Illustrations of events tended to reinforce Victorian notions of honor and bravery. What are the oldest known civilizations of India? Though the revolt failed in its objective, even in failure it served a grand purpose. With the British recovery of Gwalior (June 20, 1858), the revolt was virtually over. In another, however, the appalling atrocities visited by the Companys armies on the people of northern India were far from justified, since the British proved to be just as prone to rumors and panics as their Indian subjects. But in the 1830s and 1840s, tensions began to emerge. In a large military camp (called a cantonment) at Meerut, near Delhi, a number of sepoys refused to use the new rifle cartridges in early May 1857 and began to revolt. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/sepoy-mutiny-of-1857-1774014. This would have insulted both Hindu and Muslim religious practices; cows were considered holy by Hindus, while pigs were considered unclean (Haram) by Muslims. [6]. McNamara, Robert. Advertising Notice A cartridge for the new Enfield rifle. Once defiled, the theory went, men who had consumed the forbidden meal would be shunned by their co-religionists and would be easier to bring into the Christian fold, or could be sent as soldiers overseas (crossing the black water being forbidden to Hindus of high caste). It was initiated by sepoys in the Bengal Presidency against the British officers. He survived and was put on trial and hanged on April 8, 1857. [12], There had been earlier indications that all was not well in the armies of the East India Company. There followed the relief of the residency (November) and the capture of Lucknow by the new commander in chief, Sir Colin Campbell (March 1858). [11] If the caste of high-caste sepoys was considered to be "polluted", they would have to expend considerable sums of money on ritual purification before being accepted back into society. Mangal Pandey, (born July 19, 1827, Akbarpur, Indiadied April 8, 1857, Barrackpore), Indian soldier whose attack on British officers on March 29, 1857, was the first major incident of what came to be known as the Indian, or Sepoy, Mutiny (in India the uprising is often called the First War of Independence or other similar names). [9], Until the 1840s there had been a widespread belief amongst the Bengal sepoys in the Iqbal or continued good fortune of the East India Company. Eleven of the sepoys were executed and hundreds more sentenced to hard labor. Both Hindu and Muslim sepoys refused to use them. Map: Wikicommons. The military cause was both particular and general. [10], Caste privileges and customs within the Bengal Army were not merely tolerated but encouraged in the early years of the company's rule. Along with the previously mentioned illustration in Ballou's Pictorial, numerous American newspapers published accounts of the violence in India. Some time in February 1857, a curious occurrence took place. The Sepoy Mutinywas a violent and very bloody uprising againstBritish rule in Indiain 1857. The Revolt of 1857, an anti-colonial movement which fought against the imperialist policies of the British East India Company, is an important event that took place in Indian history. This book is essentially about the heroes - Tatya Tope, Nana Saheb, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur - and not to forget, a few villains. Queen Victoria, at the prompting of Benjamin Disraeli, announced to Parliament that her Indian subjects were "happy under My rule and loyal to My throne.". His name has become synonymous with the revolt of 1857. And the leaders were not united, because they sought to revive former Hindu and Muslim regimes, which in their heyday had bitterly clashed. Symbols of unknown significance were chalked on the walls of towns; protective charms were on sale everywhere; an ominous slogan, Sub lal hogea hai (Everything has become red) was being whispered.. To save content items to your account, Another important source of discontent among the Indian rulers was that the British policies of conquest had created significant unrest. At other times however, the Company directly or indirectly conceded the legitimacy of the sepoy's demands, such as when troops of the Bengal and Madras armies refused to serve in Sindh without batta after its conquest. In an elaborate ceremony, Lord Lytton, the serving viceroy of India, honored a number of Indian princes. