In the summer of 1857, British power in large parts of India was suddenly and violently subverted. The 'insurrection' was so severe that it shook the very foundation of the British Empire. The British lost power, and were ousted from their position of governance, at least for some time. This 'uprising' has perhaps commanded more attention than any single event in Indian history. The debate over the nature and causes of this uprising continues till date and remains one of the most sensitive & highly controversial issues of modern Indian history. Many historians have come out with different interpretations of the revolt. In almost all writings by Persian and Urdu scholars they termed it as 'Ghadar, meaning 'the uprising' against a foreign power i.e.; the British. This paper seeks to present a study of Anti- British Resistance in 1857 that took place in the district. It was an elemental, spontaneous & violent resistance aimed at overthrowing foreign rule. Shahjahanpur1 is situated southeast of Rohilkhand region. It is also known as the City of Martyrs (shaheedon ki nagri).2 It was made a district in 1813-14 by the East India Company. Before that it was a part of Bareilly district.3 According to tradition, its earlier name was Gangadurga.4 During the medieval period, it was included in Katehar which was the name of Rohilkhand during the Sultanate
period.