Nana Sahib

Prominent rebel of the Indian Mutiny, the adopted son of the ex-peshwa of the Marathas Baji Rao II (1796–1818). At the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny (1857) he became the leader of the Sepoys in Cawnpore, and organized the massacre of the British residents. After the collapse of the rebellion he escaped into Nepal, and died in the hills some time later.

Nana Sahib (Dhondu Pant by birth) was a famous Indian leader during the Rebellion of 1857 , notable for ordering the massacre of over a hundred British women and children who were his prisoners and then fleeing across the border to Nepal.

Nana Sahib was born in the year 1824 to Narayan Bhatt and Ganga Bai. However, after the death of Baji Rao II in 1851 the East India Company stopped the pension due to his successor on the grounds that Nana Sahib was only an adopted son. His English-educated right hand man was a Muslim named Azimullah Khan, who was very instrumental in advising the Nana Sahib.

Nana's general Tantya Tope fought in many battles during the conflict and led Nana Sahib's troops during the siege of Kanpur (Cawnpore).

Initially, Nana Sahib had promised to assist the British trapped there, but quickly joined the rebelling sepoys. After a brutal siege Nana Sahib offered the British an ultimatum; The weakened British agreed and withdrew towards the boats supplied by the Nana. Regardless who fired first, the retreat was a trap and the Nana ordered his troops to fire on the British with musket and with canon.

After it became obvious that the British would retake Kanpur the Nana ruthlessly ordered butchers to kill all the women and children in the hope that this would influence the British to abandon their march. They didn't, and as a result Nana Sahib fled into hiding.

Under the leadership of General Havelock the British were able to overthrow the rebels and recaptured Kanpur.