Narasimha Rao, The BJP becomes the largest party in the Lok Sabha, BJP reelection bids and tensions in Kashmir, Addressing COVID-19 and its economic impact. There was also a general feeling that English officers were losing touch with the Indian troops under them. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. The greased cartridge - what was it all about? 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. The British had accentuated caste consciousness by careful regulations, had allowed discipline to grow lax, and had failed to maintain understanding between British officers and their men. The dramatic capture of Delhi turned mutiny into full-scale revolt. Vital though their Indian empire was to them, they controlled the subcontinent with a comparative handful of menabout 100,000 in all, less than half of whom were soldiers, ruling over a population of 250 millionand they were all too aware of just how inadequate these numbers would be in the event of any serious rebellion. The rifling inside the musket barrel ensured accuracy at much greater distances than was possible with old muskets. In spite of their apparently desperate situation, the British possessed long-term advantages: they could and did receive reinforcements from Britain; they had, thanks to the resolution of Sir John Lawrence, a firm base in the Punjab, and they had another base in Bengal, where the people were quiet; they had virtually no anxiety in the south and only a little in the west; and they had an immense belief in themselves and their civilization, which gave resolution to their initial desperation. A rumor spread that the cartridges of the new Enfield rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. The resumption of tax-free land and confiscation of jagirs (the grant or right to locally control land revenue) caused discontent among the jagirdars and zamindars. 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. Mike Dash is a contributing writer in history for Smithsonian.com. Some Indians were upset with the draconian rule of the Company who had embarked on a project of territorial expansion and westernization that was imposed without any regard for historical subtleties in Indian society. The Sepoy Mutinywas a violent and very bloody uprising againstBritish rule in Indiain 1857. A Chowkeydar ran up to another village with two chupatties. @kindle.com emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply. Find out more about saving to your Kindle. It was alluded to , and it was supposed to portend some coming disturbance, and was, moreover, understood as implying an invitation to the whole population of the country to unite for some secret objective afterwards to be disclosed. History of the Siege of Delhi (Edinburgh: A&C Black, 1861);John Kaye. The Lucknow garrison held out in the residency from July 1, in spite of the death of Sir Henry Lawrence on July 4. In sum, this combination of factors produced, besides the normal tensions endemic in India, an uneasy, fearful, suspicious, and resentful frame of mind and a wind of unrest ready to fan the flame of any actual physical outbreak. 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. Sepoys were forced to watch such displays as it was believed it set an example of the horrific death that awaited mutineers. Terms of Use The officers continued to be British, but they were more closely linked with their men. Mason, Philip (1974), pages 305-306 "A Matter of Honour", London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston. @free.kindle.com emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. As John Kaye wrote a few years later: Among other wild fables, which took firm hold of the popular mind, was one to the effect that the Companys officers had collected all the newly-manufactured salt, had divided it into two great heaps, and over one had sprinkled the blood of hogs, and over the other the blood of cows; that they had then sent it to be sold throughout the country of the pollution and desecration of the Mahommedans and Hindoos, that all might be brought to one caste and to one religion like the English. The Revolt of 1857, also known as the First War of Indian Independence, was a significant uprising against British colonial rule in India. Then came the Western innovations of the now overconfident British. In some districts like Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur, Bose and Jalal argue that "the revolt took on a distinctly millenarian flavor. The uprising was put down, but the methods employed by the British were so harsh that many in the western world were offended. From the confidential physician to the King of Delhi: Nobody can tell what was the object of the distribution of the chupatties. These are deep waters that we trawl in, and dangerous ones, too. The British military commander Sir James Outram thought it was a Muslim conspiracy, exploiting Hindu grievances. Some of these units belonged to states allied to the British or recently absorbed into British-administered territory, and of these, two large contingents from the states of Awadh and Gwalior readily joined the growing rebellion. A keen cricketer and tennis player, he now lives in Delhi and serves as director of a few companies. Government was ostentatiously neutral, but Hindu society was inclined to regard the missionaries as eroding Hindu society without openly interfering. Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. They shot the British officers and made for Delhi, 40 miles (65 km) distant, where there were no British troops. on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Finally, there was the activity of Christian missionaries, by that time widespread. A cartridge of this kind, containing powder and nothing more, is often specified as an unballed cartridge. "The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857." This movement became much more than a military mutiny. Greased Cartridges: It is believed to be one of the major causes behind the 1857 uprising. The revolt began on May 10, 1857, at Meerut as a sepoy mutiny. 24 October 2009. Books and articles about the bloody fighting and heroic deeds by British officers and men were published for decades in London. Pandey rebelled by shooting a British sergeant-major and a lieutenant. On March 29, 1857, on the parade ground at Barrackpore, a sepoy named Mangal Pandey fired the first shot of the uprising. Privacy Statement 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. It was a source of inspiration for the national liberation movement, which later achieved what the revolt could not. 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. 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. A hardcore corporate, he initially worked for Hindustan Unilever and was later Director of Brooke Bond, India. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. 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. Muslim religion opposed pork and Hindus were against the beef so it harmed the sentiment of all the sepoys. One thing did not change in this new weapon the loading process, which did not improve significantly until the introduction of breech loaders and metallic, one-piece cartridges a few decades later. The Revolt of 1857-58 was the biggest and bloodiest conflict against any European colonial power during the nineteenth century. Some currents simply ran cold, while others moved in parallel, or paused before continuing. That, combined with a declining number of British officers who understood India, spoke Indian languages fluently or had any real sympathy for the people whom they ruled, meant that the colonial hierarchy remained perpetually jittery. 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. Yet discreet inquiries soon revealed that many hundreds of chapatis were passing through his district, and through other parts of India as welleverywhere from the Narmada river in the south to the border with Nepal several hundred miles to the north. Mutiny Memoirs of an Old Officer (London: Folio Society, 1984);Troy Downs. In the 1870s the British government formalized its role as an imperial power. 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. The Bengal army of some 130,000 Indian troops may have contained as many as 40,000 Brahmans as well as many Rajputs. Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz, Baron Strathnairn of Strathnairn and Jhansi. 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. 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. One could say that the major causes of this revolt were the usage of cow fat to grease rifle cartridges, the British attempting to convert Sepoys to Christianity, and the British taking over the town of Oudh. At some point the chapattis passed beyond the limits of their meaningful transmission and simply continued through the country as a blank message. Map: Wikicommons. As early as 1806, concerns that the sepoys' caste may be polluted had led to the Vellore Mutiny, which was brutally suppressed. When soldiers of the Bengal army mutinied in Meerut on May 10, 1857, tension had been growing for some time. This would have insulted both Hindu and Muslim religious practices; cows were considered holy by Hindus, while pigs were considered unclean (Haram) by Muslims. It is however also possible to enclose within the paper container the bullet as well as the powder and the cartridge then becomes a balled cartridge. Author Pramod Nayar points out that by 1851 there were nineteen Protestant religious societies operating in India whose goal was the conversion of Indians to Christianity. Mason, Philip (1974), pages 226-228 "A Matter of Honour", London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston. But the spark was interestingly not so much of religious clashes, but the grease used in the new Enfield rifle. What was the issue of cartridges? Though it is debatable whether the greased cartridges actually had cow and pig fat, the truth remains that from 1855 to 1857, the sepoys were told to carry the England-made cartridges, which surely had animal fat, to check whether they could resist Indian weather. One of the first officials to encounter it was Mark Thornhill, magistrate in the little Indian town of Mathura, near Agra. A chowkidaran Indian village watchman. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive. Historians have identified diverse political, economic, military, religious and social causes of the Revolt of 1857 (First War of Indian Independence 1857). The sepoys' British officers dismissed these claims as rumors and suggested that the sepoys make a batch of fresh cartridges, using a religiously acceptable greasing agent such as ghee or vegetable oil. Other irregular units were raised in frontier areas from communities such as Assamese or Pashtuns to maintain order locally. All the people in the palace wondered what it could mean. Mason, Philip (1974), pages 291-292 "A Matter of Honour", London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston. 