Rango Bapuji Gupte
Encyclopedia
Rango Bāpuji Gupte (??? – Missing July 5, 1857) was an India
n diplomat, freedom fighter, and a revolutionary
.
The rulers at Satara
were one of last independent branches of the Maratha Empire
. After the British dissolved the state in 1839, ruler Pratapsinh sent Rango Bapuji Gupte to England to defend the case in front of the British Parliament. He stayed there for 14 years without much success.
After returning to India, he became "one of the masterminds behind the 1857 revolt", known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857
. He met Nanasaheb Peshwe and Tatya Tope
and started building armed organizations in Satara
, Kolhapur, Sangli
, and Belgaon. However when his plan was exposed, many of the fighters he had recruited were killed
and Gupte went underground. In 1857, he went to Thane
to attend a religious ceremony at his relative Prabhakar Viththal Gupte's residence near Jambhali Naka. When British police arrived to arrest him, Gupte escaped in the disguise of an old woman and was never found again. In his memory the Jambhali Naka has been named as Rango Bapuji Chowk.
It is said that Gupte lived incognito in the Darwha
town. A memorial named 'Char Bhinti' in Satara honors Rango Bapuji Gupte.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n diplomat, freedom fighter, and a revolutionary
Revolutionary movement for Indian independence
The Revolutionary movement for Indian independence is often a less-highlighted aspect of the Indian independence movement -- the underground revolutionary factions. The groups believing in armed revolution against the ruling British fall into this category. The revolutionary groups were...
.
The rulers at Satara
Satara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
were one of last independent branches of the Maratha Empire
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
. After the British dissolved the state in 1839, ruler Pratapsinh sent Rango Bapuji Gupte to England to defend the case in front of the British Parliament. He stayed there for 14 years without much success.
After returning to India, he became "one of the masterminds behind the 1857 revolt", known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
. He met Nanasaheb Peshwe and Tatya Tope
Tatya Tope
Ramachandra Pandurang Tope , popularly known as Tatya Tope , was an Indian leader in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and one of its finest generals. He was a personal adherent of Nana Sahib of Kanpur. He progressed with the Gwalior contingent after the British reoccupation of Kanpur and forced...
and started building armed organizations in Satara
Satara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
, Kolhapur, Sangli
Sangli
Sangli is a city in the state of Maharashtra of India. Sangli is known as the Turmeric city for its vast production of Turmeric. Sangli is situated on the banks of river Krishna and is the largest market place for Turmeric in Asia and houses many sugar factories, which it is also noted for...
, and Belgaon. However when his plan was exposed, many of the fighters he had recruited were killed
and Gupte went underground. In 1857, he went to Thane
Thane
Thane , is a city in Maharashtra, India, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, northeastern suburb of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek. It is the administrative headquarters of Thane district. On 16 April 1853, G.I.P...
to attend a religious ceremony at his relative Prabhakar Viththal Gupte's residence near Jambhali Naka. When British police arrived to arrest him, Gupte escaped in the disguise of an old woman and was never found again. In his memory the Jambhali Naka has been named as Rango Bapuji Chowk.
It is said that Gupte lived incognito in the Darwha
Darwha
Darwha is a town and a municipal council in Yavatmal district in the state of Maharashtra, India.-Demographics: India census, Darwha had a population of 23,360. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Darwha has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of...
town. A memorial named 'Char Bhinti' in Satara honors Rango Bapuji Gupte.