Kura Singh

Kura Singh was a resident of Thana Bhavan (‘Thanah Bhowun’ in British record), a small town in Shamli or Shamlee (formerly part of Muzaffarnagar district) in the North-Western Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh). He took an active part in the First War of Independence of 1857. He fought against the British on several occasions. In the month of May 1857, local Muslims under the leadership of an Indian Muslim Sufi scholar Imdadullah Muhajir Makki gathered at Thana Bhawan and staged a violent protest against Company Raj. In the uprising not only the Muslims but villagers of other religions also took part. They were inspired by the revolt of Meerut. Later, British forces secretly gathered intelligence and attacked them. Then the famous Battle of Shamli or say Battle of Thana Bhawan took place between the forces of Haji Imdadullah and the British. Kura Singh along with Himachal Singh and other warriors fought in the defense of Thana Bhavan against the British attack. Unfortunately, Shamli fell to the British, and Thana Bhawan was largely destroyed by British forces. Kura Singh and his associates were caught by the advancing British troops and charged with plundering the Government property and rebellion against the British. Kura Singh was sentenced to imprisonment for life in 1858 and deported to the Andaman Islands where he took his last breath in captivity in 1859.