Ramji Gond

Ramji Gond was a Gond chief who ruled the tribal areas in present-day Adilabad district of Telangana. The areas under his rule included Nirmal, Utnoor, Chennuru, and Asifabad. He fought against the British rule, for which he was caught and hanged.[1]

Ramji Gond
Born
Asifabad, Telangana State
Died9 April 1860

Struggle against the British

Ramji Gond fought a guerrilla campaign against the British Indian government to preserve his Gond kingdom. Nizam of Hyderabad Asaf Jah V, the British feudatory of the region, wanted to capture the Gond kingdom. Ramji took up arms against the Nizam's soldiers. His army, which included Rohilla and Gond soldiers defeated the Nizam's forces.

Later, some British soldiers entered the Gond Kingdom illegally and damaged public property. Ramji Gond killed these soldiers. The British Government appointed Colonel Robert to subdue Ramji Gond. On 9 April 1860, Colonel Robert got information that Ramji Gond was at Nirmal village, Adilabad. He attacked and defeated Ramji, who was captured along with his 1000 soldiers.

On 9 April 1857, Ramji Gond and his accomplices were hanged to death on a Banyan tree in Nirmal village. The tree came to be known as Veyyi Purrela (skull) Chettu or Veyyi Purrela Marri. This revolt of Ramji Gond can be called as the first rebellion against the British in India, which inspired Mangal Pandey to kill British Officers on 29 March 1857 which led to Sepoy Mutiny on 10 May 1857. However, Hanging of 1000 Gonds of Telangana was more brutal and earlier event than Jallianwalabagh Massacre. Unfortunately, injustice to Gonds was not so pronounced due to the suppression of the event by Nizam and the British.

References
  1. Sarojini Regani (1988) [1963]. Nizam-British Relations, 1724–1857. New Delhi: Concept. p. 319. ISBN 978-81-7022-195-1.
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