Armenians join the 1760-1763 Indian rebellion against British rule

[Eddie]

The role of Armenians in the 1760-1763 Indian rebellion against British rule in Bengal.

 

 

 

The rebellion was led Mir Kassim whose central military commander was an Armenian of the name of Krikor Haroutyounian more widely known as Kevork Khan. Among the tens of thousands of Indian soldiers he led were a prominent group of Armenians. Their bravery and the respect they won for it was such that after one victorious battle both Indian

and Armenian flags were raised. As to the Armenian flag however there was no detail offered so I cannot be sure what flag it was.

 

The rebellion was ultimately suppressed after Kevork Khan was treacherously murdered by the British. British retaliation included the East India company purchasing all the available grain in the region and offering it for sale at prices the locals could never afford. As a result of this English made famine 10 million Indians died.

 

Armenian participation in an Indian anti-British was is not surprising. Armenian traders and merchants in India were part of the Indian economy as were Armenian artisans. Indian goods and goods made in India by Armenian artisans were traded by Armenian merchants. As the British systematically destroyed Indian manufacture and crafts Armenians too suffered. And so they had reason to oppose the British occupation.

 

For their role in the uprising the British House of Commons withdrew Armenian trading privileges in regions worked by the East India Company.

 

This whole story is of course significant in another way. How much of Armenian military prowess has been spent beyond Armenian borders...Of course some of this as in the above case was to excellent effect. But had all the Armenian military talent gone to defend Armenia...one can only imagine the present as entirely different.

 

Eddie Arnavoudian

[gamavor]

This whole story is of course significant in another way. How much of Armenian military prowess has been spent beyond Armenian borders...Of course some of this as in the above case was to excellent effect. But had all the Armenian military talent gone to defend Armenia...one can only imagine the present as entirely different.

 

Very true! Armenians often chose the right side of the equilibrium, but for some reason that equilibrium never includes Armenia.

[Zartonk]

As to the Armenian flag however there was no detail offered so I cannot be sure what flag it was.

 

Welcome and thank you for this post Eddie. I really wish the details of the flag would have been recorded.

[Boghos]

Unfortunately we have a tendency to interpret history in a way that fits our own stereotypical views of our past. Worse than that we recreate history in a way that all facts do not logically compute. That's what happens when we are condemned to diaspora life.