A personal adherent of Nana Saheb of Bithoor, he progressed with the Gwalior contingent after the British reoccupied Kanpur (then known as Cawnpore) and forced General Windham to retreat from the city.
[3] According to an official statement, Tantia Tope's father was Panduranga Yewalkar and his mother was Rukhma Bai.
[4] A witness at his trial described Tantia Tope as "a man of middling stature, with a wheat complexion and always wearing a white chukri-dar turban".
Afterward, he was defeated by General Cyrill in the Second Battle of Cawnpore, which started on 19 November 1857 and continued for seventeen days.
Later on Tantia and Rao Saheb, after assisting Jhansi during the British assault successfully helped Rani Lakshmibai escape the attack.
Tope then took his forces towards Indore, but was pursued by the British, now commanded by General John Michel as he fled towards Sironj.
[1] Every year State Government and locals pay tribute to Tatya Tope on this day and organised Shaheed Mela.