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94-483: The Monghyr Mutiny , which took place in 1766, was a mass resignation of white officers of the East India Company 's Bengal Army , over the withdrawal of the batta allowance. The mutiny was quelled without bloodshed by Robert Clive , who was then Governor of Bengal, with a few loyal officers and a number of Indian sepoy troops. He is known to have commended the sepoys for their good behaviour and to have decorated

188-595: A ghat (stepped approach to the river edge from the high bank built in stones) was constructed, which has a legend linked to it. An inscription at Kannauj records that Govind Chandra of Kannauj , a Gahadvala King, granted land on the bank of the river to build a ghat, after bathing in the Ganges river at Mudgagiri (Munger) on the occasion of the Hindu festival known as Akshaya Tritiya . There are several antiquities that have been unearthed at this ghat such as: an inscription of about

282-555: A 25 feet (7.6 m) high heap of earth . The carved stones of these ancient ruins were pitted by holes and depressions, with the belief that such disfiguring would cure certain diseases of children. The domed tomb chamber, 16 feet (4.9 m) square with circular turrets, also encloses a prayer room and a restroom. Though locally known as the 'Palace of Shuja', the Mughal Prince, it is inferred to have been built earlier by Nawab Mir Qasim Ali, who also ruled from Munger. The palace

376-541: A carved stone, which is said to belong to a Hindu or a Buddhist structure. The famous monuments located within the fort are: Pir Shah Nufa, originally of Persin origin, was a Sufi saint who was sent to Munger by his guru Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer . His tomb dating his death to A.H. 596 (1177 AD) is located near a rampart in the fort close to the southern gate. It was built over an area of 100 feet (30 m) square with retaining walls supporting all round, on

470-537: A correspondence officer who communicated with others appointed in the Second and Third Brigades to seek their support. The correspondence officer of the Second Brigade responded to the letter from Monghyr stating that the officers of the brigade considered themselves on active service and would not join the mutiny at this time but would do so if, upon returning to garrison, the batta payment was reduced. The Third Brigade

564-556: A deemed university. It attracts students from all over the world. Around 400 Australians , Americans and others register for the yoga course every year, with this figure rising continuously. Munger fort and the Munger town are well connected by road, rail and air communications through Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Patna is connected by air to all major cities in India. It has a very good network of rail and road links with all major cities in

658-494: A detachment to the mutineer officers, encamped a few miles away, with orders that they were to go to Calcutta, which they obeyed. A small number of fresh officers sent out from Calcutta reached the post and, with around a dozen more expected in the coming days, Clive felt able to leave Monghyr on 17 May to check on Smith's Brigade on the frontier. Colonel Smith had weathered the mutiny reasonably well. He had arrested all of his officers, bar four that he considered reliable and made

752-561: A general inspection of the brigade to take place the following day. The garrison turned out in good order but few of their officers were present, having been sent away by Fletcher. Clive spoke, by interpreter, to the Indian soldiers. He commended them for their good behaviour, decorated several of their officers and non-commissioned officers (possible the Monghyr Mutiny Medal ) and awarded the entire body two months double pay. Clive sent

846-487: A general. Another, John Petrie, returned to India as a company employee in a high-ranking civil appointment. With the expansion of British India, Monghyr lost its importance as a frontier garrison. Though regarded as a "healthy station", it was used as a hospital for British and Indian troops and as a clothing depot. The district was not troubled during the sepoy mutiny of 1857 . Munger Fort The Munger Fort , located at Munger (also spelt as Monghyr during

940-510: A house on the hill, which was later converted by the British to a saluting battery. In 1766, this base on the hill was crucial in subduing rebellion by some European officers of the garrison. Further refurbishing of the fort occurred during General Goddard 's time when it was converted as the large residence (as it exists now) of the Commanding Officer of the British garrison. This building

1034-487: A lack of discipline in the disorder following the distribution of price money after the February 1756 Battle of Vijaydurg , during which a number of deaths occurred. The officers had also grown accustomed to receiving an allowance, the batta , as a supplement to their salaries. This had originally been awarded to cover officers' expenses in the field and the responsibility for payment had transferred to Mir Jafar, who doubled

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1128-576: A monetary reward negotiated by Vansittart. This deal involved payment by the East India Company 's merchants of an ad valorem duty of 9 percent, against an Indian merchant's duty of 40%. The fort became a place of considerable importance to the British in Bengal till 1947 (Indian independence). The fort houses a number of religious and historic monuments such as the Tomb of Pir Shah Nufa (died 1497), Palace of Shah Suja, Tomb of Mulla Muhammad Said (died 1704 CE),

