Chaurasee des
Topic: The Revolt of 1857 · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Rebels and the Raj"
Meaning
Chaurasee des means "eighty-four villages". It was the network of villages linked by kinship (family and clan ties) to Shah Mal's large Jat clan in pargana Barout, in present-day Uttar Pradesh. In 1857 Shah Mal used this network to rouse the people against oppressive British land revenue. It shows how local kin ties helped spread the revolt in the countryside.
Example
In 1857, Shah Mal moved from village to village at night, rallying the headmen and cultivators of the chaurasee des. With their support he destroyed a bridge and metalled roads, which were symbols of British rule.
Related concepts
- Sepoy panchayat
- Charles Ball
- Nana Sahib
- Azimullah Khan
- Rani Lakshmibai
- Tantia Tope
- Kunwar Singh
- Birjis Qadr
- Begum Hazrat Mahal
- Bakht Khan