There are no absolute criteria for declaring a person a hero or a villain in history because someone’s conduct may be a heroic action to one country but can also be a huge disgrace to another country at the same time. Some people therefore take an agnostic stance in order to avoid such conflicts. However, unlike individual historians, a nation inevitably has to take a stance when evaluating a historic figure in order to keep its identity. Here is a list of the Heroes and Villains who played a pivotal role in India’s Independence war.
Rani Lakshmi Bai: was the queen of Jhansi, who also participated in the rebellion of 1857 as a leader of the revolting army. She was one of the leading figures of the rebellion. Rani Lakshmi Bai is a national hero and her stories of valor and incorrigible resistance against the British, still continue to fill everyone’s heart with immense pride and gratitude. It is the result of the unprecedented bravery of Rani Lakshmi Bai, that today her image comes first in our mind, whenever we talk about the brave queens of India.
Maveeran Alagumuthu: Alagumuthu Kone was one of the very first freedom fighters who put up staunch opposition to British colonization in the eighteenth century.
Born in 1710 to an ordinary family, he rose to the position of General for the Ettayapuram Palayam near Thirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. He was honored by the Polygar king with the title “Servaikaran” or commander of the army, after proving his skills in horse riding, swordsmanship, and combat wrestling.
When the Polygar army was defeated in battle against the British in 1759, Alagumuthu and his army of about 250 soldiers were captured.
A very barbaric thing happened next. The right hand of the captured soldiers were cut off by the British, while Alagumuthu was tied to a cannon and his body was blown to bits.
In his memory, the government of Tamil Nadu conducts a memorial ceremony every year on 11 July in Kattalankulam, a little hamlet on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu.
Tirupur Kumaran: Tirupur is a town near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and it was Kumaran’s home town. In 1932, Kumaran organised a protest march against the British. He was carrying the Indian National Flag, which was banned by the British. This enraged British officials who then began assaulting the protesters, including Kumaran, insisting he put the flag down. Kumaran held on to the Indian Flag even after being repeatedly beaten, He was mortally wounded and even when he fell into a faint before dying, he clung on to the Indian flag ensuring it did not fall to the ground. This incident gained him the title
Kodi Kaatha Kumaran — Kumaran, the saviour of the national flag.
Matangini Hazra: An Indian revolutionary, who became actively interested in the Indian independence movement as a Gandhian. In 1932, she took part of the Civil Disobedience movement and was arrested for breaking the Salt Act. Hazra was also part of the Quit India Movement and Non-Cooperation Movement. During a procession, she was shot by the police but she kept chanting ‘Vande Mataram’ even after being repeatedly shot.
Khudiram Bose: He was one of the youngest revolutionaries who opposed British rule of India. Bose’s tale of valour and contribution in India’s freedom struggle is significant as he was just 18 years old when he was sentenced to death.
Villains:
Jivaji Rao Scindia: Jivaji Rao Scindia after the revolution of 1857, did not raise his army with the British and also got Tatya Tope and Laxmibai killed in the hands of the British due to this traitor and loyalty to the British rule.
The king was also given the title of Knights Grand Commander by the British.
Mir Jafar: Mir Jafar betrayed the country and joined with the British and defeated the Nawab of Bengal Siraj-Ud-Dala in the Battle of Plassey and took power as Bengal and Mir Jafar accepted the slavery of the British by becoming blind in the greed of power. And greatly helped the British in keeping the country as a slave.
Rai Bahadur Jeevan Lal: Raja Rai Bahadur Lal of the princely state of India also played the role of a traitor and kept his doors open for the British. It is said that the father of this king was King Raghunath Bahadur who was the Chief Minister of Aurangzeb. To befriend the British, he became a slave to the British rule and betrayed the country.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah: Jinnah was a cunning person who weakened the potential of united India for cultural, political, and personal reasons. His greed for power was responsible for riots and violence in India and Pakistan. His ideology, Muslim’s interests cannot not be served in a Hindu dominated nation is flawed. Jinnah never stood for anything Indian or Muslim. Unlike other British educated Indian leaders, he derided his countrymen and co-religionists. And he alone is responsible for leaving Indian Muslims worse off than before Partition.