Shahjahanpur has played a very important role in India’s independence movement.

Shahjahanpur made a vital contribution to the freedom movement of 1857. Nana Sahib Peshwa from Bithur, Rani Lakshmi Bai from Jhansi, Shehjade from Delhi, Ahmad Ullah Shah, from Faizabad, and Khan Badahur Khan from Bareilly united here and planned for further actions in the struggle. Unfortunately, Maulvi Ahamad Ullah Shah was killed by British forces in Powayan.

Later Pandit Ramprasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, and Thakur Roshan Singh made major contributions to the Freedom Movement of India. Under the grouping of HRA, they met and planned for the stability of the freedom movement from Shahjahanpur. Kakori is just 90 kilometers from Shahjahanpur. Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaq and Roshan Singh along with Chandrashekar Azaad, attacked the British revenue here. After Kakori Kand, Bismil and Ashfaq were the first among modern revolutionists to be hanged in Faizabad Jail in 1927. Later Bhagat Singh was also hanged by the British.

After Mahatama Gandhi withdrew his support from the non co-operation movement, Pandit Ramprasad Bismil founded the Hindustan Republic Association i.e. HRA. To implement the plan, and contributions were sought. When contributions were not adequate, robbery became the main fund-raising technique.

On 1925 August 9, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Thakur Roshan Singh and Lahri successfully conducted a robbery of British government trasury near the Kakori railway station. On 1925 December 26, 40 persons were arrested in this case. Pandit Ramprasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Thakur Roshan Singh, Jagdish and Banarasi were from Shahjahanpur. A British court decided the case on 1927 December 19. Pandit Ramprasad Bismil was hanged in the Gorakhpur prison, Ashfaqullah Khan was hanged in the Faizabad prison, and Thakur Roshan Singh was hanged in the Malaka (Allahabad) prison.

Banwari Lal (Hindi: बनवारी लाल, Urdu: بنواری لال) was a prominent Indian revolutionary.

He hailed from Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

He belonged to Hindustan Republican Association (HRA, which after 1928 became the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association or HSRA) that was created to carry out revolutionary activities against the British Empire in India.

He participated in Kakori train robbery and was sentenced for two years imprisonment.

shfaqulla Khan (Hindi: अशफ़क़ुल्ला ख़ान, Urdu: اشفاق اللہ خان) (October 22, 1900 - December 19, 1927) was a freedom fighter in Indian independence movement.
Childhood

Ashfaqulla Khan was born in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His father, Shafiqur Rahman was posted in the police department. His mother’s name was Mazharunissa. Ashfaqullah was the youngest amongst his six siblings. Ashfaq was in school when Mahatma Gandhi Called the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Non-cooperation Movement

After Mahatma Gandhi withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement after the Chauri Chaura incident, many Indian youths were left dejected.[1] Ashfaq was one of them. He felt that India should become free as soon as possible and so he decided to join the revolutionaries and also win the friendship of Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, a famous revolutionary of Shahjahanpur.

Friendship with Pandit Ramprasad Bismil

Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, a member of the Arya Samaj, was eager to explain the greatness of the Hindu religion to those belonging to other religion. Initially this was a difficulty for Ashfaq who was a devout Muslim. Nevertheless, the common goal of Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaq was India’s freedom. This helped him to win over the friendship of Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil. They died on the same day, as martyrs for India, but in different jails.

Kakori train robbery

To give a fillip to their movement and buy arms and ammunition to carry out their activities, the revolutionaries organised a meeting on August 8, 1925 in Shahjahanpur. After a lot of deliberations it was decided to loot the government treasury carried in the trains. On 9 August 1925 Ashfaqulla and other revolutionaries, namely Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Rajendra Lahiri, Thakur Roshan Singh, Sachindra Bakshi, Chandrashekar Azad, Keshab Chakravarthy, Banwari Lal, Mukundi Lal, Manmathnath Gupta looted the train carrying British government money in Kakori near Lucknow.

