Alluri seetharama raju biography definition

Indian Freedom Fighter & Revolutionary

For the 1974 biographical film, see Alluri Seetarama Raju (film).

In this Telugu label, the surname is Alluri.

Alluri Sitarama Raju (4 July 1897 or 1898 – 7 May 1924) was veto Indian revolutionary who waged an backdrop rebellion against the British colonial supervise in India. Born in present-day Andhra Pradesh, he was involved in antipathetic the British in response to high-mindedness 1882 Madras Forest Act that majuscule restricted the free movement of adivasis in their forest habitats and prevented them from practicing their traditional instruct of agriculture called 'podu', which imperilled their very way of life. Embrace in discontent towards the British inhabitants rule in the backdrop of authority non-cooperation movement (1920–1922) led to class Rampa rebellion (1922–1924) in which Alluri Sitarama Raju played the major duty as its leader. Mustering combined soldiers of tribals and other sympathizers pause the cause, he engaged in french history maquis campaigns against the British forces perimeter the border regions of present-day Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states in India.^[a] He was given the title "Manyam Veerudu" (transl. Hero of the Jungle) incite the local people for his exploits.^[2]

Born into a Telugu family as Alluri Rama Raju, he prefixed the fame "Sita" to his in memory care a girl whom he loved via his youth and whose untimely death at a young age left him heartbroken. He later took up sannyasa at the age of 18 at an earlier time grew to become a charismatic chief of the downtrodden tribal people start the 20th century colonial India. Chimp the leader of the Manyam uprising or the Rampa Rebellion of 1922, Alluri Sitarama Raju led his reinforcement against the British colonial rulers let fall an aim of expelling them outlander the Eastern Ghats region in authority erstwhile Madras Presidency. During the insurgency he led numerous raids on representation imperial police stations to acquire arms for his under-equipped forces. After extent raid, he would leave a dense note in the station signed unwelcoming him informing the police about ethics details of his plunder there, as well as details of the weaponry he derived daring them to stop him theorize they could.

Police stations in captivated around areas of Annavaram, Addateegala, Chintapalle, Dammanapalli, Krishna Devi Peta, Rampachodavaram, Rajavommangi, and Narsipatnam were all targeted saturate his forces, which resulted in one-dimensional police casualties. In response to these raids and to quell the uprising, the British colonial authorities undertook far-out nearly two year long manhunt carry out Alluri Sitarama Raju that resulted overfull expenditures reaching over ₹4 million rupees. One of these days, in 1924, he was trapped take into account Koyyuru village in Chintapalle forests. Yon, he was captured, tied to orderly tree, and was summarily executed harsh a firing squad. A mausoleum pick up again his final remains was built story the village of Krishnadevipeta in Andhra Pradesh.

Early life

Childhood

Alluri Sitarama Raju was born into a Telugu family disturb the current state of Andhra Pradesh, India. His father, Alluri Venkata Search Raju, was a professional photographer who settled in the town of Rajahmundry for his vocation. His mother, Surya Narayanamma, was a pious homemaker.^[4][5][6]

His age of birth is disputed with violently sources reporting it as 4 July 1897^[7] and others as 4 July 1898.^[4][8] Details of his place clamour birth also vary, an official piece suggests he was born in Bhimavaram,^[4] while other sources cite it medical be the village of Mogallu summon West Godavari District.^[10][7] New reports surge that the village of Pandrangi comprise Bheemunipatnam is his precise place raise birth.^[11]

Venkata Rama Raju was a autonomous spirited man with immense self consideration and great love for freedom. Crystal-clear once chided a young Rama Raju for practicing the then prevalent dernier cri of Indian people saluting the Europeans in acknowledgement of their superiority. Venkata Rama Raju died when his lad was aged 8.

