Raje Umaji Naik
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had the quality of appreciating human beings and of their qualities. While establishing Swarajya, he got the help of such people and society to a great extent to protect Swaraj. The brave, mighty, honest, and fighting Ramoshi community has been famous since mythological times. After understanding this society’s merits, Maharaj entrusted the responsibility of protecting Swarajya to the people of this society. With their courage and sacrifice, the leaders of this society maintained the faith of the Maharaj even by giving their sacrifices. Due to this, Maharaj had given some of the state’s land to reward these people.
The people of the Ramoshi community used to handle the forts named Purandar and Vajragarh near Pune since the time of Peshwai. These people used to live with their families under that citadel. These people used to do the work of guarding the Purandar Fort and farming. In the house of Dadaji Khomne and Lakshmi Bai of this society, a child born on 7th September 1791 was named ‘Umaji.’ Umaji was very fearless since childhood. His father had taught him horse riding, sword-wielding, and arrow-shooting; he also used to exercise daily.
At that time, the imperialist oppressor British had established their power with full force in India. In 1818, the British defeated the Peshwa’s army in Pune and annexed the state of Pune. At that time, the Ramoshi community dominated the Purandar Fort. The officers of the defeated Peshwa ordered Ramoshi to hand over the Purandar Fort to the British, which Ramoshi rejected. Due to this, there was a minor fight between Peshwa and Ramoshi, but Ramoshi failed to save the fort given by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Angered by this behavior of Ramoshi, Peshwa canceled all the indenture, the prizes, and copper plates given by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Which the British also approved. The rights of his people, which Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj himself gave, were lost due to both the Peshwa and the British, and for this, Umaji Naik decided to fight against the British. Umaji Naik took an oath to restore the Swarajya of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Those whose ideas are great do not stop due to a lack of resources. To fight against a mighty enemy like the British, a lot of people would be needed, for that money should also be enough; it was the idea of Umaji. Umaji has grown up listening to the Shivaji Maharaj’s beliefs, strategies, and work. That’s why there was Shivniti in his every work. Suffering from the atrocities of the British, Umaji started persecuting the British. After robbing the merchant moneylenders, he used to distribute the looted money among the poor. Umaji used to wreak havoc on those who used to be informers for the British.
Meanwhile, Umaji Naik was taken into custody by the British. He was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment. During his imprisonment, Umaji Naik learned to read and write.
After being released from imprisonment, Umaji again formed an army of revolutionaries, looted the British treasure of six thousand from Bhamburde of Pune, and looted many weapons. Umaji Naik, on the strength of his skill, raised the flag of his bravery till Nashik, Nagar, Satara, and Konkan. By using Shivsutra, he successfully won the people’s trust.
Umaji Naik gave the biggest challenge to the British through his proclamation of independence which he placed before the people on 16 February 1831. Umaji had requested everyone that no one would do the jobs of the British, and there was no need to give any taxes to the British; when given the opportunity, all the people should unite and loot the treasures of the British.
The British were quite distracted by the rising status of Umaji. They wanted to hold him in any situation. The responsibility of capturing Umaji was entrusted to Captain Alexander Mackintosh. Just as our country has a tradition of brave warriors, in the same way, we have got a tradition of traitors. Due to the deceit committed by a few traitors, Markitosh imprisoned Umaji Naik on 15 December 1831 in Utroli village of Bhor tehsil. After that, Umaji Naik was tried for sedition and sentenced to death. Umaji was hanged on 3 February 1832 at Mamledar Kacheri in Pune. To keep their fear alive among the people, the body of Umaji was kept hanging from a Peepal tree in Mamledar Kacheri for three days. The story of our freedom struggle would not be complete without remembering this great heroic Umaji Naik.
Vijendra Sonawane vijendra.sonawane@ssfoffice.in
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आद्य क्रांतिकारक उमाजी नाईक आणि तंट्या भिल्ल- लेखक: प्रा. गौतम जगन्नाथ निकम