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The 45th Regiment, Native Infantry, Burning a Santhal Village and Recovering Plunder, 1856. Creator: Unknown
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The 45th Regiment, Native Infantry, Burning a Santhal Village and Recovering Plunder, 1856. Creator: Unknown
The 45th Regiment, Native Infantry, Burning a Santhal Village and Recovering Plunder, 1856. British Army responds to an uprising by the Santhal people in present-day Jharkhand and West Bengal:..a band of armed Santhals had decapitated a police-officer in the hills...and were plundering the neighbouring villages. The intelligence...was disbelieved, from the simple fact that the Santhals had up to that moment borne the character of being the most truthful, faithful, gentle, and harmless race in India. Rapid and repeated messages, however, pouring in one after the other, soon confirmed the truth of the first report; and it was too soon discovered that this race of men, naturally the most cowardly and harmless of the human race, were all of a sudden turned into the cruelest, boldest, and most bloodthirsty wretches that ever disgraced the face of the earth'. From "Illustrated London News", 1856
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This haunting image captures a pivotal moment during the Santhal Rebellion of 1856 in present-day Jharkhand and West Bengal, India. The 45th Regiment of the British Army is depicted here, leading a brutal retaliation against the Santhal people, who had reportedly decapitated a police officer and were plundering nearby villages. The scene unfolds as soldiers from the Native Infantry regiment, a unit composed primarily of local recruits, burn down a Santhal village. The smoke billows from the thatched huts, engulfing the village in flames. In the foreground, a group of soldiers, some of them carrying rifles, recover plunder from the ruins. The Santhals, who had long been regarded as a truthful, faithful, gentle, and harmless race in India, had shocked the British with their sudden and brutal uprising. The intelligence of the uprising was initially met with disbelief, but as reports poured in, the gravity of the situation became clear. The Santhals, once known for their peaceful nature, had transformed into the cruelest, boldest, and most bloodthirsty wretches, according to contemporary accounts published in the Illustrated London News in 1856. The consequences of this rebellion were devastating. Thousands of Santhals were killed, and many more were forced into exile or indentured labor. The event marked a turning point in the relationship between the British and the indigenous peoples of India, leading to increased militarization and control over the region.
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