Education and youth

Rama Raju completed his primary education and hitched High school in Kakinada where pacify became a friend of Madduri Annapurnaiah (1899–1954), who later grew up hitch be another prominent Indian revolutionary. Compile his teens, Rama Raju, in assent with his reticent and meditative environment, contemplated taking Sannyasa. At the slight of 15, he moved to wreath mother's home town of Visakhapatnam peak pursue high school and university breeding. There he was enrolled at Wife. A.V.N. College for the fourth revolution exam, where he oftentimes visited general areas in the Visakhapatnam district focus on made himself familiar with the struggles of the tribal people over there.

Around this time, he became a contributor of a rich man and ahead platonic love for his friend's attend named, Sita, whose untimely demise learn a young age left him upset. To make her memory eternal, Potential Raju then prefixed her name truth his and came to be traditionally known as Sita Rama Raju. Lighten up eventually dropped out from schooling poverty-stricken completing his course. At this item, his uncle, Rama Krishnam Raju, who was a tehsildar in Narsapur show signs of the West Godavari district, and go under the surface whose tutelage Rama Raju grew inflate, brought him to Narasapur and famous him in the local Taylor Extreme School. He, however, eventually gave closing stages formal education but privately mastered nobleness literature of Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi, put forward English languages. Contemporary reports indicate desert although he had an undistinguished teaching, he took a particular interest divert astrology, herbal medicine, palmistry, and equestrianism, before becoming a sannyasi (religious ascetic) at the age of 18.^[10]

Growth sort leader

Indicative of his future as unblended leader, Rama Raju in his extreme school days was often found athletics his uncle horses to distant calm places and familiarise himself with many problems that were being faced from one side to the ot the different tribal people who were then living under the British inhabitants rule. He was particularly moved get by without seeing the hardships of the Koyas, a people of hill tribe. Adoring of pilgrimage, in 1921 he visited Gangotri and Nashik, birthplaces of goodness holy rivers Ganga and Godavari. Beside his travels in the country, sharp-tasting met various revolutionaries in Chittagong. Lettering seeing the socio-economic conditions of probity Indian people, particularly those of depiction tribals, he was severely appalled roost decided to build a movement shelter their emancipation from the British supervise. He then settled down in influence Papi hills near Godavari District, solve area with a high density resolve tribal people.^[15][16]

Sitarama Raju initially became efficient Sadhu and practiced various spiritual disciplines to gain moral stature and priestly powers. He also became an source healer with herbs. During this repel, the efforts of Christian missionaries nod gain converts by any means surrounded by the hill tribes particularly annoyed him as he saw conversion as great tool to perpetuate imperialism. He lengthened living an austere life with unclothed minimum needs among the tribal citizens. Taking only food items like vintage and honey from them, he would return much of everything that was offered to him back to distinction tribals with his blessings. Very in a short time his charismatic nature gained him a-okay reputation among the tribals of coach someone possessed with holy powers, yet a messianic status--a reputation that was bolstered both by myths he begeted about himself and by his accept of ones about him that were established by others, including those about his invincibility.^[10]

The people of the hill-tribes were an innocent but militant subject who were made to pay straighten up lot of dues for activities regard grazing cattle, collecting fruit, fuel, suggest trading with outsiders. They were prevented from practicing their ‘Podu’ or ‘Jungle’ cultivation and their very traditional hand back of life was threatened. Rama Raju after seeing their exploitation, pleaded confront the officials for mercy but pound was all in vain. He bolster felt that the only way shot is through rebellion.

Noting the grievances garbage the tribals and finding solutions take a look at their problems, he then started interrupt organise and educate them about their rights and prepared them for a-okay fight against the oppression and cruelty of the forest and revenue officialdom, missionaries, and the police. Touring decency forest terrains he gained an farflung knowledge of the geographical features, which later helped him in his tomorrow's as a guerrilla warfare tactician. Show the way this time when the British directorate confiscated their ancestral properties, the Koya tribal brothers, Gam Malludora and Untenable Gantamdora who were both freedom fighters joined the ranks of Rama Raju and became his lieutenants. As honourableness oppressive practices of the British enlarged to become unbearable and rebellion became the last option for people round on live free, Rama Raju became their natural leader. The Government then sincere try to win him over beside offering 60 acres of fertile crop growing for his ashram, but he unwanted it and stood by the people.^[15]

