Courtesans and Common Folk - They fought the British in 1857

 Courtesans and Common Folk

They fought the British in 1857

In our history books the First War of Indian Independence 1857 throws up names such as Tantia Tope, Rani Lakshmibai, Hazrat Mahal, Bahadur Shah Zafar - all leaders and some rulers from before the event.

However, the movement would not have picked up steam without the wholehearted support and participation of the common folk. Ordinary people sustained the struggle and donated funds, kept the spirit alive with songs and public performances, offered safe places for meetings and shelter, ensured that information flowed from one place to the other, and fought - sometimes to the death.

Folks who joined the ranks of the fighting force 

It comes as no surprise from extant records that the participants in the struggle include professions such as rubber stamp maker, water carrier, palki lifter, halwai, basket maker, drummer, oil maker among several others. The movement for freedom used all resources available. Puppeteers who travelled from place to place to hold performances of their puppets based on Indian stories and mythology adapted their repertoire to spread the idea of defying the British and fighting for independence. They may also have carried messages, made easy by their wandering profession. Also in the fray were the hundreds of poets, intellectuals and teachers who wrote, fought and were martyred.

British records of the time as well as songs and stories of legends passed down from generations give us a bare idea of the women involved in the struggle. Unfortunately very often we get no more information than a few lines about the person. Some profiles that make us pause are - Motibai who was a canon-feeder in the army of Lakshmibai of Jhansi. She was martyred on 4 June 1858 on the battlefield. Mundarbai was security-in-charge of the Rani. She fought alongside her in several battles with the British and their allies. 

And then there was the Courtesan who lived on the edge of society in northern India. She was an independent, self-employed and educated woman who survived and thrived by her artistry and wits, beholden to no man. She was a highly trained expert in dance, music and poetry.  Her ambience was the royal courts or her own salon, and did not fall within the constraints of the life of a married woman. She lived on the margins of society and was not bound by any of its rules. Her property and her time were her own, to use as she wished. 

Courtesans, 1800s

(Source: Wikimedia.org)

The courtesan - financially independent, in the know of things 

Records show that successful courtesans were among the highest tax payers of Kanpur and Lucknow. Their salons employed a variety of professionals -  dancing girls who had to be hired and trained, accompanying musicians, doormen, watchmen, errand boys, tailors, palanquin-carriers, specialty cooks. Several courtesans owned retail establishments and orchards, were gifted land and property from which they earned rent. Thus they were significant contributors to the local economy.

  

When the British took over Lucknow from Wajid Ali Shah, they did not take into account the culture of the place. In their highhanded manner they imposed British law, a law which did not appreciate the subtle difference between courtesans and prostitutes. The women were equated by law for regular and periodic testing for disease to protect British soldiers. This was a loss of face that many courtesans could not accept. 

Apart from this change of governance that turned their lives upside down and caused a lot of anger and disturbance, the courtesans were women who were very aware of current happenings, knew important men in town from whom they got information. They were fully aware of the struggle for independence gaining momentum by the day, and so had to take difficult decisions about the uncertain future. 

No Half-measures

Many courtesans made the choice and donated funds to the cause of the struggle of 1857. They did not stop there. Many allowed the use of their homes as safe houses for meetings and to hide people on the run as the British searched for the rebels as the movement spread. 

Aziz un Nisa went one step further. She decided to join the fight. 

The motivations for taking part were naturally different for each group. The leaders were fighting against the arrogant way in which the British were displacing the rulers. The landed gentry was fighting to protect their properties. And the women who fought were most likely not even expected to be in the group. 

Yet something propelled Aziz un Nisa and several other women to bear arms and be present. We have no record of what sentiment drove her resolve. Whatever the reason, as a woman of the world with the varied experiences that a courtesan was privy to, Aziz un Nisa’s decision would have been a calculated, measured one.

She wore men's clothes, rode among the men fearlessly with her pistols ready. She helped organise food and medical aid when necessary.

The Aftermath

After the turmoil, the British were aware of the support courtesans had extended to the revolutionaries in several ways, and penalised the women heavily. Many lost previously gifted lands which were confiscated by the British just to reduce their elite status and influence in society. The British raided the salons, carted away precious objects and physically destroyed the place. The courtesans had already lost royal patronage by this time, so this was a double punishment. 

The events of 1857 saw a sea-change in the governance of British-held territory in India. It passed from the East India Company to the British crown. Victorian morality ensured the abolition of the courtesan and her milieu. 

Ref:

Indian First War of Independence 1857: Hindu, Muslim, Sikh Unity, Mass and Women Participation, Shamsul Islam

Visibilising the Other in History - Courtesans and the Revolt, Lata Singh

#BlogchatterA2Z     https://www.theblogchatter.com/

A word about BlogchatterA2Z - This is an annual event during which I have taken up the challenge of blogging on Women in Indian History starting with A and ending in Z during the month of April, 2021. Here then is C - Courtesans and Common Folk who fought the British in 1857. Drop in everyday to read my posts on other interesting women as I work my way down the alphabet to Z!