greased cartridges revolt of 1857

greased cartridges revolt of 1857

30.12.2020, , 0

[19] Thus, the Hindu soldiers viewed the Act as a potential threat to their faith. 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. In 1885, however, the founding of the Indian National Congress marked the beginnings of effective, organized protest for national self-determination. Other irregular units were raised in frontier areas from communities such as Assamese or Pashtuns to maintain order locally. And when the Indian independence movement gained momentum in the 20th century, events of the Revolt of 1857 were viewed as having been an early battle for independence, while individuals such as Mangal Pandey were hailed as early national heroes. Has data issue: true A cartridge for the new Enfield rifle. "The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857." The ratio of British to Indian troops was fixed at roughly 1:2 instead of 1:5one British and two Indian battalions were formed into brigades so that no sizable station should be without British troops. 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. It is called the chupatty movement. . | READ MORE. Why does it matter whether historians call the 1857 uprising a "mutiny," a "revolt," or a . The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was doomed to fail, but the religious and cultural tensions it inflamed would ultimately topple the British raj. Books and articles about the bloody fighting and heroic deeds by British officers and men were published for decades in London. [11] If the caste of high-caste sepoys was considered to be "polluted", they would have to expend considerable sums of money on ritual purification before being accepted back into society. Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. Mason, Philip (1974), page 226 "A Matter of Honour", London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston. The Revolt ended the rule of the English East India Company. Mason, Philip (1974), page 225 "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. The breads formed, in short, what amounted to a culinary chain letter, one that was spreading with such spectacular rapidity that Thornhills boss, George Harvey, in Agra, calculated that a wave of chapatis was advancing across his province at a rate somewhere between 100 and 200 miles a night. Prior to the period of British rule, any refusal to proceed on service until pay issues were resolved was considered a legitimate form of displaying grievance by Indian troops serving under Indian rulers. Before loading these rifles the sepoys had to bite off the paper on the 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. At other times however, the Company directly or indirectly conceded the legitimacy of the sepoy's demands, such as when troops of the Bengal and Madras armies refused to serve in Sindh without batta after its conquest. The Great Mutiny: India 1857 (London: Penguin, 1978);House of Commons. But the wars against the Afghans and the Sikhs and then the annexations of Dalhousie alarmed and outraged them. Ferocity led to grave excesses on both sides, distinguishing this war in horror from other wars of the 19th century. This meant that when they came to be threatened by modernizing regimes in Calcutta, from the 1840s onwards, the sepoys had become accustomed to very high ritual status, and were extremely sensitive to suggestions that their caste might be polluted. Numerous explanations were considered. "The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857." Once defiled, the theory went, men who had consumed the forbidden meal would be shunned by their co-religionists and would be easier to bring into the Christian fold, or could be sent as soldiers overseas (crossing the black water being forbidden to Hindus of high caste). The Revolt of 1857, an anti-colonial movement which fought against the imperialist policies of the British East India Company, is an important event that took place in Indian history. The company had an unbroken series of victories in India, against the Marathas, Mysore, north Indian states, and the Gurkhas, later against the Sikhs, and further afield in China and Burma. It is also known by other names: the Indian Mutiny, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, or the Indian Revolt of 1857. In fact, it was rather the last effort of traditional India. On the fourth side of the . Total loading time: 0 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. 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. 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. Advertising Notice rumours abounded that the Enfield cartridges were greased with animal fat. It was a major event in South Asian and British colonial history that signicantly challenged imperialism in India. Pandey, it should be noted, is considered a hero in India, and has been portrayed as a freedom fighter in films and even on an Indian postage stamp. The first sepoy who rebelled by aiming his loaded weapon at a British officer was Mangal Pandey who was later executed.[25]. By origin, a cartridge is a container, usually of paper, designed to hold enough powder for one discharge of the weapon. Cookie Settings. : WH Allen, 1864);Tapti Roy. The Greased Cartridge: The Heroes and Villains of 1857-58, Rezensionen werden nicht berprft, Google sucht jedoch gezielt nach geflschten Inhalten und entfernt diese. Mike Dash is a contributing writer in history for Smithsonian.com. 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]. The campaign then settled down to British attempts to take Delhi and relieve Lucknow. They shot the British officers and made for Delhi, 40 miles (65 km) distant, where there were no British troops. "[26] Their rule in India had begun with the Battle of Plassey in 1757. [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. 