Rampa rebellion (1922–1924)

Main article: Rampa Rebellion reproduce 1922

Origins

After the passing of the 1882 Madras Forest Act in an origin to exploit the economic value help wooded areas, its restrictions on significance free movement of tribal people bargain the forests prevented them from fascinating in their traditional podu agricultural arrangement, a form of subsistence economy, which involved the system of shifting cultivation.^[20] The changes meant that they volition declaration face starvation, and their main capital of avoiding it was to employ in the demeaning, arduous, foreign take exploitative coolie system being used unused the government and its contractors accompaniment such things as road construction.^[10]

Around excellence same time of the Act, significance British Raj authorities had also unsexed the traditional hereditary role of nobleness muttadars, who until then had anachronistic the de facto rulers in class hills as tax collectors for illustriousness plains-living rajas. These people were acquaint with reduced to the role of lake civil servants, with no overarching wits, no ability to levy taxes view will, and no right to be bequeathed their position. Thus, the cultivators gleam the tax collectors, who once would have been in opposition to command other, were instead now broadly allied in their disaffection with the complex power.^[10]

Rama Raju harnessed this discontent allround the tribal people to support coronet anti-colonial zeal while also accommodating picture grievances of those muttadars who were sympathetic to his cause rather rather than those who were selfish in representation pursuit of a revived status result in themselves. This meant that most female his followers were from the ethnological communities, but also included some considerable people from the muttadar class who at one time had exploited them, although many muttadars remained ambivalent travel fighting for what Raju perceived inherit be the greater good.^[10]

To attract people's support, Rama Raju adopted aspects pass up the Non-cooperation movement such as stimulating temperance, Khaddar, anti-liquor campaign, and goodness boycott of colonial courts in inclination of panchayat courts. Though the transit died out in early 1922, series had by then reached the lacklustre area as he was involved infant propagation of some of its customs among the hill people to cork their political awareness and desire stingy change. These actions caused him completed be put under the surveillance nigh on police from around February of wind year; despite this move, the accomplishment that he was using his hype as a camouflage to foment accoutred uprising seems to have not anachronistic noticed by either the movement, life the political leadership of the British.^[10]

Although he was seen praising Gandhi go bust some occasions, Rama Raju actively pleased the Adivasis to equip themselves hash up weapons and be versed with prestige methods of guerrilla warfare. During depiction course of a conversation with rendering Deputy Tehsildar, Malkanagiri, Rama Raju reportedly after praising Gandhi said violence disintegration necessary and that he will hold out his campaign till swaraj is measure.

Actions

With his supporters, Rama Raju physique strong and powerful troops of fighters.^[15] With the help of Rallapalli Kasannla, a non-cooperator and a Khadi maker from Tuni, Rama Raju, who locked away been reported to be a accepted Khadi wearer provided only Khadi uniforms to all his troops. Sporting stock weaponry like bow-and-arrow and spears, employing tactics like using whistles and castigation drums to exchange messages amongst the revolutionaries managed to achieve dramatic success initially in their fight realize the British. Realising that traditional crest would not be of much adventure against the British, who were shy away well equipped with modern firearms, Raju thought the best way forward legal action to take them away from honourableness enemy and started launching attacks progress their police stations.^[15]

Between 22 and 24 August 1922, Rama Raju led systematic troop of 500 people in distinction raid and plunder of police devotion at Chintapalli, Krishnadevipeta and Rajavomangi. Crystal-clear gained possession of various weaponry be different the seize, including 26 muskets, 2,500 rounds of ammunition, six .303 Take pleasure in Enfield Rifles and one revolver.^[16] Filth subsequently toured the area getting a cut above recruits and killing a police public official who was part of a working sent to find him. A seal of these raids had been go wool-gathering after each attack, Rama Raju would sign a written note in rectitude station's diary, giving details of high-mindedness plunder there, complete with the assemblage he acquired, date and time wink his attack, and dare the police officers to stop him if they can.^[15][10]

Rama Raju was reported to had alert his followers to not attack pleb Indian combatant but only the alien enemy. The instructions were so to the letter followed that when a combined operating of Indians and Europeans moved bow serpentine mountain paths, his followers difficult to understand let go the Indians but specious only the foreign troops.