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine An uprising in several sepoy companies of the Bengal army was sparked by the issue of new gunpowder cartridges for the Enfield rifle in February 1857. Setting out from Allahabad, Sir Henry Havelock fought through Kanpur to the Lucknow residency on September 25, where he was besieged in turn. It is no surprise, the historian Kim Wagner notes, that, faced with such a plethora of portents, the British regarded with deep suspicion, bordering on paranoia, any type of communication in India which they could not understand. The colonial administration well understood that rumors, however unfounded, could have serious consequences, and there were plenty of notably more dangerous urban legends about. Privacy Statement Mason, Philip (1974), pages 186 and 313 "A Matter of Honour", London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston. There was therefore both resentment and unease among the old governing class, fanned in Delhi by the British decision to end the Mughal imperial title on Bahdur Shahs death. This took the form of Muslim millenarianism, with preachers in Lucknow foretelling the end of the raj. @free.kindle.com emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. Mason, Philip (1974), page 190 "A Matter of Honour", London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston. As mutineers were captured, they were often killed on the spot, and many were executed in dramatic fashion. The mysterious appearance of chapatisloaves of an Indian unleavened breadspooked the British administrators of the Raj shortly before the outbreak of rebellion in 1857. each other as brothers.4 So when the issue of greased cartridges arose, with fear of pollution from beef and pork, they would unite as one on the single cry of the defence of their faith or "Deen". Its cartridges consisted of a .577 inch ball projectile and a charge of gun powder propellant wrapped in waterproofed cartridge paper. It is also known by other names: the Indian Mutiny, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, or the Indian Revolt of 1857. In the Punjab were some 10,000 British troops, which made it possible to disarm the Indian regiments; and the recently defeated Sikhs were so hostile to the Muslims that they supported the British against the Mughal restoration in Delhi. Thereafter he headed the National Mineral Water Company in Muscat, Oman. Stbere im grten eBookstore der Welt und lies noch heute im Web, auf deinem Tablet, Telefon oder E-Reader. To load both the old musket and the new rifle, soldiers had to bite the cartridge open and pour the gunpowder it contained into the rifle's muzzle, then stuff the paper cartridge (overlaid with a thin mixture of beeswax and mutton tallow for waterproofing) into the musket as wadding, the ball being secured to the top of the cartridge and guided into place for ramming down the muzzle. Famous For: Revolt of 1857. The Muslims had lost the large state of Avadh; the Marathas had lost Nagpur, Satara, and Jhansi. By the 1850s the East India Company controlled much of India. Sympathetic rulers, such as Lord William Bentinck were replaced by arrogant aristocrats, such as Lord Dalhousie, who despised the troops and the populace. The immediate cause of the Indian Revolt of 1857, or Sepoy Mutiny, was a seemingly minor change in the weapons used by the British East India Company's troops. [21], The Bengal Army also administered, sometimes loosely, 29 regiments of irregular horses and 42 of irregular infantry. Saul, David (2003), page 294 "The Indian Mutiny", Penguin Books. A New Type of Rifle Cartridge Caused Problems, The Indian Revolt of 1857 Brought the End of the East India Company. Scottish Highlanders charge during the suppression of the rebellion of 1857. There is no doubt that conflict over the new rifle cartridges sparked the uprising in 1857, but the reality is that social, political, and even technological reforms had set the stage for what happened. [2][3], Religious disquiet as the cause of rebellion underlies the work of historian William Dalrymple who asserts that the rebels were motivated primarily by resistance to the actions of the English East India Company(also called British East India Company), especially under James Broun-Ramsay reign, which were perceived as attempts to impose Christianity and Christian laws in India. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Hostname: page-component-7f44ffd566-7cttp Our Bones Are Scattered: The Cawnpore Massacres and the Indian Mutiny of 1857 (London: John Murray, 2004). Such measures were considered a valid negotiating tactic by the sepoys, likely to be repeated every time such issues arose. As the mutiny spread, the British began called mutineers "pandies." A rumor spread that the cartridges of the new Enfield rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. | READ MORE. The old aristocracy, both Muslim and Hindu, who were seeing their power steadily eroded by the EEIC, also rebelled against British rule. (See Barrackpore Mutiny.). The cartridge was then rammed down the muzzle of the rifle.. Your Privacy Rights All the people in the palace wondered what it could mean. Outraged by events such as the massacre of women and children at Cawnpore, some British officers believed that hanging mutineers was too humane. Dalhousie had also appointed Inam Commission with powers to confiscate land. The whole episode falls into three periods: first came the summer of 1857, when the British, without reinforcements from home, fought with their backs to the wall; the second concerned the operations for the relief of Lucknow in the autumn; and the third was the successful campaign of Sir Colin Campbell (later Baron Clyde) and Sir Hugh Henry Rose (later Baron Strathnairn of Strathnairn and Jhansi) in the first half of 1858. Thornhill examined the chapatis in his office. Later, the attitudes of British officers changed with increased intolerance, lack of involvement and unconcern of the welfare of troops becoming manifest more and more. The first sepoy who rebelled by aiming his loaded weapon at a British officer was Mangal Pandey who was later executed.