Titumir

Titumir opposed a number of discriminatory measures in force at that time which included taxes on mosques and the wearing of beards. Titumir filed a complaint to the East India Company against the oppression by the zamindars, but to no result.[2] This brought him into conflict with Hindu zamindar Krishnadeva Rai of Purha, Kaliprasanna Mukhopadhyay of Gobardanga, Rajnarayan of Taragonia, Gauri Prasad Chowdhury of Nagpur and Devanath Rai of Gobra-govindpur..

Titumir had himself belonged to a "peyada" or martial family and himself had served under a zamindar as a lathial or lethel, a fighter with a quarterstaff or lathi, (which in Bengal is made of bamboo, not wood) and he trained his men in hand-to-hand combat and the use of the lathi. Titumir formed a "Mujahid" consisting of lathials. The increasing strength of Titumir alarmed the zamindars who attempted to involve the British in their fight against him. Being instigated by the Zamindar of Gobardanga, Davis, the English kuthial (factor) of Mollahati, advanced with his force against Titumir, but were routed.[2]

He fought against the, local zamindar, Krishna Dev Roy who fearing his growing forces, took help of the British to attack Titumir's followers.

The followers of Titumir, believed to have grown to 15,000 by that time, readied themselves for armed conflict, and built a fort of bamboo at Narikelbaria, near the town of Barasat. This was surrounded by a high double curtain wall of bamboo stakes filled in with mud cladding and sun-baked bricks.

Titumir declared independence from the British, and regions comprising the current districts of 24 Parganas, Nadia and Faridpur came under his control. The private armies of the zamindars and the forces of the British met with a series of defeats at the hands of his men as a result of his strike-and-retreat guerrilla tactics.

Finally, the British forces, led by Lieutenant Colonel Stewart consisting of 100 cavalry, 300 native infantry and artillery with two cannons, mounted a concerted attacks on 19 November 1831, on Titumir and his followers. Armed with nothing more than the bamboo quarterstaff and lathi and a few swords and spears, Titumir and his forces could not withstand the might of modern weapons, and were overwhelmed. The bamboo castle was destroyed, and Titumir was killed along with several of his followers.His nephew was hanged and some 350 others were sentenced to transportation for life.[5]

The commanding officer of the British forces noted his opponent's bravery in dispatches, and also commented on the strength and resilience of bamboo as a material for fortification, since he had had to pound it with artillery for a surprisingly long time before it gave way.[2]

Mahasweta Devi wrote a novella called Titumir. A play named Titu Mir-er Basher Kella has been made for TV in Bangladesh. It has also featured as a theme for Puja pandals which are often done up as historical tableaux.