Bhima-Koregaon war memorial
Why in news :
- The 205th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle passed without incident as lakhs of Ambedkarites from across Maharashtra.
- The country congregated near the Ranstambh (victory pillar) at Perne village in Pune on Sunday under heavy security cover.
- Crowds have been steadily milling in Bhima-Koregaon since Saturday evening to pay floral tributes to the bravery of the Mahar soldiers who fought against the Peshwa forces in the 1818 battle.
Bhima-Koregaon war :
- The Battle of Koregaonwas fought on 1 January 1818 between the British East India Company and the Peshwa faction of the Maratha Confederacy, at Koregaon Bhima.
- The battle was part of the Third Anglo Maratha war, a series of battles that culminated in the defeat of the Peshwa rule and subsequent rule of the British East India Company in nearly all of Western, Central and Southern India.
- Led by Captain Francis Staunton, the Company troops defended their position for nearly 12 hours, before the Peshwa’s troops ultimately withdrew, fearing the imminent arrival of a larger British force.
- There is a “victory pillar” (obelisk) in Koregaon commemorating the battle.
Significance of Mahars :
- The Koregaon pillar inscription features the names of the 49 Company soldiers killed in the battle.
- 22 of these names end with the suffix -nac (or -nak), which was used exclusively by the people of Mahar.
- The obelisk was featured on the Mahar Regiment’s crest until Indian Independence.
- While it was built by the British as a symbol of their own power, today it serves as a memorial of the Mahars.
- The Mahars were considered untouchable in the contemporary caste-based society.
- The Peshwas, who were the ‘high-caste’ Brahmins, were notorious for their mistreatment and persecution of the untouchables.
- While the outcome of the Koregaon-Bhima battle was inconclusive, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s visit to the spot on January 1, 1927, revitalised its memory for the Dalit community, making it a rallying point and an assertion of pride.
Visit of Baba Saheb Ambedkar to the Bhima-Koregaon war memorial
Syllabus : Prelims + Mains; GS1 – Art and Culture
