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Emblem - The Connaught Rangers
The DAGSHAI JAIL MUSEUM is unique. It is only the second jail museum in India, the other being the Andaman Island Cellular Jail. The establishment of the museum in 2011 was due to the great vision and drive of the Kasauli headquartered Brigade Commander, Brig. Ananth Narayanan and the tireless efforts put in by Col. Anoop Kutty the Commanding Officer and his brother Officers of the resident Battalion. The museum has exhibits, militaria etc., related to its extraordinary history.
Anand Sethi, a local resident of Dagshai Hills helped in the Curation of this museum with vintage and archival photographs and other material sourced from India, the U.K. and Ireland.
He has also worked on the setting up of this website as also in placing the museum on Google Earth (30deg,53'13.29"N; 77deg 03' 17.66"E).
DAGSHAI
Dagshai is one of the oldest Army Cantonments in India. A small, pretty hill station it is situated at a height of about 2000 metres on a strategic hill astride the Kalka - Shimla highway (NH-22). It was founded in 1847 by the British after securing free of cost five villages. The name, according to popular legend, derives from'Daag e Shahi* meaning a 'Royal Mark' which supposedly was impaled on the forehead of criminals who were then sent on to live in Dagshai village.
DAGSHAI MYTHS & LEGENDS
There are also some myths and legends associated with the Dagshai Hills area. 'Manki Point' in Kasauli is believed to be the first touch down point of Lord Hanuman searching for 'Sanjeevani' to treat the injured Lakshman. There is also some evidence to show that the ancient riiver Saraswati originated from Joharji on the Dagshai - Nahan Road.
The area around Dagshai has some 11 forts constructed by the Nepalese Gurkhas under the great General Amar Singh Thapa, when they ruled this part of North India from 1805 to 1816. One of these forts, at Banasar is on a hill South of Dagshai.
DAGSHAI JAIL HISTORY
The Dagshai Jail set up in 1849 is a T- shaped building of local stone masonry and has 54 tiny cells. Air supply for the cells is provided by a small underground vent connected to a manifold system drawing air from beyond the outer wall. The only illumination is from a tiny heavily barricaded window. The Jail has a lot of history. In 1857 some Gurkha soldiers of the Nasiri Regiment (later to be the 1st King George's Own Gurkha Rifles) based in nearby Kasauli, Sabathu and Jatogh, mutinied. After the mutiny was put down, its leaders were brought to Dagshai Jail and subsequently executed.
Late in 1914, four of the Indian revolutionaries who were aboard the 'Komagata maru' trying to enforce their right to relocate to Canada, then a British dominion like India, were also imprisoned in Dagshai Jail and executed.
In May 1915 a group of 12 Indian soldiers from the 23rd Risala (Cavalry) were found to have deep sympathies with the Indian revolutionary 'Ghadar' party. These soldiers were arrested and sent to Dagshai Jail for incarceration before they were executed there for crimes against the British Crown.
Several Prisoners of War from the Anglo Boer War in South Africa , 1899 to 1902 were shipped all the way to Dagshai. While most of these prisoners were under sort of house arrest in the army barracks and what are now the buildings of the Army Public School, Dagshai some six of the prisoners were inside the main Jail. The Museum displays, in a special room, many invaluable photographs related to the Boer War and the prisoners. These photographs have been presented by the Anglo Boer War Museum of Bloemfontein, South Africa and are the only ones in all of India. One priceless photograph presented, that of a team of the Indian Auxiliary Medical Corps during the Boer War has Segeant Major Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in military fatigues.
Several leaders of the S.S. "Komagatamaru" expedition were brought to Dagshai Jail after the ship was returned from Vancouver to Budge Budge harbour. They were imprisoned and subsequently hung at the Dagshai Gallows House (now repaired and restored). The 'Komagatamaru' Museum in Surrey, Vancouver, Canada has presented several photographs to the Dagshai Jail Museum which are on display. On May 18th, 2016 the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Trudeau, formally apologised in the Canadian Parliament about this shameful incident. A framed copy of the apology has been received and is on display in the Museum in Dagshai.
In 1920, many Irish Catholic soldiers of the 1st Battalion,The Connaught Rangers ('Devil's Own') based in Solan mutinied against their British Officers on hearing about British atrocities in Ireland. The alleged ring leaders were rounded up and incarcerated in Dagshai Jail. A Court Martial conducted by Maj. Gen. Sir G. de S. Barrow (later associated with Gen. Allenby and Lawrence of Arabia), a young Irish soldier supposedly the main instigator, James Daly was ordered to be executed. On hearing news of the incarceration of young Irish soldiers, Mahatma Gandhi , a good friend of Ireland is reported to have come to Dagshai Jail.
THE CURATOR MAY BE CONTACTED BY E-MAIL: anandkumar.sethi@gmail.com