On the morning of 26 September 1925, Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil was caught by the police and Ashfaq was the only one untraced by the police. Ashfaq went into hiding and moved to Banaras from Bihar where he worked in an engineering company for 10 months. Ashfaq wanted to move abroad to learn engineering to further help the freedom struggle and so he went to Delhi to find out ways to move out of the country. He took the help of one of his Pathan friend who in turn betrayed him by informing the police about his whereabouts.”

Ashfaqullah Khan was detained in the Faizabad jail. A case was filed against Ashfaqullah. His brother Riyasatullah was his counsel who fought the case till the very end. While in jail, Ashfaqullah recited the Quran. The case for the Kakori dacoity was concluded by awarding death sentence to Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Thankur Roshan Singh. The others were given life sentences.

Popular media portrayal

The actions of Ashfaqullah Khan and his compatriots have recently been depicted in an Aamir Khan starrer hit Bollywood movie Rang De Basanti, where his character was depicted by actor Kunal Kapoor.[4]

Thakur Roshan Singh (20 Dec 1927 Allahabad Uttar Pradesh) was a great Indian revolutionary.

He hailed from Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

He belonged to Hindustan Republican Association (HRA, which after 1928 became the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association or HSRA) that was created to carry out revolutionary activities against the British Empire in India.

He participated in Kakori train robbery and was tried and sentenced to death for the same.

He was a close associate of Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Chandra Shekar Azaad and Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil (1897-1927) was one of the great Indian independence fighters, who also participated in the Kakori train robbery. Bismil was his pen name. He was a member of the Arya Samaj and also of the Hindustan Republican Association. He was a great poet and several inspiring patriotic verses are attributed him, of which Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna is the most well known.

Early Life

Pandit Ramprasad was born in the year 1897 at Shahjahanpur,Uttar Pradesh. His ancestors hailed from the state of Gwalior.His father Muralidhar was with the municipality of Shahjahanpur.He was the second of two siblings.

Revolutionary Activities and Execution

Ram Prasad Bismil joined the revolutionary organization Hindustan Republican Association in his youth and came in contact with other revolutionaries including, among others, Premkishan Khanna, Ashfaqulla Khan, Chandrasekhar Azad, Thakur Roshan Singh, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Bhagawati Charan, Rajguru Rai Ram Narain great grand son of Raja Tikait Rai Wazir Nawab of Oudh Awadh. Along with nine revolutionary colleagues, Bismil executed a meticulous plan for the looting of the government treasury carried in a train at Kakori. This happened on August 9, 1925 and is known as the Kakori Train Robbery. The incidsent created great upheavel in British India. The retribution was severe when The revolutionaries were caught. In a long drawn case, Ram prasad, Ashfaqullah, Roshan Singh and Rajendra Lahiri were sentenced to death. Ram Prasad Bismil was hanged by the British authorities on December 18, 1927 in Gorakhpur (located in the present Indian state of Uttar Pradesh), while Rai Ram Narain was jailed for life.

Literary Works

Ram Prasad Bismil was known for his inspiring poems that acted as motivation for his fellow revolutionaries. Among them, Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna is the most well-known, although the authorship of this particular poem is often disputed.

A deep and passionate love for the motherland and an urge to sacrifice for the nation was the hallmark of Bismil’s works. In one poem he prays: “Even if I have to face death a thousand times for the sake of my Motherland, I shall not be sorry. Oh Lord! Grant me a hundred births in Bharath. But grant me this, too, that each time I may give up my life in the service of the Mother land.”

In another poem written just before going to the gallows, he prays: “Oh Lord! Thy will be done. You are unique. Neither my tears nor I will endure. Grant me this boon, that to my last breath and the last drop of my blood, I may think of you and be immersed in your work.”

Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil wrote his autobiography while he was at Gorakhpur jail, days before he was hanged to death. The text is available on Hindi Wikipedia.

Film Adaptations/Depictions

In the Bollywood movie The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil is depicted as a visionary who ignites in Bhagat Singh the fire of freedom. The character was played by Ganesh Yadav.

In Rang De Basanti, Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil was a more significant character played by Atul Kulkarni.