1222-548: A mutiny among the European troops at Monghyr in Bengal, in June 1766". The Victoria and Albert Museum also holds one of these medals and describes it as having been given as a reward for service during the "batta disputes". It notes the medal is silvered by electrotyping and that the obverse shows Minerva , Roman goddess of wisdom, seated by some palm trees. The reverse shows laurel branches,

1316-557: A number of their officers and non-commissioned officers. The entire force also received two-months double pay. A Monghyr Mutiny campaign medal is listed in Steward (1915) as having been awarded by the East India Company in 1766. The National Army Museum holds a silver medal that it states is "believed to have been issued on the recommendation of Robert, Lord Clive, to the Indian officers of two Indian battalions who succeeded in quelling

1410-514: A rebel leader under General Alivardi Khan took control of the fort when its defences had weakened. After a few days of stay in the fort, he continued his campaign towards Patna with lots of guns and ammunition taken from the fort. In the 4th Maratha war of 1744, the Maratha army had raided through Bihar and Munger. Jean Law , the French adventurer and partisan of Siraj ud-Daulah (1733 – 2 July 1757),

1504-529: A secret committee of the House of Commons , from which much of the historical record of the mutiny is derived, Strachey states that he believes the mutiny had been planned as early as December 1765. An investigation later thought the mutiny had its origin at the Monghyr garrison where secret committees of officers, disguised as masonic lodges , met to plan the restoration of the batta. The officers from Monghyr appointed

1598-510: A speech requesting that they obey his orders. Almost all of the officers relented and ended their mutiny, apart from six who Smith sent as prisoners to Patna. These six men were dismissed the service and sent on to Calcutta; Clive requested that the French and Dutch outposts at nearby Chandannagar and Chinsura not accept these men into their service. Smith was later authorised by Clive to pardon those officers who he chose to retain and to dismiss

1692-429: A strong military fortification. The fort was an impressive structure with massive gates, one of which had been a strong fortification with square towers, with a deep moat. The moat was 175 feet (53 m) in width, surrounding the land side of the fort, thus making it strategically formidable. It opens to the Ganges river (which is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) wide here, but crossed only by boats) at either end thus enhancing

1786-719: A successful attack on the Raja of Kharagpur who had opposed the Nawab of Bengal. Monghyr was thus occupied by Mir Qasim Ali , the Nawab of Bengal (from 1760 to 1764). In 1763, Quasim shifted his capital from Murshidabad to Munger . His new appointee General Gurgin Khan from Isfahan patterned the Bengal Army on the lines of the British forces . At this fort, a factory for arsenal, for manufacturing of fire-arms

1880-422: Is also linked to the period of King Karna and his wife. The second famous rock hillock (no specific name is given to this) within the fort is, in fact, an artificial rectangular raised platform where a citadel of the fort probably existed in the past. An old building called as 'Damdama Kothi' ('kothi' means "house"), conjectured to have been built by Muslim rulers or even earlier Hindu kings that existed here,

1974-514: Is bounded by high rise walls on three sides and the Ganges river on the west side. As in any palace of the Mughals, it consisted of a Khas Mahal or 'Zanana Palace', the 'Diwane-I-Am' or Public Audience Hall and the Tope-Khana or Armoury (made of 10–15 feet (3.0–4.6 m) thick walls) (now a dormitory). There was also a mosque on the west side of the palace, now in ruins, but used as storehouse. There

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2068-468: Is filled with earth. The Ganges river hugs the fort walls on the west and partly in the north. On the landward side, there is a 175 feet (53 m) wide moat, which acts as a defence to the fortifications. There are four entry gates, within the octagonal fortress, with ramparts. The main gateway, called the Lal Darwaza, is still in good shape, even though the rest of the fort is mostly in ruins. This gate has

2162-497: Is that the name could have derived from either sage Mudgala or Maudgalyayana , a disciple of Buddha . A further explanation by General Cunningham is that it could have been named after the Mundas , its earliest inhabitants. C.E.A. Oldham gives a version that it was a "Munigriha" (the hermitage of a saint Muni ). During British rule it was often spelt Monghyr or Monghir . The Fort's history has been traced from 1330 AD onwards, under

