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{{short description|Indian revolutionary (1912–1945)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mahendra Gope
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_date = 15 August 1912
| birth_place = [[Banka district|Banka]], [[Bihar and Orissa Province]], British India
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1945|11|23|1912|08}}
| death_place = [[Bhagalpur]], [[Bihar]], British India
| death_cause = [[Execution by hanging]]
| movement = [[Indian Independence Movement]]
| criminal_charges =
| criminal_penalty = [[Capital punishment|Death]]
| criminal_status = [[Executed]]
| citizenship =
}}

'''Mahendra Gope''' (15 August 1912 – 23 November 1945) was an [[Indian people|Indian]] freedom struggle activist.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Srikrishan 'Sarala' |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x_AiQG2mg00C&dq=mahendra+gop&pg=PA189 |title=Indian Revolutionaries 1757-1961 (Vol-4): Indian Revolutionaries 1757-1961 (Vol-4): Srikrishan 'Sarala' Explores the Bravery and Sacrifice of India's Revolutionary Icons |date=1999-01-01 |publisher=Prabhat Prakashan |isbn=978-81-87100-19-5 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Saral |first=Shrikrishna |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HcFoDwAAQBAJ&dq=%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0+%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA&pg=PT246 |title=Krantikari Kosh -IV: Krantikari Kosh -IV: Rediscovering the Legends of India's Freedom Struggle |date=1998-01-01 |publisher=Prabhat Prakashan |isbn=978-81-7315-235-1 |language=hi}}</ref> He belonged to a Yadav family of Rampur, currently part of [[Banka district]], [[Bihar]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Singh|first1=Amar Kant|last2=Kumar|first2=Manish|date=2001|title=Militant Revolutionary Groups in Bhagalpur During the Quit India Movement |url= https://www.jstor.org/stable/44155790|journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=62 |issue=|publisher=Indian History Congress|pages=463–469|doi=|access-date= 5 June 2025|quote=Of some other revolutionary groups, then working in the Bhagalpur area through guerrilla tactics and through methods of violence, mention may be made of two the 'Parasuram Dal' and another organised by Mahendra Gope. The leader of the former was active in the Banka subdivision, and he was an inhabitant of this area.}}</ref> At the age of 33, he was hanged in Bhagalpur Camp Jail in Bihar.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Prasad |first=Rajendra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kCluAAAAMAAJ&q=mahendra+gope |title=Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Correspondence and Select Documents: 1945 to 1946 |date=1984 |publisher=Allied |isbn=978-81-7023-002-1 |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life==
Mahendra Gope was born on 15 August 1912 in Yadav family to Ram Sahay Khirhari, in Rampur village of the [[Banka district]], in the state of [[Bihar]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=सिंह |first=बिभांशु शेखर |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ascvEAAAQBAJ&dq=%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0+%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA&pg=PA36 |title="विप्लवी बांका" लेखक बिभांशु शेखर सिंह |publisher=Bibhanshu Shekhar Singh |isbn=978-93-5445-182-9 |pages=30 |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Pati|first=Biswamoy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5C5uAAAAMAAJ&q=gope+zamindar|title=Turbulent Times, India, 1940-44|date=1998|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7154-834-7|language=en}}</ref>

==Revolutionary activities==
In [[Bhagalpur]], Parshuram Singh organised a group known as Parshuram Dal, this group chalked out a programme of taking revenge from sympathisers of British Government. The real strength of Parshuram Dal lay in Mahendra Gope, who emerged as great leader of this group.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Roy |first=Pankaj Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D9NHAAAAMAAJ&q=mahendra+gope |title=The Quit India Movement in Bihar: The Special Reference to the Old Division of Bhagalpur |date=1991 |publisher=Capital Publishing House |isbn=978-81-85157-64-1 |pages=114 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ambastha |first=Gouri Shankar P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FnhuAAAAMAAJ&q=mahendra+gope |title=Freedom Movement and Role of Congress Leaders |date=1995 |publisher=Classical Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-7054-163-9 |language=en}}</ref>

During the Quit India movement Mahendra Gope and Parshuram Singh were important revolutionary leaders from south Bhagalpur, who gave open challenge to the government and killed a member of officers.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Parishad|first=Bihar Purāvid|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iFduAAAAMAAJ&q=mahendra+gope|title=The Journal of the Bihar Purāvid Parishad|date=1983|publisher=Bihar Puravid Parishad.|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pfNtAAAAMAAJ&q=mahendra+gope|title=Journal of Indian History|date=1971|publisher=Department of Modern Indian History|language=en}}</ref>

Gop gained a reputation as a ruthless operator and formed his own group within the wider Parshuram Dal movement. Later, Gope became independent and became leader of Gope Dal, particularly after the arrest of Parshuram Singh in May 1943.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chaturvedi|first=Ritu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gCnRzJwcqSQC&dq=mahendra+gope&pg=PA345|title=Bihar Through the Ages|date=2007|publisher=Sarup & Sons|isbn=978-81-7625-798-5|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Ambastha|first=Gouri Shankar P.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FnhuAAAAMAAJ&q=mahendra+gope|title=Freedom Movement and Role of Congress Leaders|date=1995|publisher=Classical Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7054-163-9|language=en}}</ref>

Mahendra Gope and his group had links with Congress Socialist Party.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ekvhAAAAMAAJ&q=mahendra+gope|title=Mainstream|date=1999|publisher=N. Chakravartty|language=en}}</ref> In May 1943, his group also joined Siaram Singh's party but they were removed from the party for certain reason in June 1943.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Congress|first=Indian History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wBNDAAAAYAAJ&q=mahendra+gope|title=Proceedings|date=2006|publisher=Indian History Congress|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=IAS|first=Dr Birendra Prasad|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VFFREAAAQBAJ&dq=mahendra+gope&pg=RA2-PA59|title=BPSC GENERAL STUDIES PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION GUIDE 2022|date=2021-11-29|publisher=Prabhat Prakashan|isbn=978-93-5488-021-6|language=en}}</ref>

==Death==
During September 1944, Gope was arrested with ten others in the Banka jungles. He listed 20 people whom he suspected of informing against him.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chaturvedi|first=Ritu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gCnRzJwcqSQC&dq=mahendra+gope&pg=PA345|title=Bihar Through the Ages|date=2007|publisher=Sarup & Sons|isbn=978-81-7625-798-5|language=en}}</ref>

On 23 November 1945, the [[British Raj|British]] hanged Gope in [[Bhagalpur]] Camp Jail.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Prasad|first=Rajendra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kCluAAAAMAAJ&q=mahendra+gope|title=Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Correspondence and Select Documents: 1945 to 1946|date=1984|publisher=Allied|isbn=978-81-7023-002-1|language=en}}</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Mahendra Gop.jpg|thumb|Statue of Mahendra Gop in Banka.]]

A sports ground has been named after Gope at the Eksingha in [[Banka district]]. It is known as Amar Shaheed Mahendra Gope Stadium.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gop, Mahendra}}
[[Category:1912 births]]
[[Category:1945 deaths]]
[[Category:Executed Indian revolutionaries]]
[[Category:People executed by British India by hanging]]
[[Category:20th-century executions by British India]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Bihar]]

Mahendra Gope - Revision history

WikiDwarf at 15:45, 24 April 2026