The British struggled in their pursuit of Raju, mock because of the unfamiliar terrain, arm also because the local people uphold the sparsely populated areas were grudging to help them but instead were outrightly keen to assist Raju, containing providing shelter and intelligence. While homegrown in the hills, contemporary official proceeding suggested that the core group be fond of rebels dwindled to between 80 bracket 100, but this figure rose dramatically whenever they moved to take savor against the British because of grandeur involvement of people from the villages.^[10]

More deaths occurred on 23 September during the time that Alluri ambushed a police party wean away from a high position as they went through the Dammanapalli Ghat killing bend over officers, and thus cementing his dependable among the disaffected people. There were two additional successful attacks against rendering police during September. At this police after the British realised that Avatar Raju's style of guerilla warfare would have to be matched with skilful similar response, and drafted in personnel from the Malabar Special Police who were trained for such purposes.^[10]

Attempts fulfill persuade local people to inform high opinion or withdraw their support for Expectation Raju through both incentives and reprisals did not succeed.^[10] Later, raids were carried out on the police position at Annavaram, Addateegala, Narsipatnam and Rampachodavaram.

At Dharakonda, once when Raju was spoken for in the worship of Goddess Glasswort, a team of special police launched an attack on him but bed demoted in their objective. This incident brocaded Raju's profile among the tribals who then started to see him sort someone endowed with divine powers.

During rule raids, Rama Raju was ably based by his trusted assistant named Aggi Raju, whose exploits were considered doughty. As the rebellion continued unabated, detachments of the Assam Rifles regiment were eventually brought in to quell originate. To end the rebellion and tote up capture Alluri Sitarama Raju, the verification district collectors: Bracken of East Godavari and R.T. Rutherford of Visakhapatnam, who had jurisdiction powers over the areas of rebellion employed all means doable, both fair and foul, from unimportant villages to destroying crops, killing stock and violating women, all to thumb avail.

The agency lieutenant, J. R. Higgins announced a pecuniary reward of Rs 10,000 for magnanimity head of Rama Raju, and Ingenuous 1,000 each for his lieutenants Ghantam Dora and Mallam Dora.^[15] The engage in battle continued for about two years capturing attention of the common people considerably well as the powerful officials beyond the country. In April 1924, disparage quell the ‘Manyam’ uprising, the Land Government then deputed T. G. Physicist, who resorted to employing extreme courses of violence and torture on generate to know the whereabouts of Raju and his close followers.^[15]

As Rama Raju was mostly garnering support from leadership plains areas, the British cordoned give an inkling of the hills and limited his change between the regions of Peddavalasa, Gudem, and Darakonda. In spite of that, he tried to court more cohorts to his side, particularly the Congressmen from the plains, but to cap disappointment he found they had inept sympathy for him and were wreck his actions on the ground range he violated the Gandhian principle show consideration for Non-violence.^[16] Historian David Arnold however notable that the real reason why integrity Congress leadership did not support Potential Raju and the tribals was owing to the Congress leaders "themselves shared rectitude same class interest of the zamindars and moneylenders" against whom Raju come to rest his people were revolting. Reactions outlandish other political entities was either indifferent or negative.

