Of the many characters who have fallen through the cracks of history and have escaped academic attention, one of the most fascinating is Fateh Bahadur Sahi, an obscure king of Huseypur (presently Husepur, in Gopalganj, Bihar), who fought against the British East India Company in the late 18th century. In his new book, The Raja, the Rebel, and the Monk (Penguin), professor of history JN Sinha has tried to unravel Sahi’s unusual life and rule, which even present-day inhabitants of Gopalganj are little aware of.
Sahi ascended the throne of Huseypur around 1750, seven years before the Battle of Plassey. As with many other kingdoms, the British used deceit and treachery—in this case, they conspired with his cousin, Babu Basant Sahi—to usurp his throne. An indomitable spirit, Sahi fought a guerrilla war for three decades from the dense jungles of Gorakhpur, where he escaped after being dethroned. The book also focuses on his sudden disappearance after becoming a monk.
The book is interesting because of the search and research the author put together to fill in the gaps about this historical character. What was Sina’s starting point? Says the author: “In the works of historian Anand Yang, I found the name of Fateh Bahadur Sahi. Although he did not acknowledge Sahi as a freedom fighter and considered him a revenue defaulter, he wrote about Sahi’s neighbour and his cousin. He also attributed some sources whom I contacted for my work. In addition, I took inspiration from existing folklore. I spoke to people at present living in that region, those who were familiar with his history. As much as it was possible to verify the facts and myths surrounding him, I did that with the help of archival sources. And that is how the book was born.”
Revolutionary or defaulter?
Sinha also had to deal with the questions surrounding Sahi’s legacy. Was he a revolutionary who fought against the British, or a mere defaulter who took up arms to avoid British taxes? Some also say he was a dacoit.
“History books have not been kind to him because many consider him nothing but a dacoit who raided the camps of the British East India Company and killed their workers (some of them Indians). Even most of those who live in Huseypur consider him a dacoit. But one has to remember that his killing spree stemmed from his will to be independent, which is why he went to war with the Company's forces,” says Sinha.
The guerrilla years
Sahi was unfortunately no match for the East India Company’s forces. However, in the dense forests of Gorakhpur, he began to build an army. For the next three decades, the Company and Sahi’s army were engaged in a bloody battle in which many lost lives.
According to Sinha, Sahi is a unique figure. “He engaged in guerrilla warfare long before it became a reality in this part of the world,” says the author. It is also unknown how and where he learnt the tactics of such warfare. Many say that he learnt it from the Maharanas of Mewar, many also attribute it to the Naga sadhus. I believe he was self-taught; his circumstances taught him. He also built an army of common people,mostly of monks and people living on the margins, and trained them to fight against the Britis. He put up a good fight against the British and posed a major challenge.”