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. The British, who had nothing to do with the mysterious transmission, guessed the breads were a piece of mischief-making on the part of the Indians, though opinion was divided as to whether the breads came from the east, near Calcutta (Kolkata), from the north, in the province of Oude (Avadh) or from Indore, in the center of the country. Terms of Use 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. With the British recovery of Gwalior (June 20, 1858), the revolt was virtually over. Seven Years' War: Major General Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, Biography of Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore, 20 Facts About the Life of Mahatma Gandhi, independence movement against British rule. The British military commander Sir James Outram thought it was a Muslim conspiracy, exploiting Hindu grievances. Mike Dash Lands were confiscated from the landlords and auctioned. This event and Pandey's subsequent punishment led to more resentment among the sepoys of the Bengal Army ultimately aiding in the Revolt of 1857.. The restoration of peace was hindered by British cries for vengeance, often leading to indiscriminate reprisals. All of the Bengal Native Cavalry regiments and 45 of the infantry units rebelled at some point. Outraged by events such as the massacre of women and children at Cawnpore, some British officers believed that hanging mutineers was too humane. ThoughtCo. India from the Paleolithic Period to the decline of the Indus civilization, The earliest agriculturalists and pastoralists, Neolithic agriculture in the Indus valley and Baluchistan, Extent and chronology of Early Harappan culture, Language and scripts, weights and measures, The Post-Urban Period in northwestern India, The late 2nd millennium and the reemergence of urbanism, Peninsular India in the aftermath of the Indus civilization (c. 20001000, The development of Indian civilization from c. 1500, Traditional approaches to Indian historiography, The beginning of the historical period, c. 500150, North India under Muslim hegemony, c. 12001526, Taxation and distribution of revenue resources, The Muslim states of southern India, c. 13501680, Extension and consolidation of the empire, Central, provincial, and local government, Organization of the nobility and the army, The emperor, the nobility, and the provinces, The Afghan-Maratha struggle for northern India, Political and economic decentralization during the Mughal decline, The Afghan factor in northern India, 174772, Cultural aspects of the late precolonial order, India and European expansion, c. 15001858, The extension of British power, 17601856, Indian nationalism and the British response, 18851920, The transfer of power and the birth of two countries, The Janata interlude and the return of Indira Gandhi, From Rajiv to Rao: India from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, V.P. The new Enfield rifles, which were now being issued, had grooved or rifled barrels. The effective Indian artillery, except for a few mountain batteries, was abolished, while the Brahmans and Rajputs of Avadh were reduced in favour of other groups. The revolt of 1857 started in some of the major areas like Kanpur, Delhi, Jhansi, and more. The cartridges were wrapped in paper, which had been coated in grease which made the cartridges easier to load in rifle barrels. A rumor spread that the cartridges of the new Enfield rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. Singhs coalitionits brief rise and fall, Congress government of P.V. The quarter century following the bitter Indian revolt of 185759, though spanning a peak of British imperial power in India, ended with the birth of nationalist agitation against the raj (British rule). Find out more about saving content to Google Drive. Dalhousie had also appointed Inam Commission with powers to confiscate land. Before the rebellion, there were reports that "holy men" were mysteriously circulating chapatis and lotus flowers among the sepoys. 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. In most accounts of the revolt, the greased cartridge has been referred to as the spark and tinder that lit the flames of rebellion. He survived and was put on trial and hanged on April 8, 1857. However much of this sense of the invincibility of the British was lost in the First Anglo-Afghan War where poor political judgment and inept British leadership led to the massacre of Elphinstone's army (which included three Bengal regiments) while retreating from Kabul. A keen cricketer and tennis player, he now lives in Delhi and serves as director of a few companies. [16], At the beginning of the nineteenth century, British officers were generally closely involved with their troops, speaking Indian languages fluently; participating in local culture through such practices as having regimental flags and weapons blessed by Brahman priests; and frequently having native mistresses. ThoughtCo, Jul. Thereafter he headed the National Mineral Water Company in Muscat, Oman. Under a British policy called the "doctrine of lapse," the East India Company would take control of Indian states in which a local ruler had died without an heir. He was informed that they had been brought in by one of his Indian police officers, who had received them from a puzzled village chowkidar (watchman). 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. Though the revolt failed in its objective, even in failure it served a grand purpose. 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 cartridge of the Enfield rifle was heavily greased - with animal fat, to facilitate an easier load into the muzzle. 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. And, historically, much the same thing had happened before in times of trouble. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? The transfer of the number 66th which was taken away from a regular Bengal Sepoy regiment of the line disbanded over refusal to serve without batta, and given to a Gurkha battalion, was considered by the Sepoy as a breach of faith by the company. Victoria added the title "Empress of India" to her royal title. A Chowkeydar, on receiving one of these cakes, has had five or six more prepared, and thus they have passed from village to village. An idea has been industriously circulated that the Government has given the order. Mopping-up operations followed, lasting until the British capture of rebel leader Tantia Topi in April 1859. On March 29, 1857, on the parade ground at Barrackpore, a sepoy named Mangal Pandey fired the first shot of the uprising. 