Weapons ‘used’ in 1857 revolt unearthed in UP’s Shahjahanpur

Sajid Khan, MP, 9 Nov 2024, Shahjahanpur: A significant discovery has been made in Shahjahanpur, where a large cache of weapons was unearthed during the plowing of a field. 

The weapons, which are believed to date back to the 1857 revolt, have been secured in a safe storage facility and the district administration has alerted the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for further investigation. 

According to district magistrate Dharmendra Pratap Singh, the discovery occurred when Baburam, a farmer from Dhakiya Parvezpur in the Nigohi police station area, was working in his field. “While plowing the land, he discovered an iron object resembling a sword. 

Upon further excavation, several more weapons were uncovered from the soil,” said Singh. The excavation continued, revealing a total of 23 swords, the remnants of 12 matchlock rifles, one spear and a dagger. 

Notably, the rifle remains were just the metal barrels and fragments, with the wooden stocks having likely been destroyed by termites due to being buried for so long. 

Experts suggest that the remaining structures point to matchlock rifles, commonly used during the 1857 rebellion. Singh explained that following the discovery, the local sub-divisional magistrate, along with other officials, was sent to the site to investigate. 

The recovered weapons have been stored at the Nigohi police station’s evidence room. Dr Vikas Khurana, head of the history department at Swami Shukdevanand College here, has speculated that the weapons may be linked to the Rohilla culture, which was prominent in the region. 

“It appears they could be from the 1857 revolt. After the defeat of Indian revolutionaries, many insurgents fled into the forests,” Khurana explained. 

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