Eminent Freedom Fighters & Personalities of UP

1. Freedom Fighters (1757-1857)

Trend: Focus on Local Resistance and Unsung Heroes of the 1857 Mutiny.

Key Figures of the Great Revolt

• Mangal Pandey (Ballia):
  • Role: Sepoy of 34th BNI who fired the first shot at Barrackpore (March 29, 1857).
  • Impact: His execution triggered the collective mutiny across the Gangetic belt.
• Begum Hazrat Mahal (Lucknow):
  • Role: Led the resistance in Awadh; crowned her minor son Birjis Qadr.
  • Legacy: Refused British pension and died in asylum in Nepal.
• Rani Laxmibai (Jhansi):
  • Role: Refused the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’; defended Jhansi fort.
  • Quote: “Main apni Jhansi nahi dungi”. Died fighting in Gwalior.
• Maulvi Liyakat Ali (Prayagraj):
  • Role: A weaver-turned-maulvi who captured the Khusro Bagh and declared independence in Allahabad.
• Bakht Khan (Bijnor):
  • Role: Commander-in-Chief of Indian rebel forces in Delhi; belonged to the Rohilla clan of UP.
• Rao Kadam Singh (Meerut):
  • Role: Gurjar leader from Parikshitgarh who declared himself King and fought British forces in Mawana/Meerut.
• Jhalkari Bai (Jhansi):
  • Role: Commander of the women’s wing (Durga Dal); disguised herself as the Queen to allow Laxmibai to escape.

 Current Affairs Linkage :

• Rani Durgavati & Jhalkari Bai: Massive celebrations of Rani Durgavati’s 500th Birth Anniversary (2024) in Bundelkhand aimed to highlight the region’s martial tradition, linking her legacy to Jhalkari Bai.
• Dhan Singh Gurjar: The State Police Training College in Meerut has introduced a curriculum module on his role as the “Kotwal” who opened the jail gates on May 10, 1857.

2. Revolutionaries & Martyrs (Post-1857)

Trend: Shift in terminology from “Conspiracy” to “Action” and focus on HRA/HSRA.

The Kakori Heroes

• Ram Prasad Bismil (Shahjahanpur):
  • Role: Founder of HRA; Mastermind of Kakori Train Action.
  • Literary Work: Wrote “Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna” (Bismil Azimabadi’s poem popularized by him).
• Ashfaqullah Khan (Shahjahanpur):
  • Role: Symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity in the revolutionary movement; Hanged in Faizabad jail.
• Roshan Singh (Shahjahanpur):
  • Role: Hanged in Naini (Prayagraj) jail for the Kakori Action.
• Chandra Shekhar Azad (Unnao/Prayagraj):
  • Role: Reorganized HRA into HSRA; planned the Saunders killing.
  • Martyrdom: Alfred Park, Allahabad (now Azad Park).
• Vishnu Sharan Dublish (Meerut):
  • Role: Revolutionary turned Congressman; accused in the Kakori case but later acquitted; served in Lok Sabha.

 Current Affairs Linkage :

• Kakori Centenary: The UP Government has officially launched the “Kakori Train Action Centenary Festival” (Aug 2024-25).
• Renaming: Official documents now strictly use “Kakori Train Action” instead of “Conspiracy” to honor the sentiment of the freedom struggle.

3. Nationalist Leaders & Social Reformers (Post-1857)

Trend: Questions on Socialism, Peasant Movements, and Constitutional contributions.

INC & Socialist Leaders

• Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya (Prayagraj):
  • Contribution: Founded BHU (1916); popularized “Satyameva Jayate”; President of INC (1909, 1918).
• Motilal Nehru & Jawaharlal Nehru (Prayagraj):
  • Contribution: Swaraj Party formation; Drafting of the Constitution; Architect of Modern India.
• Govind Vallabh Pant (Almora/UP):
  • Contribution: First CM of UP; Abolished Zamindari system; Key role in the Kakori Case defense.
• Acharya Narendra Dev (Sitapur):
  • Contribution: Father of Democratic Socialism in India; Principal of Kashi Vidyapeeth.
• Purushottam Das Tandon (Prayagraj):
  • Contribution: “Rajarshi”; Championed Hindi as the official language; Speaker of UP Assembly.
• Rafi Ahmed Kidwai (Barabanki):
  • Contribution: Socialist leader; Integrated Communication Minister; key strategist for Congress in UP.
• Ram Manohar Lohia (Ambedkar Nagar):
  • Contribution: “Sapta Kranti” (Seven Revolutions) theory; Champion of OBC rights and non-Congressism.