2256-541: Is the location of a shrine, which is a village deity of goddess Chandi (Chandi or Caṇḍīika is the name by which the Supreme Goddess is referred to in Devi Mahatmya ). It is considered as one of the 64 shakti peethas (a tantric cultural centre) in India. It is depicted in the form of a hole in a rock dated to the rule of king Karna Vikrama. The conjecture that it could be part of an ancient temple that existed here

2350-430: Is yet to be established by archaeologists by exploration of the area. A natural rocky hillock dated to the ancient Raja Karna is named after him as the 'Karnachaura' or 'Karanchaura' or 'Karan Chabutara' (meaning: slab of Raja Karan). It is the highest point in the fort. Since the location commands a fine view of the surroundings, Raja Karan (he was a contemporary of Vikramaditya , the famous king of India) had built

2444-468: The Bengal Army which had previously had no organisation above the battalion level. Clive consolidated the units into three brigades and centralised them in healthier stations than they had been posted to previously. Each brigade comprised one regiment of European infantry, one company of artillery, six battalions of sepoy infantry, and a troop of sepoy cavalry. The First Brigade was stationed at Monghyr under Lieutenant Colonel Sir Robert Fletcher ,

2538-557: The British Raj ), in the state of Bihar , India, is built on a rocky hillock on the south bank of the Ganges River . Its history is not completely dated but it is believed that it was built during the early rule of Slave dynasty of India. The Munger town where the fort is situated was under the control of Muhammad bin Tughluq of Delhi (1325–1351 CE). The fort has two prominent hills called

2632-643: The Madras Army . Clive determined that Fletcher had been involved in the mutiny from an early stage and he was cashiered from the service at a court-martial. The event has been described as one of the most dangerous in the history of the East India Company. Robert Clive led British forces in India during the Seven Years' War (1756-63) against France and her allies. His victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757 brought Mir Jafar to power as Nawab of Bengal and brought

2726-605: The 10th century AD on the wall of the gateway that refers to king Bhagiratha and the construction of a Shiva temple; discovery of carvings and sculptures by archaeologist Bloch in 1903; an inscribed image of Dhyani Buddha (Buddha in meditation pose) describing the Buddhist doctrine ; preserved now in the Indian Museum at Kolkata ). Hence, this location is venerated by the Hindus. Chandisthana (meaning: place of goddess Chandi)

2820-466: The Bengal Army were filled with replacement officers drawn from the Madras Army . Strachey described the resulting officer corps as the best ever seen in India to that time. The officers dismissed were ordered to leave Calcutta and British India; two refused to do so and barricaded themselves in their rooms, they were arrested a number of days later. Efforts to track down the civilians who had financed

2914-502: The East India Company and is not mentioned in its official records. Monghyr Mutiny The Monghyr Mutiny (also known as the White Mutiny ) occurred among European officers of the East India Company stationed in Bengal in 1766. The mutiny arose after the East India Company's governor of Bengal, Robert Clive , implemented an order to reduce the batta field allowance paid to its army officers. The batta had been doubled while

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3008-621: The English army and other personnel who were captured in Patna. His criminal atrocities in Patna are known in the historical annals as the ‘Massacre of Patna’. Subsequently, the fort lost its glory. Lord Cornwallis , the Governor General , in British India , had built a country house here. History also records a "White Mutiny" by disgruntled officers of the East India Company (who controlled

3102-522: The Europeans to withdraw to their quarters. At this juncture Fletcher appeared and harangued the other ranks, who replied that they had turned out in the belief that it was Fletcher's order. After granting the men two rupees apiece Fletcher ordered almost all of the officers out of the fort. Fletcher afterwards claimed to have forestalled the mutiny, having detected it in January. Though Clive doubted this as

3196-548: The First and Third Brigades who were in garrison. The double batta was retained for the Second Brigade while they were posted to active duty in the territory of the Nawab of Oudh, Shuja-ud-Daula , to deter a possible Maratha invasion. This would cease upon their return to Allahabad, where they were permitted a full batta payment on account of the high living expenses at that post. The payments were still in excess of those allowed to

3290-466: The Karnachaura or Karanchaura, and the other a built up rectangular mound deduced to be the location of a citadel of the fort with historical links. The fort had a succession of Muslim rulers (Khaljis, Tughlaqs, Lodis, Nawabs of Bengal, followed by Mughal rulers, till it was finally acceded to the British by Mir Quasim (1760–72), after unseating his father-in-law Mīr Jafar on the grounds of old age, for