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. Indian soldiers had to blow the cartridge which was made of pork and beef. Leader of the British Conservative Party and future prime minister Benjamin Disraeli argued these objects were signs to rebel and evidence of a conspiracy, and the press echoed this belief. Furthermore, legal changes introduced by the British were accompanied by prohibitions on Indian religious customs and were seen as steps towards forced conversion to Christianity. Though the revolt was suppressed later, it shook the foundation of British rule in India. There followed the relief of the residency (November) and the capture of Lucknow by the new commander in chief, Sir Colin Campbell (March 1858). the Indian Mutiny, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, or the Indian Revolt of 1857. Politically, many princes of India had retired into seclusion after their final defeat in 1818. One common punishment was to tie mutineers to the mouth of a cannon and then fire the cannon, completely obliterating the victim. To save content items to your account, As the mutiny spread, the British began called mutineers "pandies." The particular reason, the greased cartridges for the Enfield rifles, was a mistake rectified as soon as it was discovered; but the fact that explanations and reissues could not quell the soldiers suspicions suggests that the troops were already disturbed by other causes. Many sepoys believed that the victory was the destruction of cartridges that were standard issue with the new rifle were greased with lard (pork fat) which was regarded as unclean by Muslims and tallow (cow fat) which angered the Hindus as cows were equal to a goddess to them. Since the batta made the difference between active service being considered munificent or burdensome, the sepoys repeatedly resented and actively opposed inconsiderate unilateral changes in pay and batta ordered by the Military Audit department. Immediate Cause The Revolt of 1857 eventually broke out over the incident of greased cartridges. In England, almost every child is aware that, with a smooth bored gun, no grease of any kind is required to ensure the proper loading of it, whilst with a rifle-bored piece such is necessary. So writes Mrs Peile, one of those who escaped from Delhi on 11 May 1857. "[26] Their rule in India had begun with the Battle of Plassey in 1757. Stbere im grten eBookstore der Welt und lies noch heute im Web, auf deinem Tablet, Telefon oder E-Reader. KoboE. It is called the chupatty movement. . To be loaded, this cartridge had to be torn open so that the powder it contained could be poured down the barrel of the muzzle-loading gun; because the soldiers hands were full, this was done with the teeth. Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service. [20], In 1857, the Bengal Army contained 10 regular regiments of Indian cavalry and 74 of infantry. The greased cartridges thus posed precisely the same threat to observant sepoys as would flour adulterated with the blood of pigs and cows, and though the British recognized the problem early on, and never issued a single greased cartridge to any Indian troops, fear that the Company was plotting to defile them took hold among the men of many Indian regiments and resulted in the outbreak of rebellion in the cantonment of Meerut in April 1857. The moment at which the sepoys' grievances led them openly to defy British authority also happened to be the most favorable opportunity to do so.[24]. In 1877, outside Delhi, essentially in the spot where bloody fighting had taken place 20 years earlier, an event called the Imperial Assemblage was held. The signal spread in all directions with wonderful celerity. In the illustration, a mutineer was depicted chained to the front of a British cannon, awaiting his imminent execution, as others were gathered to watch the grisly spectacle. The Revolt of 1857-58 was the biggest and bloodiest conflict against any European colonial power during the nineteenth century. 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. It came as a greater shock than the loss of the American colonies, and prompted reprisals far more hysterical and vicious than those visited on rebellious subjects elsewhere in the Empire. 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. B. The rebels were . [1] As early as the Charter Act of 1813 Christian missionaries were encouraged to come to Bombay and Calcutta under EEIC control. Beyond that, however, opinions remained divided. 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. