Draft:Bhavanicharan Pathak
Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak (also spelled Bhavanī Charan Pathak) was the principal Hindu leader of the Sannyasi Rebellion (also called the Sannyasi‑Fakir Revolt) in late 18th‑century Bengal and Bihar, organizing armed resistance to oppressive East India Company tax policy from about 1763 until his death in 1791 .
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🧑⚖️ Biography & Background
Origins
Born in a Bhumihar—or Srotriya Varendra Brahmin—family from Jaso village in Buxar district (now in modern Bihar), Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak came to prominence around 1763, after the Company received Diwani rights following the 1764 Battle of Buxar .
Referred to in British records and colonial gazetteers as a holy figure who became a rebel leader .
Rise as a Leader
He galvanized Dashanami Sannyasi warriors (Naga and Giri orders) and mobilized peasants, disbanded zamindars, and artisans in revolt across northern Bengal—from Rangpur and Mahasthangarh to Dinajpur, Natore, Malda, Cooch Behar, and Rarh districts like Birbhum and Medinipur .
Deployed guerrilla tactics—surprise raids on British factories and treasuries, riverine attacks, and secret routes via temples and forests under his mentor De Chaudhurani (Prafulla, his disciple turned rebel-goddess figure) .
Key Engagements
Significant military engagements under his leadership include:
Battle of Mymensingh (1761): early Sannyasi success against British encampment
Capture of Dhaka (1763): British factory seized, commander killed
Battle of Ghoraghat (1770–71): heavy clashes leading to martyrdom of many sadhus
Naval engagement at Govindganj (1791): decisive defeat where Pathak was killed in action .
Death & Aftermath
Bhabani Charan Pathak fell during the Battle of Govindganj on June 16, 1791; about 50 other rebels were captured or killed in the same fight .
After his death, leadership passed to Devi Chaudhurani, who continued the rebellion until around 1802, although its intensity diminished significantly after 1786–1791 .
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🧾 Significance & Legacy
The Sannyasi Rebellion (1763–1802) is considered one of the earliest large-scale anti‑British uprisings in India, driven by religious community leaders, disenfranchised zamindars, and peasants united against colonial economic exploitation .
Bhabani Charan Pathak became a folk‑hero, shaping literary and cultural narratives—Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novels Anandamath (1882) and Devi Chaudhurani (1884) drew on this revolt; Vande Mataram emerged from that milieu as a nationalist anthem .
Temples in Jalpaiguri, Malda, and Kurigram (Bangladesh) are still associated with him and Devi Chaudhurani; locals worship them as legendary liberators, despite British records branding them as "bandits" .
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📌 Summary Table
Attribute Details
Name Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak Community Bhumihar / Varendra Brahmin (Eastern Indian Brahmin group) Period of Leadership c. 1763 – 1791 Rebellion Region Bengal and Bihar: Rangpur, Malda, Dinajpur, Dhaka, etc. Prominent Battles Mymensingh (1761), Dhaka capture (1763), Ghoraghat (1770–71), Govindganj (1791) Death June 16, 1791 (killed in battle at Govindganj) Successor Devi Chaudhurani (continued rebellion till ~1802)
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In Conclusion
Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak stands at the core of the Sannyasi Rebellion—as a spiritual leader turned guerrilla commander, organizing thousands of ascetics and peasants in resistance. His death at Govindganj in 1791 marked a turning point, but under Devi Chaudhurani’s direction, the rebellion endured until the early 1800s. Though eventually suppressed, the uprising remains remembered as a potent symbol of early indigenous resistance against colonial exploitation.