Mangal Pande is Samad’s alleged great-grandfather, an Indian sepoy (an Indian soldier serving under British direction) who shot the first bullet of the Indian Mutiny of 1857, though it is unclear whether this action was heroic or motivated by foolishness (or drunkenness). Pande unsuccessfully attempted to commit suicide to protest the British army’s use of bullets smeared with pig fat (a sacrilegious act to Hindus), and he never became the martyr he intended to be. Samad defends his ancestor’s legacy throughout the novel and is inspired by his example, but other characters—notably Archie (who, ironically, fails to commit suicide at the beginning of the novel)—criticize him as a misguided fool and a coward. Pande was also a real-life historical figure.
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Mangal Pande Character Timeline in White Teeth
The timeline below shows where the character Mangal Pande appears in White Teeth. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5
...trained, and that he should be an officer, not a low-level soldier; his great-grandfather Mangal Pande was the “great hero of the Indian Mutiny,” a man who shot the “first hateful...
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...decides to “cement his friendship” with Archie by telling him the epic story of Mangal Pande, his relative. Samad implores Archie to “hold his judgment” if, when he returns to Britain,...
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Chapter 7
...calm he is, and Samad says that it runs in his family, thinking of Mangal Pande.
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Chapter 9
...but ultimately irritating!” The two families gather together, and Samad discusses the story of Mangal Pande as a means of entertainment. Suddenly, a tree crashes through Archie’s house; Samad, Archie, Alsana,...
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Chapter 10
Samadd wants Mickey to hang up a portrait of Mangal Pande, but Mickey is hesitant. Samad becomes furious, and to appease him, Mickey agrees to hang...
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Samad describes Mangal Pande’s story: in 1857, a new kind of British bullet was produced for use by Indian...
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Archie believes that Pande might have been “bullied” into starting the mutiny, but Samad believes that when a man’s...
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Chapter 17
...erasers, the overhead projector, the filing cabinets—to defend their distinct viewpoints, discussing the Qur’an, Mangal Pande, genetic experimentation, and finally, their own separation.
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...no progress. They seem to occupy a space “equal to themselves” and “equal to Mangal Pande’s, equal to Samad Iqbal’s”: they are both trapped in the present moment together. The narrator...
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Chapter 19
...compared to the statues of men in the square. But Millat believes that he—unlike Mangal Pande—is capable of turning this history around, and that he will write his name all over...
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Chapter 20
Millat is “reaching like Pande” for his gun, and Archie stands up. With no coin to help him, he runs...
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