Volume: 20, No: 08 ; August-2026
Chandrashekhar Azad occupies a remarkable place in the history of India’s revolutionary movement. He spent much of his life underground, moving between locations, working with fellow revolutionaries and evading the colonial authorities who were determined to capture him.
One object became particularly associated with his revolutionary life: a pistol known as Bamtul Bukhara.
Its story begins in the years following the Kakori Train Action of 1925, continues through Azad’s final encounter at Alfred Park in Allahabad, and extends decades beyond his death. The weapon was eventually recovered, taken to England and later brought back to India, where it became part of the country’s revolutionary heritage.
Today, the story of Bamtul Bukhara provides an unusual connection between Kakori’s revolutionary history, Lucknow’s heritage and Chandrashekhar Azad’s final stand in Prayagraj.
From the Kakori Train Action to the Hunt for Azad
The Kakori Train Action, carried out on 9 August 1925, led to an extensive investigation by the British authorities. Several people associated with the revolutionary movement were arrested, prosecuted and punished.
Chandrashekhar Azad, however, managed to remain at large.
The colonial administration placed a reward of Rs 5,000 on his capture — a substantial amount at the time and reportedly greater than the money taken during the Kakori action itself.
J. R. H. Nott-Bower, the CID chief in Allahabad, was determined to trace Azad. His officers continued to follow leads in the hope of bringing the elusive revolutionary into custody.
Azad’s connection with Kakori Train Action 1925 is an important part of his wider story and also links his life with the revolutionary history of the Lucknow region.
The Final Encounter at Alfred Park
On the morning of 27 February 1931, Azad was at Alfred Park in Allahabad, accompanied by his associate Sukhdev Raj.
According to accounts of the incident, the two men entered the park when Sukhdev noticed someone observing Azad. Soon afterwards, a vehicle arrived carrying Nott-Bower and two plain-clothes constables.
The encounter quickly turned into an exchange of gunfire.
Azad was wounded in the thigh, while Nott-Bower was also hit in the upper arm. Despite his injury, Azad continued to resist.
The firing lasted only a short while before Azad died from his wounds.
The incident was reported in the newspapers the following day. His belongings were subsequently taken into police custody, including the firearm he had been carrying.
The site where the encounter took place later became known as Chandrashekhar Azad Park, and today it forms an important part of the historical landscape of Prayagraj.
Chandrashekhar Azad: A Skilled Marksman
Azad joined the Hindustan Republican Army (HRA) while still very young. Under the influence of revolutionaries such as Ram Prasad Bismil, he developed considerable familiarity with firearms.
Recollections by his contemporaries describe him as exceptionally quick and agile. His speed and reflexes reportedly earned him the nickname ‘Quicksilver’, used by Bismil and Sachindra Nath Sanyal.
His reputation as a marksman also reached British officials.
ST Hollins, who served as CID chief in the United Provinces, recorded an account of Azad’s final encounter in which the revolutionary returned fire against an officer positioned behind a hedge at a considerable distance.
Such accounts help explain why firearms became such an important part of the image and mythology surrounding Azad.
Among all the weapons associated with him, one became particularly famous.
The Story of Bamtul Bukhara
For Azad, the pistol known as Bamtul Bukhara appears to have been more than a practical weapon. It was associated with his independence, security and determination to avoid capture.
The exact meaning of the expression Bamtul Bukhara is uncertain. Some historical interpretations suggest that the name referred to a weapon capable of producing a powerful burst of fire.
Stories from Azad’s revolutionary circle further illustrate the importance attached to the pistol.
During a gathering in Agra attended by Azad, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Batukeshwar Dutt and others, the revolutionaries reportedly discussed the possibility of being arrested and punished.
When the conversation turned towards Azad’s possible capture, the pistol became part of the discussion. Azad reportedly expressed confidence that, as long as Bamtul Bukhara remained with him, his enemies would find it extremely difficult to take him alive.
The story later became part of the legend surrounding the revolutionary.
Was Bamtul Bukhara a Colt or a Mauser?
One of the enduring questions surrounding Chandrashekhar Azad’s pistol concerns its exact make.
The available accounts are not completely consistent.
Author Pratap Gopendra referred to an official inquest report cited by The Leader newspaper on 2 March 1931. According to this account, the weapon recovered after Azad’s death was a well-maintained .32-bore Colt automatic pistol.
However, the memoirs of Vishwanath Vaishampayan, a contemporary associated with Azad’s revolutionary circle, identify Bamtul Bukhara as a Mauser.
The difference between these accounts has remained part of the historical discussion surrounding the weapon.
Rather than diminishing its significance, the uncertainty adds another layer to the story of an object that has survived as a symbol of India’s revolutionary past.
The Connection Between Azad and Bhagat Singh’s Colt
The story becomes even more intriguing when Bamtul Bukhara is considered alongside the firearm associated with Bhagat Singh.
