Early Inmates at Kaala Paani, Port Blair

In 1857, while the northern provinces of India—primarily the Northwestern Provinces and Oudh, which largely correspond to modern-day Uttar Pradesh—rose against the atrocities of the East India Company, much of the rest of India remained relatively silent. Several regions stayed neutral or actively supported the British. The Nizam's territory of Hyderabad was one such loyalist region. However, despite official allegiance to the British, Hyderabad witnessed two isolated sparks of rebellion: one in Paithan district and the other in Hyderabad city itself. The story of Hyderabad’s revolt is both unique and heroic, yet long forgotten. Moreover, it is closely tied to one of the darkest chapters of colonial Indian history—the Cellular Jail, or Kala Pani, at Port Blair.  

Construction of Cellular Jail - 19th century
Source: Wikipedia

Although the Cellular Jail’s final inauguration took place in 1906, an earlier version of the prison, equally harsh and inhumane, existed long before. The British first colonized the Andaman Islands in 1789. Observing the island’s remote and hostile environment, coupled with the presence of native tribes like the Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, and Sentinelese, they deemed it a perfect site for exiling “notorious criminals” as per their definition. However, throughout the 18th century, the Andaman Islands remained sparsely developed, with minimal infrastructure near Chatham Island, just a few kilometers from the mainland.  

Austrian imperial flag - 18th century

The Revolt of 1857 changed the British perspective on the islands. Fearing future mutinies, they focused on transforming these abandoned islands into a penal colony to isolate and crush revolutionaries. This marked the beginning of the Kala Pani era. While the world often remembers the indigenous displacement in the Americas, Africa, and Australia at the hands of European colonizers, a similar cruelty unfolded on Indian soil in the Andaman Islands. After suppressing the 1857 Revolt and executing or exiling many freedom fighters to Nepal, the British transported the remaining rebels to the brutal and unforgiving Andaman Islands. Interestingly, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands had been contacted by European colonizers even before the British invasion. One notable attempt came from the Austrian East India Company in the late 18th century. Operating out of Trieste (now part of Italy), the company briefly established a presence on the Nicobar Islands between 1778 and 1783, but internal rivalries and opposition from more dominant European powers in India and Africa, such as the British, French, Dutch, and Portuguese, led to their downfall.  

Subsequently, the Nicobar Islands came under Danish control. Denmark, which maintained trade factories on India’s southern coast, remained largely neutral during the European conflicts in India. In 1868, after the British Crown took control of India from the East India Company, the Danish sold the Nicobar Islands to the British, who then incorporated them with the Andaman Islands into a unified penal colony. This move laid the groundwork for the infamous Cellular Jail in Port Blair.  

The story of Hyderabad’s revolt connects directly to this chapter of history, as two of its key figures—Maulvi Allauddin and Turrebaz Khan—became some of the earliest prisoners sent to Kala Pani.  During the 1857 Revolt, the Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Tahniyath Ali Khan (Afzal-ud-Daula, Asaf Jah V), remained a staunch British ally, pledging his state’s loyalty to the Company. While the rebellion spread like wildfire across Delhi, Meerut, and Barrackpore, the Nizam ensured it did not influence his territories. Among the 12 princely states that actively supported the revolt, Shorapur (or Surapura, now in Karnataka), a vassal of Hyderabad, stood out.  

AI image of Turrebaaz Khan in action

The British ordered the Hyderabad Contingent’s    3rd Cavalry, stationed in Buldhana (modern-day Maharashtra), to march toward Delhi to suppress the rebellion. This order triggered a mutiny led by Jemadar Cheeda Khan. Hoping for the Nizam’s support, Cheeda Khan marched toward Hyderabad, unaware of the Nizam’s loyalty to the British. Upon reaching the city, Cheeda Khan was immediately arrested, sparking protests. Turrebaz Khan, a sepoy, and Maulvi Allauddin, a cleric, organized a rebellion to free Cheeda Khan. They mobilized a group of revolutionaries and targeted the British Residency in Koti, Hyderabad. Several locals, including moneylenders Abban Sahab and Jaigopal Das, supported the cause, providing shelter and resources. However, the uprising was crushed by the Nizam’s forces, backed by the British and led by Mir Turab Ali Khan, the royal minister. Turrebaz Khan and Maulvi Allauddin narrowly escaped the battle. Eventually, they were captured on the basis of a tip-off, with Turrebaz Khan refusing to disclose the whereabouts of Maulvi Allauddin. Turrebaz Khan was arrested on July 22, 1857, and Maulvi Allauddin soon followed. Both were imprisoned in Hyderabad before being sentenced to Kala Pani.  

Turrebaz Khan, however, attempted an escape in 1859. After a brief manhunt, he was captured and executed publicly in the city’s bazaar. Maulvi Allauddin, meanwhile, was transported to the Andaman Islands in the same year, becoming one of the first prisoners of the Kala Pani. Joining him were Fazal-Haq-Khairabadi (Khairabad, Uttar Pradesh), Musai Singh, Liaqat Ali (Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh), Bhima Naik (Barwani, Madhya Pradesh), and Gilgar Dhobe, all prominent revolutionaries of the 1857 rebellion. Fazal-Haq-Khairabadi, a scholar from Khairabad, issued a fatwa against the British and called for jihad against the East India Company. He was transported to the Cellular Jail on March 10, 1858.  

Over 80,000 Indians were deported to the Cellular Jail between 1857 and 1947, of which approximately 600 were freedom fighters. During the Japanese occupation of the Andaman Islands (1942–1945), the jail became a site of even greater atrocities. The Japanese imprisoned and executed suspected British spies and anti-Japanese Indians. In 1942, they carried out the infamous Homfreygunj Massacre, killing 44 Indians.  

The Cellular Jail is now a symbol of India’s struggle for independence. Its walls echo the sacrifices of countless revolutionaries and remind us of the brutalities endured under colonial rule. Even when the name Port Blair is officially changed to Sri Vijaya Puram, the Cellular Jail Museum stands as a historical site, honouring the memory of those who fought for India’s freedom and suffered unimaginable hardships in the process.