Uttar Pradesh: Sepoy mutiny guns, utensils found in well

KANPUR: Decades-old weapons, including six guns, two bronze utensils, a pot and a pitcher, were discovered from a village well in Banda district.
Cleaning of village well under ‘Talab-Kuan Jiyao Abhiyan’ was underway in Mahokhar village under Dehat Kotwali police station for the past few days when the rare items were recovered.
The villagers tried to connect the rusted guns and bronze utensils to the 1857 mutiny when Indians had revolted against the rule of the British East India Company. “It seems that a warrior class used to live in this region in the past, said a villager.
“About five days ago, while cleaning a well under the project ‘Talab-Kuan Jiyao Abhiyan’, a labourer Devnath, came across a rusted gun. Next day, he again found five rusted guns besides few tools and a bronze pot and a pitcher. He and the fellow labourers immediately informed the village head Ram Sajeevan Verma, who in turn alerted the district and police authorities following which a police team of Dehat Kotwali police station took all the discovered ancient firearms and utensils in its possession”, said Circle Officer Rajiv Pratap Singh.
But, one cannot rely on mere speculations, and these iron weapons and utensils need to get authenticated by historians and archaeologists, he added.
Head of Makohar village Ram Sajeevan Verma said, “I tried to gather information about the connection of our village to the 1857 mutiny, but have failed to get any clue. We demand proper excavation at the site by the state government.”