The Rebellion of 1857

Dawn of New Imperial Era

Origins of the Rebellion

Military Causes: Grievances over pay and Promotion among Sepoys Special Allowance and Overseas Duties Enfield Rifle and Concern over the Cartridge

Concerns of Civilian Population Theory of Doctrine of Lapse Unemployed Artisans and Court Employees Occupation of Avadh: Local Patriotism Land Tax Policies Progressive Imperialism and Concern over Religious Identities

Time Line of 1857 Rebellion

On February 26, 1857 Disconent among the 19th Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) regiment. At Barrackpur near Calcutta, on March 29, 1857, Mangal Pandey of the 34th BNI attacked and injured his British sergeant on the parade ground. On 9 May, 85 troopers of the 3rd Light Cavalry at Meerut refused to use their cartridges. They were imprisoned, sentenced to ten years of hard labour, and stripped of their uniforms in public. On 11 May the rebels reached Delhi, where they were joined by other Indians from the local bazaar, and attacked and captured the Red Fort (Lal Qila), killing five British, including a British officer and two women. Lal Qila was the residence of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II and the sepoys demanded that he reclaim his throne. At first he was reluctant, but eventually he agreed to the demands and became the leader of the rebellion. Rebellion erupted in the state of Awadh (also known as Oudh, in modern-day Uttar Pradesh) very soon after the events in Meerut. The British commander of Lucknow, Henry Lawrence, had enough time to fortify his position inside the Residency compound. British forces numbered some 1700 men, including loyal sepoys. Rebellion in Kanpur in June 1857

Suppression of Rebellion

Absence of Military Leadership Lack of Co-ordination Limited Area of the Rebellion Conflicting Aims and Confusing Mobilization Sikhs, Gurkhas and Loyal Punjabi Troops Bengali Elites, Bombay Businessmen and Tamil Educated Elites supported British Rule Failure to Dismantle British Line of Information Massive Repression

Interpretations of Rebellion
Sepoy Mutiny War of National

Independence Restorative Rebellion Subaltern Rebellion Rebels without Causes

Restorative Rebellion: Leadership of Rebellion

Bahadur Shah Jafar

((1775-1862) Nana Saheb (1824-) Tantia Tope Rani Lachmibai (1830-1858) Kunwar Singh

Rebellion of Subaltern: Sepoys, Peasants and Artisans

Bakth Khan Moulavi

Imdiadullah Nature of Peasant Rebellion Rebellion of Artisans

Administrative Changes


The Transfer of Power Declaration of Queen Victoria No rise in Land Revenue Decline of Muslim Aristocracy in Indo-Gangetic Plains Military Changes and the Idea of Martial Race Indian Army for Imperial Cause Arms Act and Vernacular Press Act of 1878 Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 Technocratic State Alliance with conservative forces Racial Tensions New Empire