Man Singh (dacoit)
Encyclopedia
Man Singh, known as "Daku Man Singh", meaning Dacoit Maan Singh, was a notorious dacoit
, or bandit, born in Agra
to a Rajput Family.
kings of the late 19th century. Singh lived in the village of Khera Rathore in the Chambal
region of India
, where a maze of deep ravines and scrub forests had hidden generations of outlaws since the 13th century .
Between 1939 and 1955, Singh is credited with 1,112 robberies and 185 murders, including the killing of 32 police officers. Man Singh headed a gang of 17, most of them his brothers and nephews, who were unchallenged in the Chambal Valley. The police registered over a hundred cases against him, ranging from kidnapping to murder, until he and his son, Subedar Singh, were shot dead by Gurkha
troops in 1955 while sitting under a banyan
tree in Kakekapura or Bhind
, Madhya Pradesh
.
S.N. Subba Rao heard Singh speak on stage in 1953 at a public function in Chambal: “I was surprised to hear him speak. He was totally unlike what I had read about him in the papers. Though on the peak of his popularity or notoriety, he was respectful and humble. I was impressed with the contradiction he presented. The government wanted him dead with a big inam (reward) on his head and here he was, standing before the adoring public." A Robin Hood
figure who once performed essential social services in hard times and adjudicated local issues, today Singh has a temple in his honor in Khera Rathore. According to Dipankar, a Chambal resident who said that he regularly came to worship at the Man Singh temple, "they were men who fought for the family honour. They are bagis [or rebels]. There is no difference between a bagi and a sadhu
".
Commissionary.
. The cast included Dara Singh
, Nishi, Shaikh Mukhtar, Jeevan
, Shyam Kumar, and Guddi Maruti; the music was by Sardul Kwatra. It was produced by Time Life Films. However, the film, which showed the rural dacoits defying established power and serving the poor, was not strictly factual.
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
, or bandit, born in Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
to a Rajput Family.
Biography
Singh took to crime due to poverty and discrimination. Popularly known as "Thakur Man Singh", his ancestors were famous RajputRajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
kings of the late 19th century. Singh lived in the village of Khera Rathore in the Chambal
Chambal
Chambal may refer to:* Chambal Jatt* Chambal Division* Chambal River...
region of India
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...
, where a maze of deep ravines and scrub forests had hidden generations of outlaws since the 13th century .
Between 1939 and 1955, Singh is credited with 1,112 robberies and 185 murders, including the killing of 32 police officers. Man Singh headed a gang of 17, most of them his brothers and nephews, who were unchallenged in the Chambal Valley. The police registered over a hundred cases against him, ranging from kidnapping to murder, until he and his son, Subedar Singh, were shot dead by Gurkha
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
troops in 1955 while sitting under a banyan
Banyan
A banyan is a fig that starts its life as an epiphyte when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree...
tree in Kakekapura or Bhind
Bhind
Bhind is a town in Bhind District, Madhya Pradesh, India.The chhatri of Malhar Rao Holkar at Alampur is great archaeology chhatri in Bhind district-Demographics:...
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
.
S.N. Subba Rao heard Singh speak on stage in 1953 at a public function in Chambal: “I was surprised to hear him speak. He was totally unlike what I had read about him in the papers. Though on the peak of his popularity or notoriety, he was respectful and humble. I was impressed with the contradiction he presented. The government wanted him dead with a big inam (reward) on his head and here he was, standing before the adoring public." A Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
figure who once performed essential social services in hard times and adjudicated local issues, today Singh has a temple in his honor in Khera Rathore. According to Dipankar, a Chambal resident who said that he regularly came to worship at the Man Singh temple, "they were men who fought for the family honour. They are bagis [or rebels]. There is no difference between a bagi and a sadhu
Sadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
".
Successors
Successors of Singh are presently living at Khera Rathore near the river Chambal. His grandson Tehsildar Singh, who was formerly also a famous dacoit of Chambal along with contemporaries such as Daku Madho Singh, Mohar Singh, Chhidda Makhan, is presently living with his family at Sheopur, near the MorenaMorena
Morena is a city and a municipality in Morena district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is also known as Muraina and is the administrative headquarters of Morena District and of Chambal Division. It is 39 km away from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh...
Commissionary.
Lion of the Chambal
Local inhabitants of Chambal, especially the Rajput Community of Chambal Vally, referred to Singh as "Chambal Ka Sher" (Lion of The Chambal). There are many folk songs and Noutanki plays based on the stories of his life. Songs about Singh include "Rasta Chalta Koi Nahin Loota, Na Bahino Se Chheene Haar" "Jo Bhi Mila So Baant Diya, Bahino Ko Pahinaye Bhaat".The movie
Daku Man Singh is the title of a 1971 movie, directed by Babubhai MistryBabubhai Mistry
Babubhai Mistry is an Indian film director and special effects pioneer who is best known for his films based on Hindu mythology, such as Mahabharat , and Parasmani ....
. The cast included Dara Singh
Dara Singh
Dara Singh Randhawa is a wrestler and Indian film actor. He was born in a Jat Sikh family of Punjabi background.He was a wrestler before he started acting in Hindi films in 1962....
, Nishi, Shaikh Mukhtar, Jeevan
Jeevan
Jeevan is a Tamil film actor.-Biography:He graduated from the St. Bede's School in Chennai. One of his classmates was actor Surya Sivakumar.-Career:...
, Shyam Kumar, and Guddi Maruti; the music was by Sardul Kwatra. It was produced by Time Life Films. However, the film, which showed the rural dacoits defying established power and serving the poor, was not strictly factual.