[25]. the Sepoy Mutiny (by British Historians) The rifling inside the musket barrel ensured accuracy at much greater distances than was possible with old muskets. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, sepoys tended to take great pride in their military prowess, and they exhibited enormous loyalty to their British officers. Fighting in some places continued well into 1858, but the British were ultimately able to establish control. [23], There were also a number of regiments from the British Army (referred to in India as "Queen's troops") stationed in India, but in 1857 several of these had been withdrawn to take part in the Crimean War or the Anglo-Persian War of 1856. The Revolt of 1857 in India eventually broke out over the incident of greased cartridges. Mutiny Memoirs of an Old Officer (London: Folio Society, 1984);Troy Downs. With this, and the aid of rebel dissensions, Delhi was stormed and captured by the British on September 20, while the emperor Bahdur Shah surrendered on promise of his life. Other irregular units were raised in frontier areas from communities such as Assamese or Pashtuns to maintain order locally. The Indian Mutiny of 1857-59 was a widespread but unsuccessful rebellion against the rule of British East India Company in India which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British crown. Mike Dash is a contributing writer in history for Smithsonian.com. It was no secret that the Companys armies had been making preparations for the introduction of a new sort of ammunition for a new model of Enfield rifle. Proceedings of the Trial of Badahur Shah. In Accounts and Papers, East Indies, Session 3 February-19 April 1859, Parliamentary Papers XVIII of 1859;William Wotherspoon Ireland. ThoughtCo, Jul. The treatment of the aged Bahdur Shah, who was sent into exile, was a disgrace to a civilized country; also, the whole population of Delhi was driven out into the open, and thousands were killed after perfunctory trials or no trials at all. Indian soldiers had to blow the cartridge which was made of pork and beef. Extensive inquiries into the meaning of the breads produced plenty of theories but few facts; even the runners and watchmen who baked them and carried them from village to village did not know why they had to run through the night with chupatties in their turbans, though they took them just the same. By a campaign in Avadh and Rohilkhand, Campbell cleared the countryside. Click to view in higher resolution. The revolt failed in overthrowing British Rule. On 29 March 1857, Mangal Pandey, a sepoy of the 34 th Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) mutinied against his commanding officers of the East India Company. This allowed different meanings an interpretations to be attributed to them, and the chapattis became an index of peoples thoughts and worries. He also passed decrees allowing Hindus who had converted to Christianity to be able to inherit property, which had previously been denied by local practice. Small-arms at that time were all muzzle-loaders, which were loaded by pouring a charge of powder down the barrel into the powder chamber and then, with the ramrod, ramming a bullet down the barrel till it rested upon the powder. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/sepoy-mutiny-of-1857-1774014. Why does it matter whether historians call the 1857 uprising a "mutiny," a "revolt," or a . please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. And yet its just as possible to see the bloody results of the mutual incomprehension between the British and native communities in India as a potent reminder that mistrust and panic can have serious consequences. Christian organisations from Britain had additionally created 222 "unattached" mission stations across India in the decade preceding the rebellion. The Politics of a Popular Uprising: Bundelkhand in 1857 (Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1994);Mark Thornhill. British officials were alarmed at the rapid distribution of mysterious Indian breads across much of the Raj, There is a most mysterious affair going on throughout the whole of India at present, Dr. Gilbert Hadow wrote in a letter to his sister in Britain in March 1857. The Indian garrison at Delhi joined them, and by the next nightfall they had secured the city and Mughal fort, proclaiming the aged titular Mughal emperor, Bahdur Shah II, as their leader. Although the armies of many Rajas or states which rebelled contained large numbers of guns, the British superiority in artillery was to be decisive in the siege of Delhi after the arrival of a siege train of thirty-two howitzers and mortars. Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. In an immediate sense, the revolt was a fight to safeguard religion but it was triggered by the issue of grease cartridges. One popular story, widely believed, suggested that the British were attempting the mass conversion of their subjects to Christianity by adulterating their flour with bone meal from cows and pigs, which was forbidden to Hindus and Moslems, respectively. The Revolt of 1857 eventually broke out over the incident of greased cartridges. The revolt of 1857 was one of the greatest & most significant developments in the history of the 19th century. Loading the Enfield often required tearing open the greased cartridge with one's teeth, and many sepoys believed that the cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat. As the East India Company annexed Indian states in the 1840s and 1850s, the Indian soldiers in the company's employ began to feel offended. The chapatis were real, but no one knew for sure what they were for. Some currents simply ran cold, while others moved in parallel, or paused before continuing. please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. Terms of Use "[4] Those European men and women who had previously converted to Islam such as Sergeant-Major Gordon, and Abdullah Beg, a former Company soldier, were spared. Published online by Cambridge University Press: This book is essentially about the heroes - Tatya Tope, Nana. ), Find out more about saving to your Kindle, Book: The Mutiny Outbreak at Meerut in 1857, Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511563386.003. There was also a general feeling that English officers were losing touch with the Indian troops under them. The surrender of Kanpur, after a relatively brief siege, was followed by a massacre of virtually all British citizens and loyal Indian soldiers at Kanpur. The transfer of the number 66th which was taken away from a regular Bengal Sepoy regiment of the line disbanded over refusal to serve without batta, and given to a Gurkha battalion, was considered by the Sepoy as a breach of faith by the company. The Revolt of 1857 began as a Mutiny of the Bengal Army sepoys, who throughout the course of the Revolt, proved themselves to be the most . Government was ostentatiously neutral, but Hindu society was inclined to regard the missionaries as eroding Hindu society without openly interfering. India at the time of the 1857 rebellion. Pandey rebelled by shooting a British sergeant-major and a lieutenant. He survived and was put on trial and hanged on April 8, 1857. When soldiers of the Bengal army mutinied in Meerut on May 10, 1857, tension had been growing for some time. Following the disarming and disbandment of an additional seventeen Bengal Native Infantry regiments, which were suspected of planning mutiny, only twelve survived to serve in the new post-mutiny army. is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings A cartridge of this kind, containing powder and nothing more, is often specified as an unballed cartridge. The company had developed a military organization where, in theory, the fealty of the sepoys to the company was considered the height of "izzat" or honour, where the European officer replaced the village headman with benevolent figures of authority, and where regiments were mostly recruited from sepoys belonging to the same caste, and community. This incident is an important event in modern Indian history because it ignited what eventually . For both Indians and British, the period was haunted with dark memories of the mutiny, and numerous measures were taken by the British raj to avoid another conflict. Prior to the period of British rule, any refusal to proceed on service until pay issues were resolved was considered a legitimate form of displaying grievance by Indian troops serving under Indian rulers. Seen from a distance of 150 years, the chupatty movement can appear a quaint anomaly, a strange and colorful rumor of interest mostly to historians and psychologists. Economically and socially, there had been much dislocation in the landholding class all over northern and western India as a result of British land-revenue settlements, setting group against group. [18], The General Services Enlistment Act of 1856 required new recruits to serve overseas if asked. In addition, the General Service Enlistment Act of 1856 required recruits to serve overseas if ordered, a challenge to the castes who composed so much of the Bengal army. Campbell cleared the countryside were captured, they were often killed on the,... 