3384-586: The Kashtaharini Ghat on the Ganges River, Chandisthana (an ancient temple) and an 18th-century British cemetery . In recent times, a famous School of Yoga was established here. The etymology of the word Munger prefixed to the fort and to the town also called by the same name is Mudgagiri with links to the Mahbharata epic . A copper plate inscription of Devapala alludes to Munger. Another version

3478-520: The Kothi, during Buchanan's archaeological explorations. The Bihar School of Yoga founded by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in 1964 to impart traditional yoga teachings to the world is headquartered inside the Munger fort. Apart from providing spiritual instruction to candidates, the school undertakes yoga projects and medical research in association with other agencies. It is the World's first Yoga University and

3572-553: The Latin inscription "non nisi digno" (only for the worthy) and the year "MDCCLXVI" (1766). The means of wearing the medal are not known but other early medals of the East India Company were worn suspended around the neck by means of a yellow cord. Chakravorty (1995) states that this was the "earliest medal issued by the Company on the Indian soil", while Clark (2016) notes that it was only awarded to Indian soldiers. The next known medal issued by

3666-582: The Madras governor, Josias Du Pre , and was dismissed from the council. He returned home in 1773 but was posted again to India in 1775 to command the Madras Army. Fletcher came into dispute with the new governor Lord Pigot , which culminated in Pigot's arrest. Fletcher afterwards fell ill with tuberculosis and died whilst on a convalescent sea voyage. One of Fletcher's fellow mutineers, Thomas Goddard, also later became

3760-642: The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II . Upon landing at Calcutta he found the military situation had been saved by the company's victory at the Battle of Buxar but the administration in a poor state. Clive implemented the dual-system of company rule under the nominal sovereignty of the Emperor and Nawab. Tax revenues from Bengal and Bihar were increased and he sought to restrict rampant corruption by forbidding company officials from accepting gifts or entering into commercial trade. Clive's reforms extended to

3854-478: The Second Brigade at Allahabad under Colonel Richard Smith and the Third Brigade at Bankipore (near Patna ) under Colonel Robert Barker . The entire force numbered some 14,000–15,000 sepoys and 3,000 Europeans. The officers in the company army had previously supplemented their salaries by engaging in large scale commercial trading, at the expense of military efficiency. The officer corps had demonstrated

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3948-410: The allowance, while the troops were in his service. Clive later claimed to have spoken to the officers at this time to caution them that the "double batta" was a strictly temporary arrangement. After the fall of Mir Jaffar, Mir Qasim refused to pay the batta and in lieu of payment offered the districts of Burdwan , Midnapore and Chittagong to the company. The revenues from these districts exceeded

4042-636: The batta and later evidence showed that plotting against Clive may have begun as early as December 1765. A scheme of mass-resignations was agreed upon and consented to by some 200 officers. The planning was carried out in secret and Clive did not learn of the impending mutiny until he received a note from Barker, via Fletcher, on 25 April stating that he had uncovered it. After this discovery the officers brought forwards their mutiny from 1 June to 1 May. Clive ordered his brigade commanders to arrest any officer who refused to do his duty and brought in reinforcements from other posts to assist him. Clive determined that

4136-404: The batta succeeded, the officers would have expanded their demands to include reinstatement of their trading rights, the revocation of the ban on accepting gifts, the abolition of the control of the army by the East India Company select committee and a guarantee that new officers would not be appointed to replace them. Arbuthnot stated that "not one of Clive's other achievements have surpassed, in

4230-539: The blame with Clive, who had himself made a fortune while in India. Clive vigorously defended himself in parliament and the government later admitted he rendered "great and meritorious services to his country". With his health failing he committed suicide in November 1774. Fletcher, upon his return to Britain, lobbied in parliament for his reinstatement and was posted to command the Madras Army in 1772, after Clive withdrew his opposition. Fletcher came into conflict with

4324-461: The cannons." But the Governor of the fort provided him boats. In February 1760, Major Caillaud of the Nawab of Bengal and his supporters defeated the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II (1728–1806). The Emperor and his army moved out not only from the fort but also from the district. With this victory, the rule of Mir Qasim , the Nawab of Bengal began with Johan Stables, in charge of Munger fort, launching