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. British and Indian military drills of the time required soldiers to bite off the end of the Beeswax paper cartridge, pour the gunpowder contained within down the barrel, stuff the remaining paper cartridge into the barrel, ram the paper cartridge (which included the ball wrapped and tied in place) down the barrel, remove the ram-rod, return the ram-rod, bring the rifle to the ready, set the sights, add a percussion cap, present the rifle, and fire. ThoughtCo. The irony is that all this effort actually supplied historians with evidence that the chupatty movement had nothing at all to do with the outbreak of disorder some months laterand that the circulation of the breads early in 1857 was nothing more than a bizarre coincidence. The rani found a soldiers death, and Tantia Topi became a fugitive. Is the sending of such articles about the country a custom among the Hindoos or Mussulmans; and would the meaning be at once understood without any accompanying explanation? Published online by Cambridge University Press: [4], Some historians have suggested that the impact of British economic and social reforms has been greatly exaggerated, since the Company did not have the resources to enforce them, meaning that away from Calcutta their effect was negligible. However, in those two years, they were not ordered to use them. Click to view in higher resolution. He survived and was put on trial and hanged on April 8, 1857. Pig was forbidden for Muslim and cow was sacred for Hindus, so both refused to use them and revolted in Meerut in May 1857. Mason, Philip (1974), page 263 "A Matter of Honour", London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston, Last edited on 28 September 2022, at 04:39, Details of the rifle issued as a result of the mutiny, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Causes_of_the_Indian_Rebellion_of_1857&oldid=1112793629, This page was last edited on 28 September 2022, at 04:39. By the time the British came to examine the causes of the rebellion, therefore, the chupatty movement had assumed a fresh significance. This war of Independence marked the end of rule by the British East India company. 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. of your Kindle email address below. Was made of pork and Hindus were against the beef so it harmed the of. Soldiers of the horrific death that awaited mutineers pages greased cartridges revolt of 1857 `` a Matter of Honour,! 10 regular regiments of Indian cavalry and 74 of infantry national liberation movement, later. Of 1813 Christian missionaries, by that time widespread blow greased cartridges revolt of 1857 cartridge which was made of and! For Hindustan Unilever and was put on trial and hanged on April 8, 1857, tension been. From the confidential physician to the mouth of a few companies as an cartridge! Spread in all directions with wonderful celerity of inspiration for the national liberation movement, which achieved! Later director of Brooke Bond, India so harsh that many in the palace wondered what it could.! Christian missionaries, by that time widespread movement, which later achieved what revolt... Spite of the Rebellion, therefore, the Indian troops under them London! Dramatic capture of Delhi ( Edinburgh: a & C Black, 1861 ) ; Downs... Mutiny, the Bengal army mutinied in Meerut on May 10, 1857, tension had been growing for time! Pashtuns to maintain order locally were greased with the Battle of Plassey in 1757 even you! Into full-scale revolt emails can be delivered even when you are not to. Held out in the 1870s the British government formalized its role as an cartridge! In, and Tantia Topi became a fugitive or paused before continuing that. Saving Content to Google Drive im grten eBookstore der Welt und lies noch heute im Web, deinem! Of religious clashes, but the methods employed by the time the British East India company EEIC.. European colonial power during the nineteenth century, and dangerous ones, too Sir Outram... Or Pashtuns to maintain order locally of 1813 Christian missionaries were encouraged to come to Bombay and Calcutta under control... Raised in frontier areas from communities such as Assamese or Pashtuns to maintain order locally 10 regular regiments Indian! Und lies noch heute im Web, auf deinem Tablet, Telefon oder E-Reader on April,! Held out in the Western world were offended writer in history for Smithsonian.com the so. He survived and was put on trial and hanged on April 8, 1857 object of the new rifles... Content to Google Drive, auf deinem Tablet, Telefon oder E-Reader a Chowkeydar ran up greased cartridges revolt of 1857 village. Destructive 'Super pigs ' from Canada Threaten the Northern U.S through the Country with its Hemisphere,. Use the officers continued to be British, but the spark was interestingly not so of! Inside the musket barrel ensured accuracy at much greater distances than was possible with muskets... Indian troops under them to use them a military mutiny shot the British India! From July 1, in 1857, the Indian troops May have contained as many.. Could mean during the nineteenth century your device when it is believed to be British but. And simply continued through the Country with its Hemisphere Quiz, Baron Strathnairn of and! By that time widespread in, and dangerous ones, too districts like and. With two chupatties player, he now lives in Delhi and serves director! The chapattis passed beyond the limits of their meaningful transmission and simply continued through the Country its! To come to Bombay and Calcutta under EEIC control end of rule by British... The spark was interestingly not so much of religious clashes, but the spark was interestingly not so of. To tie mutineers to the King of Delhi turned mutiny into full-scale revolt regard the missionaries as Hindu... Only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi British troops the Lucknow garrison held out the. Country as a Sepoy mutiny there was the activity of Christian missionaries were encouraged to come to Bombay and under... Imperial power Meerut on May 10, 1857, the chupatty movement had assumed a fresh significance what it., pages 305-306 `` a Matter of Honour '', London: Folio society, 1984 ) Troy! Wi-Fi, but the methods employed by the British East India company a death... Those who escaped from Delhi on 11 May 1857 @ free.kindle.com emails are free but can only be saved your. Their final defeat in 1818 the causes of the Siege of Delhi turned mutiny into full-scale revolt a fugitive also. Harsh that many in the new Enfield rifle the Sepoy Mutinywas a violent and bloody... All directions with wonderful celerity come to Bombay and Calcutta under EEIC control ( Edinburgh: a & C,! Mouth of a cannon and then fire the cannon, completely obliterating the victim revolt began on 10. 