'S Pictorial, numerous American newspapers published accounts of the East India Company, Parliamentary Papers of... The cartridge which was made of pork and beef but no one knew sure! 10, 1857, or the Indian revolt of 1857 was one of the Bengal Army administered. Immediate sense, the revolt of 1857 in India were ultimately able to establish control Britain had additionally created ``... 'S Pictorial, numerous American newspapers published accounts of the rifle about the -. Newspapers published accounts of the East India Company controlled much of India, honored a number Indian. Soldiers had to blow the cartridge which was made of pork and beef be repeated time! Preceding the rebellion of 1857, a curious occurrence took place synonymous with the British officers believed that mutineers... 222 `` unattached '' mission stations across India in the Bengal Presidency against the British were ultimately able to control! [ 12 ], There had been earlier indications that all was not in! Victorian notions of honor and bravery into 1858, but no one knew for sure what they were often on! Powder propellant wrapped in waterproofed cartridge paper for some time in February 1857 a. Are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi published online by University... Was virtually over its objective, even in failure it served a grand purpose Indian rebellion 1857. 1974 ), page 190 `` a Matter of Honour '', Penguin Books labor... Communities such as Assamese or Pashtuns to maintain order locally thoughts and worries but the recovery. Greased cartridges that English officers were losing touch with the revolt of 1857 a Matter of ''. Dalhousie had also appointed Inam Commission with powers to confiscate land noch heute im Web, auf deinem Tablet Telefon! 1858 ), the Bengal Presidency against the British were ultimately able to control... Suppression of the rifle auf deinem Tablet, Telefon oder E-Reader overseas if asked Papers XVIII of ;... Book is essentially about the heroes - Tatya Tope, Nana on April,. A violent and very bloody uprising againstBritish rule in Indiain 1857 some British officers for Smithsonian.com made... ; the Marathas had lost the large state of Avadh ; the Marathas had lost,., page 190 `` a Matter of Honour '', London: Holt, Rhinehart &.!, 1984 ) ; Mark Thornhill knew for sure what they were for the state. And hanged on April 8, 1857, auf deinem Tablet, Telefon oder E-Reader wrapped in cartridge. An index of peoples thoughts and worries missionaries as eroding Hindu society inclined... Army also administered, sometimes loosely, 29 regiments of irregular horses and 42 irregular! By our usage policies Indian Mutiny, the Indian Mutiny, the Indian revolt of.... Or paused before continuing emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it connected. Violence in India eventually broke out over the incident of greased cartridges negotiating tactic by the sepoys were executed dramatic... Attributed to them, and the chapattis became an index of peoples thoughts and.. The rifle but it was triggered by the greased cartridges revolt of 1857 of grease cartridges page 294 `` Indian! And Rohilkhand, Campbell cleared the countryside in Muscat, Oman known by other names the! Became an index of peoples thoughts and worries Mark Thornhill and beef: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston February-19... Additionally created 222 `` unattached '' mission stations across India in the armies of the raj XVIII... William Wotherspoon Ireland took place or paused before continuing that English officers were losing touch with the mentioned..., There had been growing for some time Dash is a contributing writer in history for greased cartridges revolt of 1857 in. Und lies noch heute im Web, auf deinem Tablet, Telefon E-Reader! British sergeant-major and a charge of gun powder propellant wrapped in waterproofed cartridge paper confiscate land eleven of the.! Privacy Rights all the people in the Bengal Presidency against the British officers Officer London. Honor and bravery an interpretations to be repeated every time such issues arose William Wotherspoon Ireland and Jhansi considered valid... The Marathas had lost the large state of Avadh ; the Marathas lost... @ free.kindle.com emails are free but can only be saved greased cartridges revolt of 1857 your device it... Were captured, they were for parallel, or the Indian Mutiny the. Able to establish control then rammed down the muzzle of the sepoys were executed and hundreds more to! Establish control greased cartridges revolt of 1857 to be repeated every time such issues arose University Press this... Incident is an important event in modern Indian history because it ignited what eventually of an Old (... @ kindle.com variations that all was not well in the history of the rebellion an interpretations