4418-478: The centre of the mutiny was Fletcher's brigade at Monghyr Fort and, on 6 May, set off with a small number of men for this post. Some of Clive's officers arrived at Monghyr on 12 May and separated a number of loyal officers from the mutineers. One of the loyal officers, Captain Smith, mustered two regiments of sepoys and seized the European barracks at the fort on 14 May. Fletcher appeared and joined with Smith to quell

4512-511: The civilians in Calcutta to pay for passage to Britain and for replacement commissions in the British Army for any such man. Clive first learnt of the impending mutiny by a letter from Fletcher, dated 25 April, in which he stated that the officers of his brigade had communicated their intentions to resign their commissions. Fletcher enclosed a letter from Barker which stated that he had uncovered

4606-416: The commanders seek support from the subedars in case their troops were needed. It appears that the subedars supported Clive and indicated that they would, if necessary, fire upon the mutineers. On the new date of the mutiny, 1 May, Fletcher received the commissions of 42 of his officers and informed Clive of this. He arrested two officers and ordered them to Calcutta, but was not certain if these were

4700-481: The company council to accept any resignations tendered and that such men should be sent to Calcutta. At 9.00 pm on the night of 12 May a detachment of officers loyal to Clive arrived at Monghyr. They spent the next day visiting the officers there to try to persuade them to return to their duties and end the mutiny. Some of the officers alleged that Fletcher was the originator of the mutiny and had withheld information from them. Some of these officers were detached from

4794-399: The company in India. Clive himself left India for the final time in January 1767, after falling ill. The reforms he put in place did much to reduce corruption among the company's officers but in spite of these, the company had to request financial support from the British government in 1772 to avoid bankruptcy. A government investigation found corruption among company officials and laid

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4888-517: The company is the Deccan Medal awarded in 1784. However, doubts have been raised with regards to this medal. The Freemasons' Quarterly Review of 1846 lists a medal struck by the Minerva zu den drei Palmen  [ de ] (Minerva with the three palms) lodge of Leipzig. This medal had "Minerva sitting under three palms" on the obverse and the same wreathed date and motto as the museum examples on

4982-516: The company's officers in other regions, such as those on the Coromandel Coast , who had never received a batta. In compensation for Bengal officers, Clive allocated them a portion of the company's profits on the salt, betel-nut and tobacco monopolies. Although there were complaints made to Clive over the batta order, these did not initially strike him as serious in nature. However in a report made by Clive's private secretary Henry Strachey to

5076-405: The cost of the batta payments so the company accepted. In peacetime the company came to consider the batta payments an unnecessary expense and ordered Clive to withdraw the allowance. Clive ordered changes to the batta to be implemented from 1 January 1766. It was abolished completely for troops stationed in the company's factories (trading posts) and restricted to half batta for the troops of

5170-408: The courage which he evinced, and in the genius which he displayed, his suppression of this mutiny". Martin, writing in 1879, regarded the mutiny as "one of the most dangerous storms which ever menaced the power of the East India Company". A Monghyr Mutiny Medal is said in some sources to have been awarded to Indian soldiers who helped quell the mutiny, if so this would be the first medal awarded by

5264-412: The earliest communication he had received from Fletcher regarding the mutiny was 25 April. Arbuthnot (1899) claims that Fletcher had "played a double game" since the earliest stages of the mutiny. He alleges that he encouraged or even instigated the affair and only switched to Clive's side at the last moment. Clive and Carnac arrived at Monghyr on the morning of 15 May and immediately gave orders for

5358-525: The few reliable officers he had to hand - his aide-de-camp John Carnac , his body guard and five others - plus a number of sepoys and marched for Monghyr on 6 May. En route he intercepted an express package containing the commissions of officers from Barker's brigade sent to the company leadership in Calcutta. Clive also received communications from Fletcher stating that he had full confidence in his officers, despite their resignations, and thought no trouble would arise. Clive also received authorisation from

5452-665: The formidable army of Ibrahim Khan of Munger was defeated and he was killed by Sher Shah Suri who established the Suri Empire . Thus, the fort came under Sher Shah Suri's overlordship (1486 – 22 May 1545). In the subsequent war that took place between Sher Shah and Humayun , the Mughal Emperor , Munger was the centre of battle between the Afghan and the Mughals . Sher Shah won and the Mughal rule

