The story of the bravery of Jannayak Tantya Bhil in songs

The name of the great freedom fighter of the tribal community of Madhya Pradesh, Tantya Bhil, is taken with great respect and honour among the revolutionary heroes and freedom fighters of India’s first freedom struggle of 1857. This great freedom fighter of tribal society is also called Robinhood of India. The interesting aspect is that the representatives of the British rule, who were in trouble due to the valour, courage and unequalled sense of freedom of Tantya Bhil, had given the title of “Indian Robinhood” to Jannayak Tantya Bhil.

Tantya Bhil was born in the year 1840 at the house of Shri Bhausingh Bhil in Barda Ahir village of Pandhana tehsil of East Nimar (Khandwa district) of the then Central Provinces. At some places the year 1842 is also mentioned as his birth.

The real name of Tantya Bhil was Tautia. He was also affectionately called by the name of Tantya Mama. He was reverently called “Mama” by people of all age groups. This address of “Mama” became so popular that even today people of Bhil tribe feel proud to call him “Mama”. Tantya Bhil was courageous and smart since childhood. He was a great marksman and proficient in traditional archery as well as highly skilled in guerrilla warfare. He also knew how to shoot a gun. Tantya Bhil was considered rich in indomitable courage, extraordinary agility, amazing skill.

By the time of 1857, the whole of India, including Madhya Pradesh, especially the eastern and western Nimar and Malwa regions, had been plagued by the tyranny of the British. With the establishment of British rule in the Malwa and Nimar regions, they started inflicting atrocities and cruelty on the citizens day by day and started torturing the entire tribal society, especially the Bhil Bhilala people very oppressively. It was at such a time that a great Bhil (warrior) revolutionary, freedom fighter Jannayak Tantya Bhil emerged in the Nimar region itself.

Tantya faced the terror of the British at a very young age and became the messiah of the Bhils, Bhilalas and regional people by courageously facing the British with his heroic exploits. The story of the pride of the tribal society of Madhya Pradesh and the valour of the great freedom fighter Tantya Bhil was also registered by the local people in “songs” in their own dialect. Some of those songs are as follows:-

Song No – 01

Dhuan-dhuan tha dhuan-dhuan tha,

Us dhuae me na tha koi bhan.

Us dhund me shoshan ki maun,

Jal raha tha Hindustan.

Gunji this avaz yahan par,

Goonja Hindustan.

Chuppi me sannate ki maun,

Jal raha tha ek toofan.

Dhuan-dhuan tha ………

Meaning: – When Tantya was born, at that time there was a mist of British tyranny. Due to the terror of the British, there was great suffering all around in Malwa Nimar.

Song No – 02

Dhinki dhina dhina na…2

Bijli chamke, badra gaaye.

Ghanghor ghata, jhume chhave.

Andhad ghumad, nach nachave.

Narmada maiya jhakola khave.

Ghera karke, jamke nache gave.

Khushian yahan milke manawe, han manawe.

Dhinki dhina dhina na…2

Meaning:- It was rainy season at that time. Lightning was shining all around. There were thick clouds. A strong wind was blowing. Narmada Ma was in spate, it was flooded. In such a situation, the tribals of Nimar (Madhya Pradesh) celebrate with great joy by dancing and singing when they get a capable leadership in the form of freedom fighter, jan yoddha and revolutionary Tantya in the fight against the British.

Song No – 03

Tantya, Tantya, Tantya, Tantya-2

Ware mardon me marad jhanjhar Tantya-2

Tantya, Tantya……

Kandhe tange daab teekho dhardar Tantya-2

Bhai-bahnon ki laaj rakhwar Tantya-2

Tantya, Tantya……

Sunye bahina ki pukar is par, us par-2

Palka munda dauda aawebaar-baar Tantya

Tantya, Tantya……….

Meaning: – Due to the great suffering of all the people of Nimar on account of the British, when Tantya Bhil emerged as a revolutionary, all the people started hailing him as a deity. People praise him in the form of Veer Tantya, Tantya who holds arrows on the shoulder, Tantya, who saves the honour of brothers and sisters, and Tantya, who frees them from the tyranny of the British.

Song No – 04

Tantya, Tantya, Tantya, Tantya-2

Thana chauki phoonk dare,

Julmi seepda ka mare-2

Kahin joota kahin hunter ki maar Tantya

Tantya, Tantya-2

Sood khoron ka darawe, khata khutda jalawe-2

Nanga bhuka ko de roti ka aadhar Tantya-2

Tantya, Tantya, Tantya, Tantya-2

Meaning: – At a time when British sycophants, Seths, moneylenders and Patels had created a ruckus in Malwa and Nimar along with the British, then Tantya would thrash the soldiers who committed the atrocity. If needed, the revolutionary Bhils and regional people in the form of a detachment would set fire to the police station, post and also used to thrash with the shoe and hunter. He used to intimidate the usurers associated with the British and burn their account books. With the money collected from them, he would provide food and bread etc. to the poor people. In this way everyone praises Tantya.

