Honya Kengle

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The Honyaji Bhagoji Kengle (also spelled as Honya Kengla,[1] Honya Naik,[1] Honya Kenglia,[2] Honya Koli[3]) was Koli freedom activist from Maharashtra who sought freedom from British colonial rule in India. Kengle also fought against Sahukars, or Moneylenders who were capturing the lands of poor native Indians and British supporting elements. The Bombay government announced the reward of INR 1000 for Honya Kengle dead or alive and 200 - 600 INR for other revolutionaries. He was labelled as an Outlaw by British government.[4] He led the Koli rebellion from 1872 to 1876.[5]

Bandkari
Naik Honyaji Bhagoji Kengle
Chief of Kengle kolis
नायक होन्याजी भागोजी केंगले
Born
Honyaji Bhagoji Kengle

1836
Jambhori village, Pune, Pune district, British Indian Empire
Died1876
Ahmednagar central jail, Ahmednagar district, British Indian Empire
Cause of deathHanged
Other names
  • Honya Naik
  • Honya Koli
  • Honya Kengale
OccupationAgriculturist
Years active1872 - 1876
EraBritish era
MovementIndian independence movement
Criminal chargesMurder, Plundering
Criminal penaltyHanged to Death
Parent
  • Naik Bhagoji Kengle (father)

Honya Kengla was considered as Robin Hood of Bombay and a Hero of his region.[2] He was fully support by Tribal communities of West Ghats.[6]

Early life[edit]

The Honya Kengle was born in 1836[1] in a Koli family of Jambhori village in Pune district to Naik Bhagoji Kengle[7] who was chief of Mahadev Kolis of Kengle clan.[4]

Revolutionary activities[edit]

In 1872, the Honya Kengle took up arms against British rule in Maharashtra mostly in North West Poona.[8] He collected a revolutionary army of Kolis in Deccan and attacked and plundered the British controlled territory in Pune, Nashik, Thana and Ahmednagar.[4] He cut off the Nose of Marwadi Baniyas because they were in full support of British officials.[9]

In 1874, a special British force under Colonel Scott and Mr. W. F. Sinclair C. S. was despatched to burn down the rebellion. The Koli rebellion under the leadership of Honya Koli was principally directed against the moneylenders. The disturbances merged into the more widespread Deccan riots of 1875.[10]

Death[edit]

In 1876, During the fight between British troops and Honiya Kengle's revolutionary Koli army, they were defeated by troops and Kengle was captured by Major H. Daniel but Kengle had become a hero throughout the region. When he was tried in Pune, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, despite the incriminating evidence against him. The British judge promptly ordered that Honiya be re tried in Bombay city. The case was heard there two months later, and Honiya was hanged in Ahmednagar central jail.[4]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Robinson, Frederick Bruce (1978). Adaptation to Colonial Rule by the "wild Tribes" of the Bombay Deccan, 1818-1880: From Political Competition to Social Banditry. New Delhi, India: University of Minnesota. pp. 63–87.
  2. ^ a b Charlesworth, Neil (2002-07-04). Peasants and Imperial Rule: Agriculture and Agrarian Society in the Bombay Presidency 1850-1935. New Delhi, India: Cambridge University Press. pp. 98: The classic example occurred in the Deccan between 1873 and 1875 when the Koli dacoit, Honya Kenglia, established himself as Bombay's Robin Hood. Honya's gang, wearing as their Lincoln green a distinctive dress of red military coats, roamed the countryside, robbing moneylenders, firing their houses and often inflicting their own special brand of indignity: the cutting off of noses. ISBN 978-0-521-52640-1.
  3. ^ Kulkarni-Pathare, Dr Ravindra Thakur Translated From MARATHI to ENGLISH by Reshma (2020-02-17). MAHATMA JYOTIRAO PHULE- english. New Delhi, India: Mehta Publishing House. ISBN 978-93-5317-404-0.
  4. ^ a b c d Hardiman, David (2007). Histories for the Subordinated. New Delhi, India: Seagull Books. pp. 95–134. ISBN 978-1-905422-38-8.
  5. ^ Krishan, Shri (2005-04-07). Political Mobilization and Identity in Western India, 1934-47. New Delhi, India: SAGE Publishing India. ISBN 978-93-5280-307-1.
  6. ^ Hardiman, David; Hardiman, Professor of History David (1992). Peasant Resistance in India, 1858-1914. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-19-562725-1.
  7. ^ Yang, Anand A. (1985). Crime and Criminality in British India. New Delhi, India: Association for Asian Studies. pp. 175: The rebel leader was identified at his trial as " Honya son of Bhagoji Kengla, age 40, caste Koli, occupation Cultivator, resident of Jambhari, Khed Taluka, Poona. ISBN 978-0-8165-0951-5.
  8. ^ The History and Culture of the Indian People: British paramountcy and Indian renaissance, pt. 1. New Delhi, India: G. Allen & Unwin. 1951. pp. 940–941.
  9. ^ Sunthankar, B. R. (1993). Nineteenth Century History of Maharashtra: 1858-1920. New Delhi, India: Shubhada-Saraswat Prakashan. pp. 68: the leadership of Honya, an influential Koli chief with a well trained gang, began a series of attacks on moneylenders . Many of them were robbed and the noses of some of them were cut off . These outrages created terror among the. ISBN 978-81-85239-50-7.
  10. ^ Brahme, Sulabha; Parthasarathy, Gogula; Shrimali, P. D. (2004). Agrarian Structure, Movements and Peasant Organisations in India. New Delhi, India: V.V. Giri National Labour Institute. p. 125. ISBN 978-81-7827-064-7.

External links[edit]

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