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Indian Freedom Struggle (1707–1947 A.D.)

Notes Subsequently enquiries proved that “the fat of cows or oxen really had been used at Woolwich
arsenal” (V. A Smith). Assurances of superior officers and slight concessions proved of no avail.
The sepoys become convinced that the introduction of greased cartridges was a deliberate move to
defile their religion. It was argued that the East India Company was playing the part of Aurangzeb
and it was but natural that sepoys should play the part of Shivaji.

13.1 Important Centres of the Revolt 1857

In this section we will discuss about the important events took place around the Revolt 1857.
At that time the refusal of the sepoys to use the greased cartridges was regarded by the authorities
as an act of insubordination and punished accordingly. On 29 March 1857 the sepoys at Barrackpore
refused to use the greased cartridge and one Brahmin sepoy, Mangal Pandey, attacked and fired
at the Adjutant. The 34 N. I. regiment was disbanded and sepoys guilty of rebellion punished. At
Meerut, in May 1857, 85 sepoys of the 3rd Cavalry regiment on their refusal to use the greased
cartridge were court-martialled and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. On 10th May the
sepoys broke out in open rebellion, shot their officers, released their fellow sepoys and headed
towards Delhi.
Delhi was seized by the rebels on 12th May 1857. Lieutenant Willoughby, the officer-in-charge of
the magazine at Delhi, offered some resistance, but was overcome. The palace and the city were
occupied.

Descriptive note on the Spread of Mutiny and Civil Rebellion during 1857-58.
2 February 1857 — Mutiny of the 19th Native Infantry at Berhampur.
10 May 1857 — Mutiny of Sepoys at Meerut.
11-30 May 1857 — Outbreaks in Delhi, Ferozepur, Bombay, Aligarh, Etawah,
Bulandshahr, Nasirabad Bareilly, Moradabad, Shahjehanpur and
other stations in U.P.
The Mughal Emperor proclaimed as the Emperor of India
June 1857 — Mutinies at Gwalior, Bharatpur, Jhansi Allahabad, Faizabad,
Sultanpur, Lucknow etc.,
The civil rebellion spreads through the Indo-Gangetic plain,
Rajputana, Central India and some parts of Bengal.
July 1857 — Mutinies at Indore, Mhow, Saugar and certain places in the Panjab
like Jhelum sialkot etc.
August 1857 — Civil rebellion spreads throughout Saugor and Nerbudda districts.
September 1857 — The English recapture Delhi: further outbreaks in Central India.
October 1857 — Revolt spreads to Kotah State.
November 1857 — The rebels defeat General Windham outside Kanpur.
December 1587 — Sir Colin Campbell wins the battle of Kanpur.
— Tantia Tope escapes.
March 1858 — Lucknow recaptured by the English.
April 1858 — Jhansi falls to the English. Fresh rising in Bihar led by Kunwar Singh.
May 1858 — The English recapture Bareilly, Jagdishpur and Kalpi.
Indian rebels begin guerilla warfare Rohilkhand.
July-December 1858 — English authority re-established in India.

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