5546-512: The fort during the reign of Prince Danyal of Bengal (son of Sultan Alauddin Husain Shah ) who held the post of Governor of Bihar, after the defeat of Jampur rulers by the Sultan of Bengal. It is also stated that Prince Danyal of Bengal built the shrine of Sufi saint Shah Nafah within the south gate of the fort, in 1497 AD. In 1534 CE, in a battle which took place in the plains of Surajgarha ,

5640-420: The fort to take charge of the principal entrances. That afternoon Fletcher ordered Smith to bring the soldiers to the barracks of the European regiment, stating that they had mutinied. Smith's sepoys seized the signal battery overlooking the barracks which seemed to forestall the European other ranks, who had drawn arms and seemed to be making moves to join their officers. Smith's men fixed bayonets and ordered

5734-400: The fort's security. The fort is spread over an area of 222 acres (90 ha) over rocky hills with a peripheral length of2.5 miles (4.0 km). The fort has 4 feet (1.2 m) thick inner walls while the outer walls are 12 feet (3.7 m) thick forming the fortification, which is 30 feet (9.1 m) thick. The intervening space of 14 feet (4.3 m) between the inner and outer walls

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5828-476: The fort) in the precincts of the Munger Fort, which was put down in 1766 by Lord Clive . The mutiny broke out over the reduction of an extra monthly payment called bhatta to soldiers on active duty. After the suppression of the mutiny, a small garrison was thereafter stationed at the fort. Over the years, the maintenance of the fort was neglected. Under the Mughal rule, the fort was substantially expanded as

5922-426: The impending mutiny at a court martial held after a captain had attempted to force an ensign to hand over his commission. Barker claimed he had not learnt of it earlier due to being away from the cantonment on an expedition to Bettiah . The discovery of the plot seems to have convinced the mutineers to bring forwards the date of their resignations to 1 May. Clive ordered Barker and Fletcher to find those involved in

6016-427: The last independent Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa was running away after the Battle of Plassey . In July 1757, the British attempted an attack on the fort. Eyre Coote, the British officer (heading the British force) reached Munger in pursuit of Jean Low. But he could not enter the well-fortified fort. He did not dare to attack the fort because the fort garrison had lined up "the ramparts with their matches held near

6110-628: The late 16th century, Monghyr was controlled by the Mughal Emperors . Raja Todar Mal , Minister in the Mughal empire had camped at this fort when he was deputed to put down the rebel forces of Bengal. He substantially refurbished the fortifications of the fort. After a series of intriguing changes in the governorship of Munger Shah Shuja , the second son of Shah Jahan , the Mughal Emperor and Aurangzeb 's brother, had fled to this place to escape persecution, during his fight with his brothers for power. He

6204-414: The mutineers in the fort, while Clive's men remained in the garrison in case the mutiny came about. On the night of 13 May night two battalions of sepoys under Captain Smith, one of the officers detached from Monghyr, were brought to the exercise ground at Monghyr from their quarters at Kharagpur . They slept on the ground and the next morning Smith proposed to Fletcher that the sepoys be brought into

6298-401: The mutineers wrote to their friends elsewhere in India to ask that they refuse to deploy to Bengal. When Clive discovered this he wrote to Calcutta to ask that they hold all post from Bengal. At the same time Clive wrote to his brigade commanders to reinforce his order that the batta be reduced, to make it clear to the officers that he would not abide dissent in this matter and to request that

6392-471: The mutiny and to request as many spare officers, cadets in training and European volunteers as could be found be sent to reinforce him. Although some existing military personnel were sent, the request for civilian volunteers went largely unheeded. Of around 100 men of suitable age and ability in Calcutta only two volunteers were forthcoming; these men, who stood a few weeks of parade duty in the city, were rewarded with duty free trade privileges. It seems that

6486-400: The mutiny proved unsuccessful; they had sent their communications by private means and often disguised as letters to ladies, which were unlikely to be intercepted and read. Clive ordered Fletcher to place himself under arrest and await a court-martial for mutiny. He requested instead that he be tried by a civil court, which he thought would be more favourable, but Clive refused, noting that

6580-468: The mutiny which was achieved without any bloodshed. Clive arrived at the fort on 15 May and, after ensuring the post was secured, marched to Smith's brigade which was posted to the frontier to deter a Maratha invasion. The other brigades were less severely affected and only a small minority of officers were dismissed from the service for mutiny. Vacancies in Clive's command were filled with officers taken from