Song No – 05

Peer hae aur peeron me aala hai tu.

Kaali raaton me din ka ujala hai tu.

Navgaja peer sun bebason ki sada.

Tujhse fariyad karte hain ham gamjada.

He safina bhanwar me bacha aa bacha.

Nakhuda, nakhuda, nakhuda, nakhuda.

Bhookh hai aur khane ko khana nahin.

Ham garibon ka koi thikana nahin.

Haath uthte nahin, paav badhte nahin 2

Jism bejan hai, rooh bejar hai.

Seth chhine kahin, loote afsar kahin.

Jor ka, jabra ka garm bazaar hai-2

Navgaja peer…

Meaning:- The people of Nimar and Malwa region started considering Tantya as a god. Sometimes considering him as Pir Baba and sometimes considering him as the Sun that gives daylight in the dark night, remembering him as a deity who listens to the pleas of the helpless. They would complain to Tantya that we are hungry and do not even have grain to eat. Due to the atrocities of the British, we poor do not even have a place to live. Now even the hands and feet don’t move after suffering atrocities. The situation is that somewhere the Seth, the moneylender extort from us and somewhere the officer commits loot. The market of coercion is hot during the British rule. In such a situation, Pir Baba, Tantya is our support in the form of a deity.

Song No – 06

Navgaja peer tujhko teri aan hai.

Is jamin me hamara tu bhagwan hai.

Apna jalwa dikha, apna jalwa dikha.

Sun hamari sada, sun hamari sada.

Navgaja peer sun bebason ki sada.

Tujhse fariyad karte ham gamzada.

Aur vipda badhi ki akaal aa pada-2

Aake badal jo ruthe to aaye nahin.

Nadi-naalon nay bhi muh dikhaye nahin.

Khet sukhe hain, ujde hain, veeran hain.

Dane-dane ko mohtaj khaliyan hai.

Navgaja peer sun bebason ki sada.

Tujhse fariyad karte ham gamzada.

Navgaja peer …….

Explanation: People stricken by the tyranny of the British, request Tantya that you are our God. You are the one who removes our troubles. With the atrocities of the British, the fields are in ruins and we are starving. People gather at the chaupal and various places to pray for the protection of the helpless.

Song No – 07

Jago jungle wasi jago, Bhil Bhilada jago re.

Kheencho teer kamaan haath me, dharo kulhadi jago re.

Jago jungle wasi……

Khet hamara, jungle, nadi, nala, nahar, pahada re.

Inma dakhal kare jo koi, unko maar pachhada re.

Jago jungle wasi……

Gora muh kala ho jaaye, aisa karo jugada re.

Jago jungle wasi jago, Bhil Bhilada jago re.

Jago jungle wasi…….

Meaning: – Seeing the bravery of Tantya, a lot of public consciousness had been awakened among all the people, especially among the Bhils / tribes. They would inspire each other to attack the British with arrows, axes, etc. and said that the properties including the forests, fields, drains, canals, etc. belongs to the local people only. Those who interfere in these should be thrown out and killed. How can it be that we die of hunger and the British enjoy our wealth? In this way, they started raising awareness among all the Bhils and tribes.

Song No – 08

He……he…… he…… he……2

Aman jwala janjeera bandhe, usi kon me taan.

He……he…… he…… he……2

Haad maas ka tan ni Tantya, bhairon ji ko shwan.

Bhus-bhus garje kaal Kothari, jad garjyo toofan.

He……he…… he…… he……2

Todi taad jail salakhan, phandi gayo diwar.

Bhari chhalanga udyo hawa me, bhairon ka autar.

He……he…… he…… he……2

Meaning:- The people of Nimar and Malwa region started to consider Tantya as an incarnation of Bhairon Baba and started recognising him as a very strong, powerful person made of acid in the form of blood who attacked like a storm.

Tantya Bhil was arrested by the British because of the betrayal of some trusted people. He was kept in the Central India Agency Jail in the British Residency area in Indore. He was later taken to Jabalpur under strict police protection, where he was kept in Jabalpur Jail, chained with heavy chains. Sessions Court Jabalpur sentenced him to death on October 19, 1889 and was then hanged on December 4, 1889. After the execution, fearing that the revolt would break out in the surrounding villages on the Khandwa rail route near Indore near Patalpani railway station, they silently left his dead body in the night by placing it at the spot where his wooden effigies were kept. This place i.e. Patalpani is known today as the Samadhi Sthal of Tantya Bhil. Even today all the train drivers stop the train for a moment in honour of Tantya Mama. In this way, Tantya Mama became immortal in the pages of history by sacrificing himself as a revolutionary and freedom fighter of his country Nimar and Malwa region