The .32 Colt was a compact automatic pistol used by officers as well as revolutionary groups in different countries. Historical accounts suggest that such firearms found their way into the hands of Indian revolutionaries during the late 1920s.
According to recollections attributed to Vishwanath Vaishampayan, the HSRA obtained Colt pistols through the Ordnance Factory at Allahabad.
Another contemporary of Azad, Sadashiva Malkapurkar, reportedly stated that Colt pistols reached the revolutionary organisation in 1927. One such weapon was later associated with the killing of British police officer John Saunders in December 1928.
There have also been suggestions that the Colts associated with Azad and Bhagat Singh belonged to the same production lot. Both are described as .32-calibre Colts, with the same patent date and manufacturing date cited in accounts of the weapons.
The identification details have encouraged speculation about a possible connection between the two pistols. However, this remains a matter of historical interpretation rather than an established certainty.
The Lahore Conspiracy Case and Ballistic Evidence
Firearms became particularly important during investigations into revolutionary activities.
In the Lahore Conspiracy Case, ballistic evidence was used in connection with the bullet recovered from the body of John Saunders. Historical accounts state that the examination linked the bullet with the Colt associated with Bhagat Singh.
The episode demonstrates how weapons could become important pieces of evidence in colonial investigations.
For Azad, meanwhile, his pistol remained with him until the very end of his life.
What Happened to Azad’s Pistol After His Death?
Following the encounter at Alfred Park, the pistol became part of the official case property.
For many years, however, the weapon received little public attention.
Its story resurfaced around 1969–70 when former associates of Azad learnt that the Uttar Pradesh Police was displaying firearms recovered from dacoits at different exhibitions.
According to the account, Azad’s pistol was among the weapons being displayed.
Former revolutionaries considered this inappropriate treatment for an object associated with one of India’s prominent freedom fighters and decided to intervene.
An opportunity came during a ceremony held for the unveiling of a statue of Azad at Laharubar in Varanasi by the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Chandra Bhanu Gupta.
Ramkrishna Khatri, together with Sachindranath Bakshi, Bhagwandas Mahaur, Bhupendranath Sanyal and Randev Rudive, reportedly raised the matter with Gupta.
The Chief Minister instructed the Allahabad authorities to preserve the weapon separately at the Allahabad Museum.
However, when officials attempted to locate it, they were told that the pistol was missing.
The Search Through Old Records
The search then moved into government records.
AK Mustafi, the then Home Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, sent instructions to district magistrates to trace weapons associated with former revolutionaries.
Mustafi also travelled to Allahabad and examined old records.
There, he reportedly discovered the 1931 register containing an entry relating to Azad’s Colt.
A note alongside the entry indicated that the weapon had apparently been presented to J. R. H. Nott-Bower when he left India for England in 1933.
The discovery explained how Azad’s pistol had disappeared from India and opened the way for efforts to recover it.
Bower’s Agreement to Return the Weapon
In 1972, Mustafi wrote to Nott-Bower asking for the return of the pistol.
The request was subsequently taken up at the central level. India’s representative in Britain was asked to approach the former officer and persuade him to return the historical weapon.
According to the account, Nott-Bower eventually agreed.
In exchange, he asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to send him a photograph of Azad’s statue at Alfred Park and a formal letter of appreciation.
Nott-Bower died a few months later.
The pistol was then brought back to India, reaching Delhi before being transferred to Lucknow.
From Lucknow to Allahabad Museum
A commemorative gathering was organised in 1973 to mark Chandrashekhar Azad’s martyrdom and display the returned pistol.
The event took place near the dharmashala where Azad had reportedly stayed before the Kakori action.
The weapon was subsequently kept at the State Museum in Lucknow before being transferred to the Allahabad Museum in 1976.
It is now associated with the Chandrashekhar Azad Gallery, where the pistol forms part of the historical record of the revolutionary movement.
Bamtul Bukhara and the Revolutionary Heritage of Uttar Pradesh
The journey of Bamtul Bukhara is remarkable because it connects several important chapters of India’s revolutionary history.
Its story begins in the era of the Kakori Train Action, continues through Chandrashekhar Azad’s underground revolutionary activities and ends with his final encounter at Alfred Park.
It also connects two important destinations for travellers interested in history.
Kakori near Lucknow represents an important chapter in the revolutionary movement of the 1920s, while Chandrashekhar Azad Park in Prayagraj preserves the memory of the revolutionary’s final stand.
For visitors exploring historical places in Lucknow, historical places near Lucknow or the heritage of Prayagraj, these stories reveal a side of Uttar Pradesh that goes beyond its palaces, monuments and traditional cultural attractions.
Bamtul Bukhara, meanwhile, remains a fascinating historical object – one that carries the memory of Chandrashekhar Azad and the revolutionary generation that challenged British rule.
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