The greased cartridges had to be opened by biting off the top with your teeth. However, nearly every sepoy was either Muslima religion that forbids eating the fat or any other part of a pig, or Hinduwhere the same rule applies to cows. Content may require purchase if you do not have access. Rumors spread with great rapidity before and during the mutinynot least because of the large number of British women and children at the mercy of the rebels in towns such as Delhi and Kanpur. Partly owing to this, Bengal sepoys were not subject to the penalty of flogging as were the European soldiers. Certain actions of the government, such as increased recruitment of Sikhs and Gurkhas, peoples considered by the Bengal sepoys to be inferior in caste to them, increased the distrust of the sepoys who thought that this was a sign of their services not being needed any more. It was against this backdrop of uneasiness in which the mutiny erupted in 1857. Total loading time: 0 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. But something important was required to provoke so many to seize the opportunity of a military uprising to stage a war of independence. [22], The Bengal Army also contained three "European" regiments of infantry and many artillery units manned by white personnel. Other irregular units were raised in frontier areas from communities such as Assamese or Pashtuns to maintain order locally. The revolt began on May 10, 1857, at Meerut as a sepoy mutiny. Several events happened that led to the Sepoys revolting and was called the Indian Revolt of 1857. 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. 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. [8], Unlike the Madras and Bombay Armies of the BEIC, which were far more diverse, the Bengal Army recruited its regular soldiers almost exclusively amongst the landowning Bhumihars and Rajputs of the Ganges Valley. Company officers became aware of the rumours through reports of an altercation between a high-caste sepoy and a low-caste labourer at Dum Dum. Greased Cartridges: The Revolt of 1857 was triggered by the use of new Enfield rifles whose cartridges were believed to be greased with cow and pig fat, leading to the refusal of both Hindu and Muslim sepoys to use them. Large numbers of native soldiers, known as sepoys, were employed by the company to maintain order and defend trading centers. Then came the Western innovations of the now overconfident British. The mutineers, on the other hand, lacked good leadership until nearly the end, and they had no confidence in themselves and suffered the guilt feelings of rebels without a cause, making them frantic and fearful by turns. The immediate cause of military disaffection was the deployment of the new breech-loading Enfield rifle, the cartridge of which was purportedly greased with pork and beef fat. Thus, long after the chapattis reached their northern-most point of Meerut, there was another northwards distribution from Cawnpore to Fattehgarh, which was widely reported in the newspapers The circulation took place along well-established routes of transmission, which followed the main trade and pilgrimage routes between the bigger cities. What are the major holidays and festivals of India? [17], Officers of an evangelical persuasion in the company's Army (such as Herbert Edwardes and Colonel S.G. Wheler of the 34th Bengal Infantry) had taken to preaching to their Sepoys in the hope of converting them to Christianity. Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz, Baron Strathnairn of Strathnairn and Jhansi. Indian soldiers had to blow the cartridge which was made of pork and beef. The Revolt of 1857 in India eventually broke out over the incident of greased cartridges. Illustrations of events tended to reinforce Victorian notions of honor and bravery. Singhs coalitionits brief rise and fall, Congress government of P.V. All Indian villages had one, and it was these men, running between their homes and the nearest neighboring settlement with chapatis, who so effectively raised panic among the ruling British. Host of Midian: the chapati circulation and the Indian Revolt of 1857-58. Studies in History 16 (2000);Christopher Hibbert. The rapid spread of disorder in 1857when regiment after regiment had mutinied, and revolts against British rule had sprung up throughout most of northern and central Indiamade it almost impossible to believe that the rebellion could have been spontaneous (as most modern historians concede it was), and considerable effort was made to chronicle the movement and trace the spread of the anomalous chapatis. This war of Independence marked the end of rule by the British East India company. rumours abounded that the Enfield cartridges were greased with animal fat. His unit in the Bengal Army, which had refused to use the new rifle cartridges, was about to be disarmed and punished. 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. In the event, the chapattis were not harbingers of a coming storm. They were what people made them into, and the significance attributed to them was a symptom of the pervasive distrust and general consternation amongst the Indian population during the early months of 1857. The Great Mutiny: India 1857 (London: Penguin, 1978);House of Commons. of your Kindle email address below. With the British recovery of Gwalior (June 20, 1858), the revolt was virtually over. (See Barrackpore Mutiny.). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/sepoy-mutiny-of-1857-1774014. Many Animals, Including the Platypus, Lost Their Stomachs. the Indian Mutiny, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, or the Indian Revolt of 1857. McNamara, Robert. "[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. A few suggested that the chapatis might conceal seditious letters that were forwarded from village to village, read by the village chief, again crusted over with flour, and sent on in the shape of a chupatty, to be broken by the next recipient, but examination of the breads revealed no hidden messages. The musketry books also recommended that, "Whenever the grease around the bullet appears to be melted away, or otherwise removed from the cartridge, the sides of the bullet should be wetted in the mouth before putting it into the barrel; the saliva will serve the purpose of grease for the time being" This meant that biting a musket cartridge was second nature to the Sepoys, some of whom had decades of service in the company's army, and who had been doing musket drill for every day of their service. All of the Bengal Native Cavalry regiments and 45 of the infantry units rebelled at some point. Richard Barter. In 1885, however, the founding of the Indian National Congress marked the beginnings of effective, organized protest for national self-determination. The uprising was officially declared over on July 8, 1859. Centers and leaders of the revolt of 1857. This made them more accurate and gave them a longer range. [7] Several years before the sepoys' mutiny, Lord William Bentinck had attacked several jagirs in western Bengal. Historians have identified diverse political, economic, military, religious and social causes of the Revolt of 1857 (First War of Indian Independence 1857). The cartridge had to be bitten off before loading it into the gun. Sepoys were forced to watch such displays as it was believed it set an example of the horrific death that awaited mutineers. His name has become synonymous with the revolt of 1857. #Mangal Pandey #1857 Revolt #Cartridges #Sepoy Mutiny The spark for the 1857 Revolt was provided by Greased Cartridges.Why Greased Cartridges triggered the R. "[26] Their rule in India had begun with the Battle of Plassey in 1757. The Revolt of 1857 eventually broke out over the incident of greased cartridges. 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. Mason, Philip (1974), pages 186 and 313 "A Matter of Honour", London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston. When the mood of the sepoys turned against their masters, they remembered Kabul and that the British were not invincible. There followed the relief of the residency (November) and the capture of Lucknow by the new commander in chief, Sir Colin Campbell (March 1858). Mason, Philip (1974), page 236 "A Matter of Honour", London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston. A New Type of Rifle Cartridge Caused Problems, The Indian Revolt of 1857 Brought the End of the East India Company. The immediate cause of military disaffection was the deployment of the new breech-loading Enfield rifle, the cartridge of which was purportedly greased with pork and beef fat. Its cartridges consisted of a .577 inch ball projectile and a charge of gun powder propellant wrapped in waterproofed cartridge paper. The Revolt of 1857, also known as the First War of Indian Independence, was a significant uprising against British colonial rule in India. B. A rumour spread that the cartridges of the new Enfield rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. Furthermore, the superstitious impulse that still encourages the transmission of chain letters clearly applied in 1857: Although the original specific meaning of the chapattis had been lost early in the distribution, the dire consequences of breaking the chain of transmission remained, and thus ensured their successful circulation over an immense area. 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. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/sepoy-mutiny-of-1857-1774014. 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. And, historically, much the same thing had happened before in times of trouble. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. The Sepoy Mutinywas a violent and very bloody uprising againstBritish rule in Indiain 1857. Most Indians thought they were the work of the British, whothrough the East India Companyhad ruled over large portions of the country for almost a century (and were, according to one well-known prophecy, due to be unseated at that centurys end). The dramatic capture of Delhi turned mutiny into full-scale revolt. History of the Sepoy War in India, 1857-58 (London, 3 vols. Tall tales, panic and misapprehension spread readily in such a climate, and plenty of people felt a certain disquiet in the early months of 1857. Mason, Philip (1974), page 226 "A Matter of Honour", London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston. As further evidence, he observes that the Urdu sources of the pre- rebellion and post- rebellion periods usually refer to the British not as angrez (the English), goras (whites) or firangis (foreigners), but as kafir (disbeliever) and nasrani (Christians). Scottish Highlanders charge during the suppression of the rebellion of 1857. The Siege of Delhi. 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. Rich people like the merchants and moneylenders were, therefore, able to speculate in British land sales and drive out the most vulnerable peasant farmers. Revolt Of 1857 India Causes Eects History Facts N Info 1 . 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. This revolt had shaken the foundation of . One common punishment was to tie mutineers to the mouth of a cannon and then fire the cannon, completely obliterating the victim. The next phase was the central Indian campaign of Sir Hugh Rose. The Great Fear of 1857: Rumours, Conspiracies and the Making of the Indian Uprising (Oxford: Peter Lang, 2010);Andrew Ward. 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