RAS question
Mangal Pandey, who attacked British officers at Barrackpore on 29 March 1857, belonged to which regiment?
Correct answer: (C) 34th Bengal Native Infantry.
Mangal Pandey belonged to the 34th Bengal Native Infantry when he attacked British officers at Barrackpore on 29 March 1857.
Explanation
Mangal Pandey was a sepoy in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry. Resentment over the cartridges for the 1853 Royal Enfield rifle began with a protest by the 19th Bengal Native Infantry, which was then disbanded, and spread to other native regiments. At Barrackpore on 29 March 1857, Pandey attempted to kill Lieutenant Henry Baugh and attacked Sergeant Major James Hewson and Adjutant Lieutenant Baugh. He expected his own regiment to join the revolt, but it did not. He was publicly hanged on 8 April 1857.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Pandey belonged to the 34th Regiment, not the 11th Bengal Native Infantry.
- (B) The 19th Bengal Native Infantry is linked to the earlier cartridge protest and disbandment, not to Mangal Pandey's own regiment.
- (D) Pandey was a sepoy in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry, so a cavalry unit such as the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry does not match.
Concept
This question tests a precise attribution from the early phase of the 1857 uprising: the person, place, date and regiment linked to the Barrackpore incident. Such fact-based questions recur in RAS because the same event can be framed through several regiments associated with Barrackpore.