ABSTRACT
On 29 April 1864, the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal confirmed the sentence of transportation for life upon ‘the prisoner Gonoo’ for ‘waging war against the Queen in the years 1857 and 1858’.1 Prior to that, Gonoo had been brought to trial at the court of the Chota Nagpur Commissioner on the charges that:
… he, during the years 1857 and 1858 to 1859 as the leader of the insurgent Coles in Singbhoom, did wage war against the Queen, thereby committing an offence punishable under the Laws in force at the time and under Section 121 of the Indian Penal Code, and cognizable by this Court. That on or about the month of February 1858 at Seringsira Ghaut in
Singbhoom committed murder by causing the death of a European or person supposed to be a European, name unknown, and thereby committed an offence punishable under the Laws in force at the period … 2
To these charges, Gonoo had pleaded ‘not guilty’. He admitted to having been a follower of Arjun Singh, the former Raja of Porahat,3 and that he had merely carried out the orders of the latter.4
