A new site, built from published sources. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us
Telugu Historyతెలుగు చరిత్ర

Maulvi Allauddin

Muslim religious teacher of Hyderabad who, with the Rohilla leader Turrebaz Khan, led the attack on the British Residency on 17 July 1857. He hid in villages near the city for about two years, was caught at Mangalpalli, and was sentenced by the Nizam's court to transportation for life. He was sent to the Andamans in June 1859 and died there in about 1884.

The Residency gate, a castellated gateway between two round towers, with people in front.
The Residency gate, a castellated gateway between two round towers, with people in front. · A. Claude Campbell (ed.) (opens in a new tab) · Public domain

Maulvi Allauddin was a maulvi (Muslim religious teacher) in Hyderabad.1 On 17 July 1857 he and Turrebaz Khan led about 500 Rohillas against the British Residency.2 After the attack failed he hid for about two years.3 He was then tried by the Nizam’s court and sent to the Andaman Islands for life.4

His story is told in The Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, compiled by a Hyderabad State committee in 1956.2 The book prints his statement, the statements of the man who sheltered him, and the court’s judgment.567

The attack on the Residency

The attack followed a meeting at the Mecca Masjid on 17 July 1857.8 The crowd wanted the release of thirteen soldiers who had mutinied at Aurangabad and been handed to the Resident.8 In the evening Salar Jung warned the Resident that about 500 Rohillas were coming, led by Allauddin and Turrebaz Khan.2

A letter printed in the Englishman newspaper describes three maulvis among the attackers.9 It says that one of them, Allauddin, was a very tall man who carried the standard.9 The attackers held two houses near the Residency through the night and left before dawn.10

The search for him

After the attack the Resident heard that Allauddin was hiding in the city.11 He was said to hold a paper with 300 seals of people who had agreed to join the rising.11 The Resident added that this might be only a rumour.11

The Resident also suspected a nobleman, Iktidar-ul-Mulk, of protecting Allauddin.1 Iktidar-ul-Mulk’s father, Shams-ul-Umra, denied any link.1 The committee’s own view is that Allauddin knew the family only through a respected Sufi teacher, Shujauddin, to whom he was related.1

The Nizam’s government ordered his property confiscated.12 It offered a reward of Rs. 4,000 for him and for Turrebaz Khan.13

Hiding and arrest

In his statement Allauddin said he first hid on a hill near Begum Bazar.6 He then spent about a month at another place before moving to Mangalpalli, near Ibrahimpatnam.61 There a villager, Peer Mohammad, gave him shelter.6

He said two things gave him away.3 He asked Peer Mohammad to change a gold sovereign for him.3 He also gave villagers charms to drive away an epidemic.3 A military party came to Peer Mohammad’s house at about two in the morning and arrested him.5

Trial and transportation

The Hyderabad City Court tried him.7 He told the court that a man named Kutub Khan had spoken to him about the rising in northern India.7 He had replied that such work needed great men with armies.7

The court held that he had planned to attack the Residency, and it sentenced him to transportation for life.4 On 28 June 1859 he was sent out of Hyderabad on the way to the Andamans.4 The committee writes that he stayed there as a prisoner until his death in about 1884.4

Where the sources disagree

The papers printed by the committee give different pictures of his part in the attack:

  • The Resident and Salar Jung named him, with Turrebaz Khan, as a leader of the attackers.2
  • Peer Mohammad repeated what Allauddin had told him: that others had pressed him to lead them, and that he had said he was only a preacher.5
  • Allauddin told the court that a crowd gathered at his house after shots were fired.7 He said he joined it believing there was no escape from death for him.7

Footnotes

  1. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 64 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  2. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 51 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 74 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 82 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 65, statement of Peer Mohammad (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  6. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 73, statement of Allauddin (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  7. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 81, the judgment of the Hyderabad City Court (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  8. The Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 50 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  9. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 61, a letter printed in the Englishman of 1 August 1857 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  10. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 52 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  11. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 56, the Resident’s report of 23 July 1857 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  12. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 63 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  13. Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1956), p. 69 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

Photos

References

Sources (1)
  1. Hyderabad State Committee Appointed for the Compilation of a History of the Freedom Movement, The Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad, Vol. II (1857-1885) (opens in a new tab), Hyderabad State Committee, Hyderabad, 1956, pp. 51, 56, 61, 63–65, 69, 73–75, 81–82. Public domain in India; paraphrased. [Public domain in India]

Spotted an error on this page? Tell us

Last updated: