First freedom fighter of India - Gamadhar Konwar
In this article I tried to prove that Gamadhar Konwar was the first freedom fighter of India through the manuscript which was recovered. His revolutionary activities and the strategy is another important provision of this article. Some information of the manuscript and the tourist places in the name of Gamadhar has also been introduced by the article.
First freedom struggle in India :
Indians were suffering very much due to the maladministration of British East India Company. The activities of the company compelled Indian to stand against them.
The anger had been seen in the form of "Sepoy Mutiny". According to Indian history "The Sepoy Mutiny" is the starting point of Indian freedom struggle which took place on 1857, 29th March, at Barrackpore, when Mangal Pandey shot a lieutenant. So the Indian History honoured him as the first freedom fighter of Indian freedom struggle. But before this riot some incidents took place in Assam. First Freedom struggle at Assam :
It was just after the Yandabu pack (1826) Some Assamese people rebelled against British under the leadership of Gamadhar Konwar. The Indian history could not touch these incidents but certain evidences are coming into light now-a-days. Evidences of the first freedom fight started in Assam :
Sivsager is a historical district of Assam where all monuments of Ahom kingdom were found. Deodhai Village of Amguri is a small place of this district where a manuscript of sanchi paat is recovered on 2002 which is the most acceptable evidence of this first freedom fight. Manuscripts were written in Tai language which was spoken by the Ahom people. Mr. Mridul Phukon, the scholar of Tai language, translated this into Assamese. Indeed this was an autobiography of Gamadhar Konwar. The manuscript revealed the revolutionary activities of Gamadhar Konwar along with its actual time stamp. According to this evidence Gamadhar came from Lakua (where he was born) to Toratoli (now in Nakachari of Jorhat, Assam) where he secretly prepares himself to revolt against British. He took help from the king of nearby territory. At Toratoli he prepare a secure place to stay which is now called Rajabari (presently at Nakachari of Jorhat, Assam). He declared himself as the king of Assam and set out to burn the arsenal of British which was at Rangpur of Sivsager district on 1827. He got success in their ambush. It was thirty years before the "Sepoy Mutiny". Unfortunately he was arrested by the British and sent him to Andaman. But neither the Indian history nor the Assam history has given him a lofty position to him.About Rajabari :
This is the place where Gamadhar was first set up and made the strategy of revolution. It is presently at Nakachari (Jorhat district, Assam). The state government of Assam is making a tourist place in that place in the name of Gamadhar as "Gamadhar Khetra''. Gamadhar Smriti Surakhya Samiti (Memory preservation committee) is formed by the local people to preserve his memories. Deputy Commissioner of Jorhat district R.S. Jain is the president of the committee. Recently the chief minister of Assam Mr. Tarun Gogoi inaugurated the statue of Gamadhar Konwar at Rajabari.
Social activist, actor as well as director Dr. Jintu Hazarika has written a full drama based on the biography named "Moi Gamadhar-e Koisu" (I am Gamadhar Speaking). This drama has been staged in all over Assam including Rabidra Bhawan.Conclusion :
Gamadhar Konwar started his revolution thirty years before Mangal Pandey. How did he gathered the all kings of neighbouring Assam and made the strategy against British is mentioned in that manuscript. Every place, every village, every person mention in the manuscript is present in Jorhat. Nothing is required to prove him as the first freedom fighter of India than these data and evidences.
I am very pleased to read your article written on Gamadhar Konwar, the first freedom fighter of India. A lot of unknown information is got through this writing for which I would like to thank you. If you do not mind I want to point out some very tiny mistakes you made. The past participle form of 'speak' is 'spoken' but you wrote 'speaken'. "Some incident was took place" - The correct form of this sentence is "Some incidents took place". One more sentence you wrote incorrectly is "He secretly prepares himself to revolts". The correct one is "He secretly prepares himself to revolt". These are the corrections I tried to make and at the end once again I thank you for your brilliant contribution to this channel.