it was a woman, I would never have killed her!”
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“They have all been shot in the head. That means…”
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Sources
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