Why in news?  The palace of Bhaskar Rao Bhave, hero of 1857 rebellion now turned into  government  office needs preservation

Highlights:

• The palace of Bhaskar Rao Bhave known as Babasaheb’s palace (Raj Wade), as now become office of the Chief Officer of the Town Municipal Council at Naragund town in Gadag district

About Bhaskar Rao Bhave

• Bhaskar Rao II Bhave, fondly known as Naragund Babasaheb was the ruler of Naragund (comprising 33 surrounding villages)by succeeding his father Dadaji Rao III in 1842.

Reason for rebellion

• He was one among those rulers, who was affected by the Doctrine of Lapse introduced by Governor General of India Lord Dalhousie.
• His inability to adopt a son to succeed him worried Babasaheb and got in touch with Peshwa Nana Saheb, who was leading the 1857 War of Independence.

Rebellion

• Babasaheb put together a coalition comprising the heads of the neighbouring princely states of Ramdurg, Nippani, Dambala, Mundargi, and Koppal.
• Charles Manson, Political Agent of the region was sent to tackle the situation in advance.
• He rallied the support of other local rulers like Mundaragi Bhimaraya and Surpur Venkatappa Nayaka to lead an insurrection.
• Babasaheb seized on the camp of Charles Manson at Surebhan village near Naragund on May 27, 1858 and killed him.
• The decapitated body of Manson was thrown into the fire and Babasaheb brought the head as an exploit and hung at the ‘Agasi’ (entrance) of Naragund, now known as ‘kempagasi’ (red entrance).
• His own close associates Krishnaji Joshi and Banya Bapu betrayed him through reporting all his activities to Manson secretly and also revealed that they had caused damage to the stock of gun powder in the Nargund fort.
• Babasaheb left the fort after deceived by treachery and perfidy but caught near the forest of Toragal and hanged at Belgaum on June 12, 1858

In the folklore

• The rebellion of Babasaheb which resulted in the killing of Manson and his subsequent execution has found its way into the folklore in the form of ‘lavani’ and is referred to as ‘Naragund Bandya’ (Naragund Rebellion) in the history of Karnataka, while British records term it another ‘mutiny’ by chieftains.