Tantya Tope (1814 - 1859)(pronounced Toh-pey), also known as Ram Chandra Pandurang, was an Indian leader in the Indian rebellion of 1857.
Born in at village Yeola in Maharashtra, he was the son of Pandurang Rao Tope, an important noble at the court of the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao II. His father shifted his family with the ill-fated Peshwa to Bithur where his son became the most intimate friend of the Peshwa's adopted son, Nana Dhondu Pant (known as Nana Sahib) and Maharaja Madhav Singhji.
In 1851, when Lord Dalhousie deprived Nana Sahib of his father's pension, Tantya Tope also became a sworn enemy of the British. In May 1857, when the political storm was gaining momentum, he won over the Indian troops of the East India Company, stationed at Kanpur (Cawnpore), established Nana Sahib's authority and became the Commander-in-Chief of his forces.
Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi (c.19 November 1835 – 17 June 1858) (Hindi- झाँसी की रानी Marathi- झाशीची राणी), known as Jhansi Ki Rani, or the queen of Jhansi, was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and a symbol of resistance to British rule in India. She was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, situated in the northern part of India. She is widely admired in India as one of the most famous Indian freedom fighters.
Mangal Pandey (c. 19 July 1827 – 8 April 1857) (Hindi: मंगल पांडे) was a sepoy (soldier) in the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) of the English East India Company. He is widely seen in India as one of its first freedom fighters. The Indian government has issued postage stamps commemorating him as freedom fighter and his life and actions have been adapted to the silver screen.
Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar (Hindi: अबू ज़फर सिराजुद्दीन मुहम्मद बहादुर शाह ज़फर) (Urdu: ابو ظفر سِراجُ الْدین محمد بُہادر شاہ ظفر), also known as Bahadur Shah or Bahadur Shah II (Hindi: बहादुर शाह) (Urdu: بہادر شاہ دوم) (October 1775 – 7 November 1862) was the last of the Mughal emperors in India, as well as the last ruler of the Timurid Dynasty. He was the son of Akbar Shah II and Lalbai, who was a Hindu Rajput. He became the Mughal Emperor upon his father's death on 28 September 1837. Zafar ( Urdu: ظفر ), meaning “victory”[1] was his nom de plume (takhallus) as an Urdu poet. Even in defeat it is traditionally believed that he said[2]
Nana Sahib (born 1824), born as Dhondu Pant, was an Indian leader during the rebellion of 1857. As the adopted son of the exiled Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao II, he sought to restore the Maratha confederacy and the Peshwa tradition. During the initial stages of the First War of Independence in 1857, Nana Sahib declared his loyalty to the British.[1] He won the confidence of Charles Hillersdon, the collector of Kanpur. It was planned that Nana Sahib would assemble a force of 1,500 soldiers, in case the rebellion spread to Kanpur.[2]
