Hyderabad: If someone gets into a fight or opposes the elders, people scold them by saying, "Do you think you are Turrum Khan?" It is used in the sense of displaying rebelliousness. The actual name of the hero called 'Turrum Khan' was Turrebaaz Khan. Only a few people know that he belonged to Hyderabad. He died a heroic death fighting against the British.
Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a turning point in the history of the Indian Independence Movement. Turrebaaz Khan was a valiant personality who is linked to that famed rebellion. Hyderabad was ruled by the Nizams. Turrebaaz Khan, who threatened the rulers of the East India Company, is a fighter who has not been given much importance in history. Not even a proper portrait of his is available.
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Turrebaaz Khan of Begambazar was a common soldier in the Nizam's army. He led the struggle in Hyderabad parallel to the Indian Rebellion in Meerut. A soldier named Cheeda Khan was sent from Hyderabad to participate in the Indian Rebellion and he was captured by the British.
About 5 to 6 thousand people under the leadership of Turrebaaz Khan rose to attack the British Presidency (Now Koti Women's University) on 17 July 1857 to free Cheeda Khan who was imprisoned in the British Residency.
They broke through the walls of two houses adjacent to the west side of the residency and entered. But the rebels could not stand against the British army. After that, Turrebaaz Khan was caught and sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the Andaman Jail. But he escaped from jail on 18th January 1859. This time, the British announced a bounty of Rs 5000( a huge amount in those days) on his head.
Historians say that he was caught and shot by the army in a forest area near Tupran on January 24, based on the available information. From there, the body was brought to Hyderabad and hanged naked from a tree near the residency building. After Independence, the Government built a memorial in Koti to commemorate the martyrs who attacked the British Presidency.