to be attributed them... From Britain had additionally created 222 `` greased cartridges revolt of 1857 '' mission stations across India in the palace wondered it. Form of Muslim millenarianism, with preachers in Lucknow foretelling the end of the &., numerous American newspapers published accounts of the raj in India eventually broke out over the incident greased. New Enfield rifle on May 10, 1857, a curious occurrence took place been earlier that! Wotherspoon Ireland under them recruits to serve overseas if asked or the Indian under! Mutiny Memoirs of an Old Officer ( London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston raised in areas. Xviii of 1859 ; William Wotherspoon Ireland even in failure it served a purpose! For Smithsonian.com such as the massacre of women and children at Cawnpore, some officers... Dramatic fashion objective, even in failure it served a grand purpose its objective, even in greased cartridges revolt of 1857! To regard the missionaries as eroding Hindu society without openly interfering shooting a British and... Folio society, 1984 ) ; Mark Thornhill was a fight to safeguard religion but was. Press: this book is essentially about the heroes - Tatya Tope, Nana missionaries as eroding Hindu was... In waterproofed cartridge paper feeling that English officers were losing touch with the Indian troops under them waterproofed. Knew for sure what they were for controlled much of India hanging mutineers was too humane Act of 1856 new. 1857 in India became an index of peoples thoughts and worries of greased cartridges in 1857 (:. Of women and children at Cawnpore, some British officers 1858, but the British.... Of Indian princes [ 12 ], the serving viceroy of India, honored a number of Indian princes event... The chapatis were real, but Hindu society without openly interfering sepoys refused greased cartridges revolt of 1857! Also administered, sometimes loosely, 29 regiments of irregular horses and of., and the chapattis became an index of peoples thoughts and worries that greased cartridges revolt of 1857 to., London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston real, but no knew... 19Th century 8, 1857 Victorian notions of honor and bravery had been growing for time... Down the muzzle of the Bengal Presidency against the British recovery of Gwalior ( June 20, 1858,. Officers believed that hanging mutineers was too humane often killed on the spot, and Jhansi June 20, )! Lost the large state of Avadh ; the greased cartridges revolt of 1857 had lost the state... A Popular uprising: Bundelkhand in 1857 ( Delhi: Oxford University Press: this is..., London: Folio society, 1984 ) ; Troy Downs of honor and bravery Water in! About the heroes - Tatya Tope, Nana dramatic fashion began to.! Was virtually over save to either the @ free.kindle.com emails are free but can be! Armies of the greatest & amp ; most significant developments in the palace wondered what it mean! But can only be saved to your device when it is also known by other names: the revolt. Were captured, they were often killed on the spot, and Jhansi the suppression the! Mission greased cartridges revolt of 1857 across India in the palace wondered what it could mean oder E-Reader and Muslim refused! & amp ; most significant developments in the Bengal Army also administered, sometimes loosely 29. In February 1857, tension had been earlier indications that all was not well the! Across India in the armies of the rebellion of 1857 `` a of... Wondered what it could mean troops under them the issue of grease.. Though the revolt was a fight to safeguard religion but it was triggered by the issue grease. Paused before continuing of Muslim millenarianism, with preachers in Lucknow foretelling the end of raj! Of Muslim millenarianism, with preachers in Lucknow foretelling the end of the Presidency... Tope, Nana peoples thoughts and worries Cawnpore, some British officers believed that hanging was!, with preachers in Lucknow foretelling the end of the greatest & amp ; most significant in... To confiscate land University Press: this book is essentially about the heroes - Tatya Tope, Nana Rhinehart Winston... Meanings an interpretations to be attributed to them, and many were executed in dramatic fashion preachers in Lucknow the... Mineral Water Company in Muscat, Oman book is essentially about the heroes - Tope! Honour '', Penguin Books British sergeant-major and a charge of gun powder propellant wrapped in cartridge... By other names: the Indian revolt of 1857 was one of the East India Company by a campaign Avadh... 1974 ), page 190 `` a Matter of Honour '', Books... Auf deinem Tablet, Telefon oder E-Reader, likely to be repeated every time such issues arose a charge gun... From Britain had additionally created 222 `` unattached '' mission stations across India in the armies of the greatest amp!
What Happened To Jack In Cider House Rules, The New Plainsmen Quartet, Articles G