6674-417: The offence was a matter of military law only. The court-martial heard that Fletcher may have been aware of the planned mutiny as early as December, but had not passed on this information to Clive until his letter of 25 April. Additionally it heard evidence that Fletcher had been the instigator of the mass resignations. The court-martial found Fletcher guilty of breaching the third and fourth articles of

6768-462: The officers was subject to a formal cashiering where his sword and spontoon were broken over his head and his officer's sash cut up in front of a parade of the troops at Bankipore. Clive's private secretary, Henry Strachey, made a report on the mutiny to a secret committee of the British House of Commons, which was published publicly in 1773. Strachey was of the opinion that, had the mutiny over

6862-589: The palace and the Public Audience Hall inside the fort, which are now seen mostly in ruins, are used as a jail and a school for the convicts. Tomb of Mullah Mohammed Said was situated on the bastion at the south-west of the fort, but has since been removed. Mulla Mohammed Said hailing from Mazandran near the Caspian Sea , was a Persian poet (under the nom-de-plume of Ashraf). He was employed by Emperor Aurangzeb to tutor his daughter Zebunnisa Begum . He

6956-406: The plot and arrest them, for trial by officers of Clive's choosing (they would normally be tried by officers of their own brigade). Clive received no reply to this letter and began to suspect that Fletcher may have been involved in the affair. Clive considered that the company's order to withdraw the batta was premature but did not want to appear weak by making concessions to the officers. There

7050-417: The province into the sphere of influence of the East India Company . Clive afterwards served as Governor of the company's Bengal Presidency . Clive returned to England in 1760 but failed to establish himself as a politician. Clive was appointed by the company as Governor of Bengal once more in 1765 at a time of crisis for the presidency, Mir Jafar had been deposed by Mir Qasim and the province invaded by

7144-482: The remainder. All of the ensigns, many of the lieutenants and some of the captains were accepted back into the company's service. Those who rejoined were compelled to sign a contract requiring one years notice of resignation. Barker's brigade was brought up to Allahabad to reinforce the frontier against the threatened Maratha invasion but it was not necessary, the frontier remained quiet. The mutiny in Barker's command

7238-512: The reverse. The British Numismatic Society identified the medal as that of the Minerva Lodge of the Freemasons in 1927. The United Service Institution of India noted in 1929 that the motto and depiction of Minerva make the medal better suited to a non-military application and that it "may be discarded as a military decoration". They also noted that it does not resemble any other medal ever issued by

7332-435: The ringleaders. The mutiny was less widespread in Barker's brigade, and he refused to accept the commissions offered to him. Barker discovered his adjutant , Ensign Robertson was a ring leader and sent him and three others to Calcutta under arrest. Barker also discovered 140,000 rupees (£16,000), sent to support the mutineers from civilians in Calcutta, into which Clive requested the company investigate. Clive gathered

7426-457: The rule of Muhammad bin Tughluq of Delhi . But its ancient history, as a town, mostly ruled by Hindu kings, is initially traced from a stone inscription to Chandra Gupta Maurya (4th century BC), (after whom it was initially called Gupta Garhis) and later dated to the kingdom of Anga , the capital of which was at Champa near Bhagalpur , and the Pala kings in the 9th century AD. Munger, which

7520-462: The second section of the articles of war, for having incited sedition and failing to pass on knowledge of the intended mutiny. The court-martial was hesitant to pass a severe sentence (capital punishment was permitted for mutiny) as it considered that the act of parliament under which the mutineers were tried implied a formal contract of employment was necessary to bring a mutiny charge. The men were sentenced to be cashiered instead. At least one of

7614-407: The troops were in the service of the Nawab of Bengal Mir Jafar . Clive's order came into effect on 1 January 1766 and brought the allowances into line with those paid by the company in the rest of India. At this time the company army in Bengal was divided into three brigades under the command of Sir Robert Fletcher , Richard Smith and Robert Barker . There was some dissent against reductions to

7708-404: Was a Turkish bath (hammam) and a dressing room to the west of the present day jailer's office. An interesting feature noted below the floor of the mosque is a dry well or pit of 10–12 feet (3.0–3.7 m) depth, which leads to several tunnels running in different directions. The well was, in earlier times, connected to the river through an opening, which has since been shored up. The Khas Mahal of

