The Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, the Sepoy Rebellion, or the First War of Independence, was a major uprising against British rule in India which occurred from 10 May 1857 to 1 November 1858. The rebellion started with a mutiny of East India Company sepoys who rebelled after being instructed to use rifle cartridges containing cow and pig fat (each forbidden in both Hinduism and Islam, India's two largest religions). The mutiny soon turned into an attempt to restore the Mughal Empire through making Bahadur Shah Zafar the "Emperor of Hindustan". Ultimately, the sepoys loyal to the East India Company quelled the uprisings in the upper Gangetic plain and central India before the revolutionary fervor could spread; Delhi and Lucknow were laid waste during British retaliation for the rebels' massacres of British civilians. While the rebels failed to achieve Indian independence, the uprising led to the imposition of direct British rule from Westminster, ending Company rule in India and creating the "British Raj" regime, which granted more rights to Britain's Indian subjects.
Background[]
The initial flare-up was over the use of greased gun cartridges, but the sepoys' sense of outrage went much further. The ensuing mutiny threatened to consume the British Raj. Asked to oppress their own people, the native soldiers were shocked to find themselves despised - and exhilarated to appreciate the power they possessed.
History[]
It is hard to pinpoint when the uprising started, as a series of minor incidents marked an escalating crisis. The first major outbreak came at the Meerut cantonment where, on 9 May, several troops refused on religious grounds to use gun cartridges greased with pork or beef fat. The next day, they were court-martialled and sentenced to long prison terms. The punishment provoked a general mutiny on the base and rioting in the nearby city.
The uprising at Meerut fuelled similar insurrections across much of north and central India. The rebels reached Delhi on 11 May and attempted to set up Bahadur Shah Zafar (The last of the Mughal line) as the Emperor of India. By July, the British forces placed the city under siege - although they were besieged themselves from behind by Indian forces. At Lucknow, the British garrison kept the rebels at bay, but a prolonged fight for the control of the city continued for many months. In June, the rebel forces besieged the British garrison in Cawnpore (now Kanpur). Despite the British surrender, 100 of their wives and children were massacred.
The barbaric killings fuelled mounting anger in Britain. The country erupted in jingoistic rage and stridently called for dire punishment. Bloody retributions followed, as British troops regained their hold over the colony through 1858. Reports of genuine atrocities, compounded by more exaggerated tales, helped foster a deep-seated sense of racial superiority and distrust towards Indians among the British population. As a precaution, the British Parliament ended the East India Company rule and put India under the direct administration of the British Crown.