ShodhPatra: International Journal of Science and Humanities

The Revolt of 1857 in Chhattisgarh: A Historical Analysis of Veer Narayan Singh’s Resistance in Sonakhan

The Revolt of 1857 represents a defining moment in the history of India's anti-colonial struggle against British rule. While scholarly attention has predominantly focused on the major centres of rebellion such as Meerut, Delhi, Kanpur, and Jhansi, the contribution of regional resistance movements has remained comparatively underexplored. Among these regional struggles, the resistance led by Veer Narayan Singh, the zamindar of Sonakhan in present-day Chhattisgarh, occupies a significant position. His humanitarian intervention during the famine of 1856–1857, particularly the redistribution of food grains to starving peasants, challenged both colonial authority and the exploitative practices of local grain merchants. His subsequent arrest, escape from imprisonment, mobilization of local support, and armed resistance against the British administration transformed him into one of the earliest freedom fighters of central India.