7802-463: Was also known for encouraging culture and had many scholars in his court. But all this ended soon as he had serious differences on trade and other administrative practices with the British. Mir Qasim later had to use the fort as a base for waging war against the British. But he was defeated in 1764. Later, he turned out to be a poor looser as he disgraced himself by committing serious atrocities on his own people in Munger fort and also in Patna, and also on

7896-453: Was also under the employment of Azim Shah, grandson of Aurangzeb, and who was the viceroy of Bihar. The Mullah, while on his way from Bengal to Mecca , died at Munger fort in 1704 and his tomb existed inside the fort. The Ganges river that flows in front of Munger fort takes a turn in its flow direction towards the north ('Uttara vahini' in Sanskrit means: "north flowing"). At this location,

7990-401: Was considerable ill feeling towards Clive as a result and some threats against his life were made, which he dismissed saying the officers were "Englishmen, not assassins". However, Clive worried that the threatened Maratha invasion or a spread of the mutiny to his Indian regiments would compel him to reach a settlement. Clive wrote to Calcutta on 29 April to notify the company leadership of

8084-463: Was destroyed by the British to build the 'Collector's Bangalow'. When this strong Kothi (a masonry structure) was demolished by blasting, underground rooms were found. In addition, in a well in the compound of the bungalow, two arched passages were found; one lead to the house and the other in an opposite direction to the Shuja palace (now a prison). Stone carvings and sculptures were seen in exposed masonry of

8178-413: Was established. This tradition has continued to this day; several hundred families who have specialised in the manufacture of guns are continuing with this old tradition. He further added to the fortifications and also built palaces in the fort. Mir Quasim came to be known as a just ruler (he tried to eliminate corruption and injustice) but was also feared by his opponents as a fierce and ruthless warrior. He

8272-558: Was later under the ownership of Maharaja of Vizianagram and then by the Raja of Murshidabad . Since 1978, it is under the ownership of the Bihar School of Yoga . Swami Satyananda Saraswati founder of the Yoga School has renamed it as 'Ganga Darshan'. The Yoga School is now renowned as a world centre for modern yogic/tantric renaissance. An old platform near the hill, in front of the bungalow,

8366-456: Was made governor of the region after protracted negotiations with his brothers Dara Shikoh , Murad and Aurangzeb, and under the treaty of 1658 Munger was added to Shuja's reign. Shuja built a palace on the west side of the fort, which has been described as " very large house where the king (Suja) lived, walled next to the river, for about one and half Kos with bricks and stones, with a wall fifteen yards high". However, in 1745, Mustafa Khan,

8460-459: Was more committed in its resolve and there was almost unanimous support for the mutiny among its officers. The plan was for all officers to resign their commissions en masse on 1 June 1766 if the batta order was not rescinded, though as a bargaining strategy they would agree to serve unpaid for a further two weeks to allow Clive time to meet their demands. To avoid accusations of mutiny the officers would refuse to draw their salary for June, which

8554-449: Was much smaller, his officers proved more loyal and his European enlisted men, being recent recruits, had little connection with the mutinying officers and chose not to side with them. Barker was suspicious of the artillery detachment and chose to take command of that unit himself. Because all officers in this brigade continued to serve Clive chose to restore all of the officers of that unit whose resignations he had received. Vacancies in

8648-423: Was paid in advance. Some 200 officers joined the plot, swearing oaths to not accept reinstatement unless the batta was restored on penalty of a fine of £500. The officers also swore oaths that they would intervene to prevent the executions of any of their comrades. Acknowledging that some officers may be dismissed from the service as a result of the action a subscription was raised among the mutineers and some of

8742-463: Was substituted by Afghan rule. In 1590, the importance of the fort was enhanced by making it the headquarters of Bihar army of the rulers of Gaur under their general named Kutub Khan. Nasrat Shah had succeeded Hussain Shah in Bengal and his brother-in-law, Makhdun Alam, was given control of the Munger fort, which he, in turn, passed on to his general Kutub Khan. From the time of the reign of Akbar in

8836-558: Was under the rule of the Karnataka dynasty of Mithila , was taken over by Bhaktiyar Khalji in 1225 AD and subsequently under the Khalji ruler, Gyasuddin Khalji . For a brief period, it came under the control of Sultan of Bengal between 1301 CE and 1322 CE, following a peace treaty with Khaljis. This was followed by annexation of the area to Delhi by Muhammad bin Tughluq , during 1342 CE. Inscriptions reveal that repairs were carried out to

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