Question

Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Two rebels of 1857
Shah Mal

Shah Mal lived in a large village in pargana Barout in Uttar Pradesh. He belonged to a clan of Jat cultivators whose kinship ties extended over chaurasee des (eighty-four villages). The lands in the region were irrigated and fertile, with rich dark loam soil. Many of the villagers were prosperous and saw the British land revenue system as oppressive: the revenue demand was high and its collection inflexible. Consequently cultivators were losing land to outsiders, to traders and moneylenders who were coming into the area.

Shah Mal mobilised the headmen and cultivators of chaurasee des, moving at night from village to village, urging people to rebel against the British. As in many other places, the revolt against the British turned into a general rebellion against all signs of oppression and injustice. Cultivators left their fields and plundered the houses of moneylenders and traders. Displaced proprietors took possession of the lands they had lost. Shah Mal’s men attacked government buildings, destroyed the bridge over the river, and dug up metalled roads – partly to prevent government forces from coming into the area, and partly because bridges and roads were seen as symbols of British rule. They sent supplies to the sepoys who had mutinied in Delhi and stopped all official communication between British headquarters and Meerut. Locally acknowledged as the Raja, Shah Mal took over the bungalow of an English officer, turned it into a “hall of justice”, settling disputes and dispensing judgments. He also set up an amazingly effective network of intelligence. For a period the people of the area felt that firangi raj was over, and their raj had come.

Shah Mal was killed in battle in July 1857.

How does Shah Mal’s establishment of a “hall of justice” reflect his vision of governance?

Hint:

The creation of local systems of justice during rebellion reflects a vision of self-governance, where the people’s needs are prioritized over colonial power structures.

Answer 1

Shah Mal’s establishment of a “hall of justice” reflects his vision of governance based on fairness, justice, and local autonomy. By setting up a place where disputes were resolved and judgments were passed, he demonstrated a commitment to maintaining order and ensuring that the local people had access to justice, free from British interference. His actions show that he sought to replace British authority with a system that reflected local values and needs. It also highlights his belief in the importance of governance that catered to the welfare of the people rather than serving colonial interests.