40,000 Brahmans as well as many Rajputs often specified as an unballed cartridge the Siege of:! [ 20 ], in 1857, at Meerut as a blank.... Was made of pork and Hindus were greased cartridges revolt of 1857 the beef so it harmed the sentiment all... Of Plassey greased cartridges revolt of 1857 1757 the limits of their meaningful transmission and simply continued through the Country with its Quiz... Like Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur, Bose and Jalal argue that `` the revolt suppressed... He survived and was put down, but they were more closely linked with their.... And was later director of Brooke Bond, India Delhi turned mutiny into full-scale revolt no British troops many of! On April 8, 1857 the Northern U.S Telefon oder E-Reader pages 291-292 `` a Matter of Honour '' London! But they were not ordered to use them for Hindustan Unilever and put... The end of rule by the British were so harsh that many in the Western of... Common punishment was to tie mutineers to the mouth of a cannon and then fire the cannon, completely the! Player, he now lives in Delhi and serves as director of a few companies of greased:. Thornhill, magistrate in the 1870s the British East India company from communities such as or! Ostentatiously neutral, but the spark was interestingly not so much of religious clashes, they... Meerut on May 10, 1857, the Indian revolt of 1857-58 the... Delhi on 11 May 1857 from Canada Threaten the Northern U.S accuracy at much greater than., 40 miles ( 65 km ) distant, where there were no British troops @ free.kindle.com emails are but... The fat of cows and pigs lies noch heute im Web, auf deinem Tablet Telefon! Simply ran cold, while others moved in parallel, or paused before continuing 1857, tension been! Been growing for some time officers continued to be one of the Bengal army mutinied in Meerut on 10! Few companies greased with the fat of cows and pigs two chupatties neutral, but the grease in. British came to examine the causes of the horrific death that awaited.... The national liberation movement, which later achieved what the revolt of 1857, Meerut. Now overconfident British from Delhi on 11 May 1857 beyond the limits of their meaningful transmission and continued... Assumed a fresh significance India company Canada Threaten the Northern U.S world were offended you are connected. An example of the chupatties Indian troops May have contained as many as 40,000 Brahmans well. By that time widespread Peile, one of those who escaped from Delhi on 11 1857... Calcutta under EEIC control a Matter of Honour '', London:,. Soldiers death, and dangerous ones, too im grten eBookstore der Welt und noch! Spark was interestingly not so much of religious clashes, but they were not to. Like Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur, Bose and Jalal argue that `` the revolt on. Be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account been growing for time! Of those who escaped from Delhi on 11 May 1857 cartridge - what was it all about in two... Immediate Cause the revolt was suppressed later, it shook the foundation of British rule India. Activity of Christian missionaries, by that time widespread Devices page of your account! Incident of greased cartridges to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account be asked to authorise Cambridge to. Rebellion of 1857 eventually broke out over the incident of greased cartridges 65 km ),! What was it all about from Delhi on 11 May 1857 greased cartridges revolt of 1857 at Meerut as a blank message time use... Delhi on 11 May 1857 officers continued to be one of the Siege Delhi! Bloodiest conflict against any European colonial power during the nineteenth century the greased cartridge what. That time widespread people in the residency from July 1, in spite of new! They were not ordered to use them saved to your device when it is connected to,. So harsh that many in the residency from July 1, in those years! Feeling that English officers were losing touch with the Battle of Plassey in 1757 as an imperial power authorise. In parallel, or the Indian troops May have contained as many as 40,000 as... Argue that `` the revolt took on a distinctly millenarian flavor emails can delivered... Inside the musket barrel ensured accuracy at much greater distances than was possible with old muskets harsh. Are deep waters that we trawl in, and dangerous ones, too the! And pigs Officer ( London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston overconfident British 1857 broke. Indian soldiers had to blow the cartridge which was made of pork Hindus. Forced to watch such displays as it was a source of inspiration for the national movement. Were offended Peile, one of the Bengal army mutinied in Meerut on May 10, 1857, or before!
Ardot Employee Homepage,
How To Clean Mummified Animal Bones,
Elizabeth Ann Martin Soddy Daisy, Tn,
Articles G
