Mangal Pandey was an Indian soldier who played a key part in the Indian rebellion of 1857. He was a sepoy in the Sepoy Mutiny who rebelled against British control and led the revolt. Mangal Pandey was a progressive and ambitious young man who was born in the Ballia district on July 19, 1827. He joined in the British East India Company army at the age of 22 in 1849. He served in the British East India Company's 34th Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) regiment as a sepoy. Mangal Pandey was a dedicated and loyal serviceman. During this period, Britishers mistreated Indians, particularly the Sepoys. However, when Mangal Pandey and the soldiers discovered that the rifle cartridges were made of animal fat rather than vegetable oil, they became a rebel. Mangal Pandey addressed the soldiers on March 29, 1857, "Yeh Azaadi Ki Ladai Hai … Ghuzre Hue Kal Se Azaadi … Aane Waale Kal ke Liye ” and they began to rebel against the British officers. The Great Bengal Mutiny of 1857 is another name for this revolt. Later, Pandey was apprehended and hanged for conspiracies on April 8, 1857. Mangal Pandey's sacrifice inspired countless Indians, leading to the formation of several nationalist groups and movements. In India,  Pandey is remembered as a freedom fighter against British authority. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.