Bhima Nayak

The Government recently paid tribute to Bhima Nayak, the Bhil Tribal leader of Madhya Pradesh.

About Bhima Nayak:

• He was a prominent leader of the Bhils of Nimar, residing in Dhaba Bawdi, Badwani district of Madhya Pradesh.
• He participated in the Uprising of 1857 against the British Raj, rallying men from Bhil, Bhilala, Mandoi, and Naik tribes to form an anti-British force.
• During the 1857 revolution, he collaborated with Tatya Tope, assisting him in crossing the Narmada river when Tope came to Nimar.
• Bhima Nayak earned the moniker “Robinhood of Nimar” for his exploits, including deploying troops on the Bhil-populated Bombay and Agra Highway.
• He successfully disrupted the British troop movements by playing a role in the 1857 Ambagani War and remained hidden from British authorities ill 1859.
• In June 1860, Bhima Nayak and his associates looted a British encampment in Kheir village, Sultanpur Taluka of Khandesh.
• Despite evading British troops successfully for some time, Bhima Nayak was eventually defeated by Captain Keatings’ forces in 1861.
• He managed to escape capture initially but was later betrayed by an informant, leading to his arrest in 1861 from his jungle hideout.
• Bhima Nayak was found guilty, sentenced to transportation for life, and sent to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands.
• He died in Port Blair, Andaman Islands, on December 29, 1876.
• In honor of his contributions, a government scheme named “Shaheed Bhima Nayak Pariyojna” in Madhya Pradesh was dedicated to him.
•  A “Bhima Nayak Memorial” was erected in his native village in 2017.