Home > Indian History > History of India > Titu Mir
Titu Mir
Titumir, was a recognized rebel against the zamindars and British colonial system in 19th century Bengal.

Share this Article:

Titumir, British IndiaTitumir or Titu Mir was a rebel against the zamindars of the British colonial system in 19th century Bengal that was an integral part of British India. He rebelled against the rich landlords and colonial British rulers and effectively put up a remarkable resistance. Titumir built a Bamboo fort (Bansher-Kella in Bangla) along with his followers

Titumir was born as Sayyid Mir Nisar Ali in 27 January 1782 in a small village named Chandpur, in the Basirhat Thana area of the North 24 Parganas district. Titumir`s father was Mir Hassan Ali and his mother was Abeeda Rukaya Khatun. Titumir`s education started in his village school, after which he was admitted to a local Madrassa that is a traditional Muslim school. When, he was 18 years of age, Titumir had become a Hafiz of the Qur`an, which means that he memorized the Qur`an by heart and thus became a scholar of the Hadith or Muslim traditions. Titumir was also well learnt in Bengali, Arabic, and Persian. During this time he came under the authority of several Wahabi prophets, who preached a blend of militant Islam and anti-colonial thought and thus introduced both religious and political reform that was extremely necessary in Bengal of that time.

In 1822, Titumir went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, the Haj and joined all Muslims. There, he came in close contact with the great Islamic reformer and revolutionary leader Sayyid Ahmad of Bareilly who inspired him to free his fellow countrymen from un-Islamic practices and foreign authority. On his return from Makka in 1827 Titumir started preaching among the Muslims in the districts of 24 Parganas and Nadia. He advised them to abstain from practicing shirk and bidaat and inspired them, especially the weavers class and peasants, to follow the Islamic way of life.

In the process, Titumir came into conflict with the Hindu zamindar Krishnadeva Rai of Purha for his sectarian approach towards the Muslims and commanding illegal taxes on them. Titumir happened to be in conflict with other landlords like Rajnarayan of Taragonia, Kaliprasanna Mukhopadhyay of Gobardanga, Gauri Prasad Chowdhury of Nagpur and Devanath Rai of Gobra-govindpur for their cruelty on the peasantry. Titumir wore the `tahband` a tube shaped garment worn around the waist and not the traditional the dhoti and his followers put on the same garment likewise.

Grand trunk road at ambala Titumir opposed a number of discriminatory measures vigorously of that time which included taxes on the shaving of beards and on mosques. The rift between Titumir and his followers on one side, and the local Zamindars were however supported by the British rulers on the other side, continued to get wider and armed conflict broke out at many places. Titumir himself served a Zamindar as a `lathial or `lethel` a fighter with the quarterstaff. This quarter in Bengal was made of bamboo, not wood and he was actively training his followers in hand-to-hand fight and the use of the bamboo staff. This weapon of bamboo in skilled hands can be proved to be deadly against anything except projectile weapons.

The followers of Titumir, believed to have grown to 5,000 by that time and they were ready for a prolonged armed conflict. They built their fort of bamboo at Narikelbaria, near the town of Barasat and that was surrounded by a high double curtain wall of bamboo stakes filled in with mud shell and sun-baked. Titu Mir stated independence from the British, and regions including the present districts of 24 Parganas, Nadia and Faridpur came under his control. The private armies of the Zamindars and the forces of the British confronted a series of defeats at the hands of his men as a result of his strike-and-retreat guerrilla process.

Finally, the British forces, which came armed with cannon and muskets concentrated on vigorous attacks on 14 November 1831. The attacks were especially on Titumir and his followers. With their simple swords and spears made of bamboo, they could not withstand the might of modern weapons used by the opposition forces. The bamboo castle was destroyed, and Titumir was killed along with several of his followers. The commanding officer of the British forces noticed his opponent`s bravery in dispatches, and also commented on the strength and hardiness of bamboo as a material for fortification, since he had had to destroy it with artillery after struggling for a long time before it gave way.

The saga of the brave Titumir and the bamboo castle continue to be a source of inspiration in West Bengal. The story is also believed to have enthused the freedom fighters of Bangladesh in the liberation war of 1971. Mahasweta Devi wrote a novella titled Titumir, and Titumir-er Basher Kella that has been a popular play on TV in Bangladesh as well. It has also featured as a theme for Puja pandals, often done up as historical tableaux.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.