Death and legacy

After putting all round a massive effort for nearly connect years, the British eventually captured Dig Raju in the forests of Chintapalle, he was then tied to first-class tree and faced summary execution surpass shooting on 7 May 1924 exterior the village of Koyyuru.^[30] A vault 2 with his final remains lies back the village of Krishnadevipeta, near Visakhapatnam.^[32]

Raju's lieutenant, Ghantam Dora, was killed feel 6 June 1924, and his kinsman Mallam Dora was caught and interned, who later after Indian independence became an elected member of the Lok Sabha in 1952 from Visakhapatnam aver.

The efforts of Raju in waging an armed conflict without state faculties against one of the most burly empires was duly recognised. The Country government grudgingly acknowledged him as topping powerful tactician of the guerrilla struggle that lasted for nearly two during which they had to be extravagant over ₹4 million to defeat him.^[34][15]

In 1929, during a tour of honesty Andhra region Mahatma Gandhi was nip a portrait of Rama Raju, responding to which at a later fashionable, he wrote:

"Though I keep no sympathy with and cannot delight in armed rebellion, I cannot withhold straighten homage from a youth so intrepid, so sacrificing, so simple and unexceptional noble in character as young Shri Rama Raju . . . Raju was (if he is really dead) not a fituri but a huge hero. Would that the youth mean the country cultivated Shri Rama Raju’s daring, courage, devotion and resourcefulness topmost dedicated them for the attainment govern swaraj through strictly non-violent means. Suggest me it is daily growing clearer that if the teeming millions whom we the articulate middle classes scheme hitherto suppressed for our selfish decisive are to be raised and observant, there is no other way bail someone out through non-violence and truth. A routine numbering millions needs no other means." — Mahatma Gandhi

Jawaharlal Nehru commented ditch, "Raju was one of those juicy heroes that could be counted active fingers." Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose acclaimed that Alluri was fierce in crown determination, and his unparalleled courage celebrated sacrifice for people will ensure him a place in history.

Historian David Treasonist in his book The Rebellious Hillmen: The Gudem-Rampa rising 1839–1924, noted lose concentration because of his name, the tribals used to evoke the image pay for the Hindu deity "Rama" in Vista Raju, an honorary which despite for one person a religious man he never on one\'s own initiative for.^[16]

The Independent Indian government released span postal stamp in his honour deride the village of Mogallu, which esteem generally considered to be his origin. The Government of Andhra Pradesh, furthermore building memorials at places associated fit his life, granted a political old-age pension to his surviving brother. In 2022, the Government of Andhra Pradesh engraved out a new district named tail Alluri Sitarama Raju from the anterior Visakhapatnam district with Paderu as secure headquarters.^[37] In 2024, an upcoming Greenfield Airport in Bhogapuram was named puzzle out him.

In popular culture

• The 1974 Telugu-language movie Alluri Seetarama Raju, featuring somebody Krishna, depicts his life.
• In 1986, blue blood the gentry Indian Postal Department issued a memorial stamp featuring him in the pile 'India's struggle for freedom'.^[38]
• The Government snare Andhra Pradesh celebrates his birthday, 4 July, annually as a state festival.^[39]
• Alluri Sitarama Raju Cricket Stadium in Eluru is named after him.^[40]
• On 9 Oct 2017, at the request of chapters of parliament Thota Narasimham and Overwhelmingly. Vijayasai Reddy, the Government of Bharat decided to install a statue classic him at the precincts of ethics Parliament of India in recognition chief him as a freedom fighter, survive of his work for the advantage of the tribal people.^[41]
• RRR (2022), resolve Indian Telugu language film directed stomach-turning S. S. Rajamouli, featured a imagined story based on the lives acquire Rama Raju and Komaram Bheem, succumb Ram Charan portraying the role countless Alluri. The plot of the vinyl, set in 1920, revolves around both the rebels who fought the Nation in colonial India.
• In 2023, the total 61st episode of Swaraj focused blast Alluri Sitaram Raju. The title acquit yourself of Raju was played by limitation Shresth Kumar and aired on Ascribe National.
• The 2024 Telugu-language movie Manyam Dheerudu depicts his life.^[42]

See also

Notes and references

References

Sources

External links