Vasudev Balwant Phadke was born on 4 February 1845. He was born in a small village, Shirdon, Panvel, Raigad District, Maharashtra. In his Childhood, his Grandfather used to tell him stories of Shivaji Maharaj and also told stories of How Britishers conquered India and how they came as traders. From his childhood, he was against Britishers. After forcing him by his family, then he was as a military post office under British rule in Mumbai while he was 18 years. He joined the Britishers as he got much information about the British military system so that he can use the information for the future. And took training of Fighting from Lahuji Vastad Savale.
One day he got a letter from his village Shirdon, that “Vasudev your mother is very sick she is just taking your name. Her condition is very serious and her last wish to see you so come fast as you can back to Shirdon.” After reading this letter he gave an application for a leave, but he didn’t get leave at that time. After 15 days he got a Leave, when he went to his village he found his mother dead and an oil lamp (Diya) was on the place where his mother took her last breath. After seeing it, he thought of giving stress, pain, and torcher to the Britishers, who didn’t give him leave.
In 1857, he wrote a resignation later to the manager of the Military post office. The resignation letter was written in Marathi and said “You should learn my mother tongue and read it. After 2 months there was a drought in the whole Maharashtra. Mr. Temple was Mumbai’s Mayor, and when he got this news so, Britishers started Drought works and gave 375 gram of grains which was not sufficient for a poor Indian family and Indians also had to pay taxes for water and Britishers gave water by putting buns in it so, that Indians will be converted to Christians. After that, there was a war so the Drought works were closed. The Indian was dying out of hunger.
After 1 month Phadke wrote Bhagavad-Gita and Gurucharitra (a Biography of lord Dutta) and did meditation for 8 days and was going to cut his head and sacrifice to Lord Shiva, but he was going to cut his head he thought that I should not die I should kill the British empire. So, he and his 6 friends/ warriors took a pledge, keeping a bowl of grains on hands that “I Vasudev Balwant Phadke/ name of the warrior take this pledge that I will sacrifice my work and life to the Independence of India and I will always be loyal to my mother nation/ India.
In 1857 he formed a Ramoshi troop of warriors which were of Koli, Bhil, and Dhangar communities in 2 months. He/ troop did rob English businessmen and Rich people for the management of the artilleries and cavalries he also said that “We are not robbers; we are robbing you for the Independence of India.”. His troop didn’t touch old people, little children, and ladies. After 3 months in winter, his troop did a revolt in Maharashtra against the Britishers at the same time with the revolt by Rani Laxmibai. Many people supported Phadke and many people didn’t support as they were afraid of Britishers. Many people had taken disadvantages by saying their name as Vasudev Balwant Phadke. After 15 years Mr. Temple called Daniel a commissioner from London to catch Phadke. Daniel kept the price of 500,0 for catching Phadke. When Phadke got the news he escaped from the place and shifted to Gangapur, present-day Karnataka, and took a disguise of a saint named Kashikar Maharaj and said that he is from Kashi. While that time Phadke’s friend Rango Pant met Ismail Khan Rohilla from Peshawar and took 500 Rohillas (Peshawari soldiers) from him. Phadke lived 5 years in Gangapur. After some time Phadke got 900 soldiers including Rohillas.
In 1879 Daniel got news about Phadke’s location and he met the king of the Nizami Dynasty and took Abdul Haq, an able commander of the king, and caught many people like Rango Pant, Gopal, and Apte (friends and main people of the troop of Phadke.). When Phadke got this news he tried to escape from Gangapur to Pandharpur, Maharashtra by the route of Kaladgi, Karnataka on 20 July 1879 but was caught at the temple of Sangameshwar as he was very sick due to fever. And was sent to court in Mumbai. Ganesh Vasudev Joshi fought the case for Phadke but was found guilty. The Britishers wanted Indians to forget Phadke so, they sent him to Aden, Africa instead of cellular jail in Andaman Nicobar Islands. He tried to escape the jail by removing the door from the hinges, but, was caught. He did a hunger strike and took his last breath on 17 February 1883.
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