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Unit 7: The First Major Challenge

• In 1856, the Company’s army consisted of 238,000 native and 45,322 British soldiers. This Notes
disproportion was rendered more serious by the deficiency of good officers in the army,
most of whom were employed in administrative posts in the newly annexed states and the
frontier.
• In 1856 the Government decided to replace the old-fashioned musket, ‘Brown Bess’ by the
‘Enfield rifle’. The training for the use of the new weapon was to be imparted at Dum Dum,
Ambala and Sialkot. The loading process of the Enfield rifle involved bringing the cartridge
to the mouth and biting off the top paper with mouth. In January 1857 a story got currency
in the Bengal regiments that the greased cartridge contained the fat of pig and cow. At once
a denial was issued by the military authorities without investigating into the matter.
Subsequently enquiries proved that “the fat of cows or oxen really had been used at Woolwich
arsenal” (V. A Smith).
• 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. General
Hewitt, the Officer Commanding at Meerut, had 2,200 European soldiers at his disposal but
did nothing to stem the rising tide.
• 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.
• The rebellion broke our at Lucknow on 4th June. Henry Lawrence, the British Resident, the
European inhabitants and a few hundred loyal sepoys took shelter in the Residency. The
Residency was besieged by the Indian rebels and Sir Henry was killed during the siege.
• Kanpur was lost to the British on 5th June 1857. Nana Sahib was proclaimed the Peshwa.
General Sir Hugh Wheeler, commanding the station, surrendered on June 27. Some Europeans,
men women and children, were murdered.
• In the beginning of June 1857 the troops at Jhansi mutinied Rani Lakshmi Bai, the widow of
the late Raja Gangadhar Rao, was proclaimed the ruler of the state. After the loss of Kanpur,
Tantia Tope joined the Rani. Sir Hugh Rose recaptured Jhansi by assault on 3rd April 1958.
• The Revolt of 1857 was localized, restricted and poorly organised: The Bombay and the
Madras armies remained loyal. India south of the Narbada was very little disturbed. Sind
and Rajasthan remained quiet and Nepal’s help proved of great avail in the suppression of
the Revolt. Dost Mohammad, the ruler of Afghanistan, remained friendly. The Punjab was
effectively controlled by John Lawrence.
• The Indian soldiers had very few guns and muskets and mostly fought with swords and
spears. On the other hand, the European soldiers were equipped with the latest weapons of
war like the Enfield rifle about which Nana Sahib said: “The blue cap kills before they fire”.
• The revolt of 1857 was mainly feudal in character carrying with it some nationalistic elements.
The feudal elements of Oudh, Rohilkhand and some other parts of Northern India led the
rebellion; other feudal prices like the Rajas of Patiala, Jhind, Gwalior, Hyderabad helped in
its suppression. European historians have greatly praised Sir Dinkar Rao, the Minister of
Gwalior, and Salar Jang, the Wazir of Hyderabad, for their loyalty.
• The Revolt was poorly organised. The leader of the Revolt were not lacking in bravery, but
were deficient in experience, organising ability and concerted operations. Surprise attacks
and guerilla tactics could not win them their lost independence.
• The rebels had no common ideal before them except the anti-foreign sentiments. Bahadur
Shah II was declared the Emperor at Delhi, while at Kanpur and Gwalior Nana Sahib was
proclaimed the Peshwa.

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