A pleasant surprise awaits readers of ‘The Battle of Narnaul’. Here is a book that moves beyond colonial accounts of the victors to indigenous storytelling that evokes awe and pride.
The book is divided into three parts: Rao Tula Ram’s ascent to power in Rewari; his role during the 1857 Mutiny, culminating in a fierce face-off at Narnaul which was more than a mere “skirmish”; and finally, how Tula Ram escaped tactical defeat to diplomatically attempt a regional Great Game. This strategy is presented as a ‘Global Plot’, involving a proposed Russian attack through Persia and Afghanistan on British India. Tula Ram’s early death led to discussions on the “what if” possibilities.
Remarkably, 53 chapters, 19 appendices and scholarly notes are packed into a spiffy 304-page book without impeding the narrative flow.
Rewari, a vast kingdom with ancient origins, came under British control after the defeat of the Marathas in 1803. Due to East India Company machinations and Ahirwal family disputes settled through shrewd British intervention, what Rao Tula Ram inherited in 1839 at the age of 14 was just 87.5 villages generating Rs 5 lakh in annual revenue — along with residual angst.
A day’s journey from Delhi, Rewari held strategic value in 1857, controlling access to south Haryana and Rajasthan. When the British sought Rewari’s assistance after their bloody recapture of Delhi that September, Tula Ram — already supporting the rebels under Emperor Bahadur Shah’s notional leadership — prepared for war instead.
On November 10, 1857, a British column of 1,500 troops under Colonel JG Gerrard departed from Delhi, swelling to 3,500 on the way. On November 16, the column halted for rest at Nasibpur on the outskirts of Narnaul. That’s when a hastily assembled, 5,000-strong Rewari force launched a surprise attack, with Tula Ram conceiving the opening cavalry charge that mauled the British right flank, killing Colonel Gerrard and other officers.
Firm British leadership as well as superior firepower and tactics ultimately turned the tables during the three-hour battle, with the brave but poorly synergised Rewari force suffering 400-500 dead or wounded against 80 British casualties. Tula Ram himself narrowly escaped capture.
Hagiography exaggerates losses on both sides; in truth, Narnaul was a battle of medium intensity, not among the Mutiny’s fiercest. Even so, Tula Ram’s choice to strike a complacent British force lends the battle a genuinely intuitive feel.
The book has considerable merit. It correctly identifies religion as a unifying, and not a disruptive, factor in 1857, and candidly lists princely states that sided with the British. Much of the content is backed by deep research as well as both factual and graphic evidence.
While references to Tula Ram are needlessly romanticised, the discordant leadership and poor preparedness of the Rewari force are not glossed over. Above all, the book captures the extraordinary vision and grit of a king without a kingdom, who sought to rally fellow princes behind Russia in its Great Game rivalry with Britain.
The best takeaway from the book is this fresh genre helping Indians rediscover their true military history.