Peasant & Mass Leaders

• Swami Sahajanand Saraswati (Ghazipur):
  • Contribution: Founder of All India Kisan Sabha (1936); lead the anti-zamindari struggle.
• Chittu Pandey (Ballia):
  • Contribution: “Sher-e-Ballia”; Formed a Parallel Government during Quit India Movement (1942).
• Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi (Kanpur):
  • Contribution: Editor of “Pratap”; died saving people during communal riots in Kanpur (1931).
• Raja Mahendra Pratap (Hathras):
  • Contribution: Formed the first Provisional Government of India in Kabul (1915); donated land for AMU.

Women & Minority Leaders

• Sucheta Kripalani: First Woman CM of UP; led the Quit India movement underground wing.
• Asaf Ali: Prominent lawyer (defended Bhagat Singh); First Ambassador to the USA.
• Maulana Mohammad Ali & Shaukat Ali (Rampur): Khilafat Movement leaders; founded Jamia Millia Islamia.
• Hasrat Mohani (Unnao): Coined the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad”; first to demand Purna Swaraj (1921).

 Current Affairs Linkage :

• Raja Mahendra Pratap University: The state university in Aligarh named after him is now fully operational, correcting the historical oversight of his contributions.
• Chittu Pandey Memorial: UP Govt announced a grand memorial in Ballia (2025) to commemorate the Parallel Government.

4. Famous Personalities: Literature, Arts & Culture

Trend: Linking personalities to ODOP, GI Tags, and Cultural Heritage.

Literary Giants

• Amir Khusro (Patiali, Kasganj):
  • Title: Tota-e-Hind.
  • Contribution: Father of Qawwali, Khari Boli, and Sitar.
• Banbhatta: Court poet of Harshavardhana (Kannauj); wrote Harshacharita.
• Ziauddin Barani (Bulandshahr): Medieval historian (Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi).
• Mirza Ghalib (Agra): Legendary Urdu poet; associated with the decline of the Mughal court.
• Majrooh Sultanpuri (Sultanpur): First lyricist to win the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
• Bekal Utsahi (Balrampur): Poet and politician; promoted communal harmony.
• Bhagwati Charan Verma (Unnao): Hindi novelist (Chitralekha).

Music & Arts

• Ustad Bismillah Khan (Varanasi):
  • Instrument: Shehnai Maestro (Bharat Ratna).
  • Legacy: Performed at the Red Fort on August 15, 1947.
• Pandit Ravi Shankar (Varanasi):
  • Instrument: Sitar Virtuoso (Bharat Ratna); Globalized Indian classical music.

Sports

• Major Dhyan Chand (Prayagraj/Jhansi):
  • Title: “The Wizard of Hockey”.
  • Legacy: National Sports Day (Aug 29); Major Dhyan Chand Sports University (Meerut).

 Current Affairs Linkage :

• Sant Kabir Academy: Inaugurated in Maghar to promote the philosophy of Kabir Das.
• Padma Awards 2024-25: Recognition of local artisans and folk artists (e.g., Khalil Ahmed for Durrie weaving) keeps the legacy of UP’s artistic personalities alive.

5. Political Architects of Modern UP

• Atal Bihari Vajpayee:
  • Significance: 3-time PM; Representative of Lucknow; “Good Governance Day” (Dec 25).
• V.P. Singh: Implementation of Mandal Commission; former CM of UP.
• Mahavir Tyagi: Freedom fighter and Parliamentarian known for his wit and defense of democratic rights.

 Current Affairs Linkage :

• Rashtriya Prerna Sthal: Inaugurated in Lucknow (Dec 2024), featuring massive statues of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deendayal Upadhyaya, and SP Mookerjee.
• Vajpayee Medical University: The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University in Lucknow is now functioning as the nodal center for medical education in the state.