Making peace with ancient confrontation

A few weeks ago we all read of the reception given to British families which had got together at Lucknow to commemorate those who died in 1857.

A few weeks ago we all read of the reception given to British families which had got together at Lucknow to commemorate those who died in 1857. The reception struck a sour note. They remained huddled in a Lucknow hotel, vulnerable as they were to physical and verbal abuse, and then escaped to Kolkata. Once again we have ended up confusing jingoism with patriotism.

One of these visiting families was that of Henry Havelock. He is known not for his flamboyance, or synonymity with 1857, but for exactly the opposite reasons. His country, Britain, did not bestow recognition on him easily. He was in fact discovered after long years of neglect and just before he died of dysentery. In September 1857, he was promoted and did get to sign an order as major-general on November 16. But the first time he heard of his knighthood was on November 17. On November 24, 1857, he was dead.

Havelock8217;s was a family of army officers. In 1823 he sailed for India as a subaltern and his first active engagement came in Burma in 1824. To add to his income, Havelock published a history of the Burmese war, something so turgid that its preface alone was enough to discourage a casual reader, if only on account of long passages from Thucydides. Critical of Britain8217;s role, the book made Havelock about the most unpopular subaltern in India.

Havelock was active in the Persian campaign when the 1857 uprising broke out. He arrived in Allahabad on June 26, 1857, to take over command from Colonel James Neill of the force assembled for the relief of Kanpur and Lucknow. Havelock unfortunately superceded Neill. This supercession was the cause of many subsequent rifts between them. Ironically, Havelock, just on the eve of final assault on Lucknow, would hand over command to General Outram; in some ways, himself having been superceded.

Havelock8217;s march from Allahabad to Kanpur and then on to Lucknow is well documented. Under circumstances most unfavourable, he retook Fatehabad and Kanpur. The famous Nana Saheb was made to flee Kanpur and then Bithur, to escape capture.

The date was September 25, 1857. Havelock8217;s troops were just 1100 yards from the Residency at Lucknow. Outram and Havelock would meet to plan the final assault. An open dispute then surfaced between the two. Havelock was determined to make the assault at once. He knew of the casualties he may suffer, but he was also aware of his command and for the first time exercised it in defiance of Outram. He and Outram led the column into the street and then into the Residency, wresting Lucknow for the British the same day.

Awadh had provided strong resistance to the British. Henry Havelock8217;s role was most crucial in breaking it. It was destined that he died in Lucknow of dysentery. Recognition to him came grudgingly and that too at the near end of his life. If his family wanted to commemorate that death, nothing would have been lost if they had been allowed to do so with dignity.

The writer is a Delhi-based IAS officer