aroonjhar Mountains, situated along the south eastern border of Pakistan in Nagarparkar, once had a pivotal role as a haven and stronghold for determined Sodha and Kolhi warriors who vehemently resisted British forces to protect their ancestral lands and way of life. Today, the region is identified as Tharparkar district in Sindh. The district once thrived as a centre of culture and commerce having strong connections with Gujarat and Rajasthan in India.

Following the British annexation of Sindh, Thar and Parkar regions were placed in the Tharparkar district administered from Hyderabad. Various tactics were used to assert and extend control over the influential local figures. While some of them accepted land grants and cash incentives to collaborate with British authorities, a few steadfastly rejected British dominion and remained impervious to all kinds of bribes. To put down dissent, the British rulers resorted to arrest and torment of those opposed to their rule. Some of the family members and close associates of such people were pressured into supporting the colonial rulers.

Roopo, also known as Rooplo Kolhi, was recognised as a fearless freedom fighter and a steadfast guardian of his homeland. His mission was to challenge the oppressive British colonial rule that affected Nagarparkar and its neighbouring regions. Rooplo Kolhi launched daring resistance against the British forces. In his campaign, he and his companions received invaluable support from the local Rajput community.

Rooplo Kolhi was born in 1818 in Koonbhari in Nagarparkar to Shamto Goel and Kesar Bai. His family had practiced subsistence agriculture and livestock raising for livelihood

As farming in the region was highly dependent on rain, the imposition of land revenue resulted in additional socio-economic challenges. The local population found it difficult to meet the tax obligations, compounded by the adverse effects of droughts and other natural disasters. Consequently, resistance to these taxes was not uncommon. Sometimes the protests took the form of local uprisings against British rule.

The Rajputs, Khosa tribals and Rooplo Kolhi’s allies were approached with offers to support the British administration, adopt the British style of governance and refrain from opposing the imposition of taxes on agriculture. Faced with offers of benefits and threats, many chose to comply with the terms and received land grants and leases.

However, some of the Rajput chiefs declined the British overtures, asserting their inherent ownership of the region’s resources through their ancestral connection to the land. The British forced apprehended some of the people who defied their governance. The action prompted Rooplo and his comrades to launch a resistance campaign, establishing their operations base at Karoonjhar mountain.

According to some historians, a pivotal moment in the campaign was when Col Tyrwhitt dispatched his administrator, Diyo Mal, to collect taxes in Nagarparkar and its surroundings. Land revenue was a crucial source of income for the British government that aimed to maximise the collection from agricultural lands. However, during this period, the indigenous Sodha, Khosa and Kolhi tribes rejected the British tax demands. The refusal is generally regarded as the starting point of the Rajput resistance in the area.

Under Rooplo’s leadership, the Rajput warriors thrice defeated Col George Tyrwhitt’s army in the Karoonjhar mountains. After each engagement, Tyrwhitt was forced to retreat to his base camp in Mirpurkhas. His forces were notably diminished. During his second assault on the Parkar region, the Rajput warriors employed guerrilla tactics. Lacking firearms, they used catapults and axes. Despite their lack of advanced weaponry, they neutralised many of Tyrwhitt’s soldiers, prompting him and his troops to withdraw once again.

It is unfortunate that heroes like Rana Kalyan Karan Singh, Udhay Singh Sodho and Rooplo Kolhi others have not received the recognition they rightfully deserve in the annals of history.

The conflict went on for several years. Rooplo and his fighters inflicted substantial damage on British military assets. They also attacked police stations and offices. Through strategic manoeuvres and support from local residents, the British army eventually apprehended Lado Singh and jailed him. However, Rana Kalyan Karan Singh, Rana Udhay Singh and Rooplo Kohli managed to evade capture and sought refuge in Karoonjhar mountain with their fighters and supporters.

Col Tyrwhitt used tanks to demolish Chandan Garh, a fort built by Rai Chandan, to deny its use to the fighters. He then enlisted local supporters of the British army to locate Rooplo Kohli. A local Pundit, named Hans Puri, finally informed the British soldiers about Pag Waoo well, Rooplo Kohli and his comrades got their water supply from. This information led to the capture of Rooplo Kohli.

Col Tyrwhitt offered Rooplo Kohli a substantial sum of money and land spanning from Karoonjhar to Nau Kot in exchange for his assistance in apprehending the other fighters, including the Rajput chiefs.

It is reported that he endured severe torture but Rooplo’s refusal to accept such offers was unwavering. To break his resolve, the British army detained his wife, Meenawati, and pressured her to secure his surrender. She also faced the threat of violence.

Seeing her husband’s agony, she is reported to have vehemently rebuffed the British. She is also reported to have told him: “No matter what hardships you must endure, never reveal the identity and whereabouts of your companions. Should you yield to such pressure, the land spanning the towering Karoonjhar mountain will never forgive you. Your betrayal will also cast a perpetual shadow over me and haunt me until my last breath.”

“Rooplo Kolhi, a loyal warrior, never had a kingdom or vast lands that he might have wished to defend. He never wanted rewards like dominion over others. The sole offering he could make for the sake of his homeland and to protect his people was his life. He made a selfless sacrifice,” says Dr Dharmender Kolhi. What held the utmost significance for this oppressed and marginalised warrior was his unwavering commitment to the land and his people, epitomised by his steadfast loyalty to the Karoonjhar mountain. Dr Dharmender says it is unfortunate that the state today allows campaigns that belittle local champions based on caste, colour and creed.

Throughout the protracted conflict, the resistance against the British army resulted in the loss of 2,500 lives. Near Nagarparkar town, in a particularly brutal attack, the British army killed many people involved in the resistance. Their bodies were then hung from trees along the path to a natural water pond. The gruesome action was meant to instil fear among the local population and dissuade them from joining the resistance. The aim was to weaken the people’s resolve by demonstrating the consequences of defying the British army.

The families of the defiant resistance fighters erected memorial stones to pay tribute to and commemorate the sacrifices of those who had fought for their land. These stones became gathering points for people who would congregate to offer prayers and sing songs of rebellion, drawing inspiration and a symbol of resistance from them.

Upon learning about these gatherings, Col Tyrwhitt prohibited assemblies near these memorial stones. He warned the locals that anyone found near these stones would face severe consequences. Col Tyrwhitt also ordered his army to relocate and bury these stones at undisclosed locations.

Celebrated writer Haji Muhammad Kunbhar says that a significant portion of the history related to the resistance war remains buried beneath the Parkar soil. The British army, he says, concealed the historical accounts engraved on memorial stones during their occupation. Even after the British left, he says, various aspects of the war remain undocumented.

It is unfortunate that heroes like Rana Kalyan Karan Singh, Udhay Singh Sodho and Rooplo Kolhi have not received the recognition they deserve in the annals of history. These unsung heroes merit full acknowledgement. Their accounts should be integrated into school curricula to ensure they endure as a part of living history.

On the evening of August 22, 1859, at 8:00pm, Rooplo was hanged from a tree near the Ghordharo River, located close to Nagarparkar town in the embrace of the Karoonjhar mountains. Despite his execution, his comrades continued their struggle against the British oppressors. Those who collaborated with the colonial forces were generously rewarded with land grants.

Recently, a statue has been erected to honour the courageous freedom fighter at the museum in Nagarparkar. The Sindh government has named a cultural retreat after Rooplo Kolhi Resort.

The writer is based in Islamkot, Tharparkar. He tweets at @MukeshRajaThar