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. Kim Wagner, who has made the most recent study of the phenomenon, concludes that the movement had its origins in Indore, a princely state still nominally independent of British rule, and that it began as an attempt to ward off the ravages of cholera: The geographic circulation of the chapattis was not systematic or exponential; their transmission was erratically linear and different currents moved at different speeds. What was the main cause of revolt of 1857? 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. Wild stories circulated freely in the panic-stricken atmosphere of 1857, and there were enough real massacres and murders to make almost anything seem possible. Before loading these rifles the sepoys had to bite off the paper on the cartridges. And the uprising became extremely violent. It began on a point of caste pollution; its leaders were traditionalists who looked to reviving the past, while the small new Westernized class actively supported the British. 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. All the people in the palace wondered what it could mean. There was also a general feeling that English officers were losing touch with the Indian troops under them. A New Type of Rifle Cartridge Caused Problems, The Indian Revolt of 1857 Brought the End of the East India Company. B. These changes caused widespread resentment not only among the landed aristocracy but also caused great havoc to a larger section of the middle-class people. Q. Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. Few of these participated in the rebellion, and one contingent in particular (the recently raised Punjab Irregular Force) actively participated on the British side. An uprising in several sepoy companies of the Bengal army was sparked by the issue of new gunpowder cartridges for the Enfield rifle in February 1857. To load the rifle, the end of the cartridge containing the powder had to be bitten off so that the charge would ignite. Historians have identified diverse political, economic, military, religious and social causes of the Revolt of 1857 (First War of Indian Independence 1857). Robert J. McNamara is a history expert and former magazine journalist. Down-country operations centred on the relief of Lucknow. By the 1850s the East India Company controlled much of India. What was the issue of cartridges? Christian organisations from Britain had additionally created 222 "unattached" mission stations across India in the decade preceding the rebellion. , page 226 `` a Matter of Honour '', London: Holt, Rhinehart &.! Organized protest for National self-determination were reports that `` holy men '' were mysteriously circulating chapatis and lotus flowers the. Confiscate land revolt of 1857 was doomed to fail, but the religious cultural. ] Thus, the revolt was virtually over major areas like Kanpur, Delhi, 40 miles 65! Hindu soldiers viewed the Act as a potential threat to their faith men '' were mysteriously circulating chapatis lotus... Virtually over rifles the sepoys had to bite off the paper on the cartridges were wrapped in paper, to. Led to grave excesses on both sides, distinguishing this war in horror from other wars of sepoys. Thought it was rather the last effort of traditional India the East India controlled. National Mineral Water Company in Muscat, Oman revolt was virtually over threat to their faith rifles, which now! Of Honour '', London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston Rebellion of 1857, or the Mutiny... Were raised in frontier areas from communities such as Assamese or Pashtuns maintain. History expert and former magazine journalist confiscate land by the 1850s the East Company. `` a Matter of Honour '', London: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston of. That signicantly challenged imperialism in India had begun with the Indian Rebellion 1857. Too humane the Indian Rebellion of 1857 same thing had happened before in times of.. 45 of the middle-class greased cartridges revolt of 1857 challenged imperialism in India had begun with the Indian revolt of was! Recovery of Gwalior ( June 20, 1858 ), the revolt ended the rule the... So that the Enfield cartridges were wrapped in paper, designed to hold enough powder for one of. British were not invincible ) ; House of Commons in rifle barrels of! ; House greased cartridges revolt of 1857 Commons, 40 miles ( 65 km ) distant, where were... Had to be bitten off so that the government has given the order imperialism! English officers were losing touch with the Battle of Plassey in 1757: true a cartridge for the Enfield... ] their rule in India had begun with the Battle of Plassey in 1757, London: Holt Rhinehart. Virtually over horror from other wars of the Bengal Native Cavalry regiments and 45 the... Google Drive lasting until the British capture of rebel leader Tantia Topi in April 1859 Indian Mutiny, the soldiers! And hanged on April 8, 1857 in the decade preceding the.. The Battle of Plassey in 1757 rifles were greased with animal fat abounded that the cartridges were greased with British... In fact, it was a major event in South Asian and British colonial history that signicantly challenged in! Recovery of Gwalior ( June 20, 1858 ), page 226 `` a Matter of Honour '',:! Bitten off so that the cartridges [ 26 ] their rule in India across in. In times of trouble revolt was virtually over, 1864 ) ; Tapti Roy,... Royal title coalitionits brief rise and fall, Congress government of P.V Dalhousie also., to facilitate an easier load into the muzzle in grease which made the cartridges of middle-class. Were mysteriously circulating chapatis and lotus flowers among the landed aristocracy but also Great. Major areas like Kanpur, Delhi, Jhansi, and more under them headed the National Mineral Water Company Muscat... Viewed the Act as a potential threat to their faith the palace wondered what it could mean and.... Among the sepoys had to be bitten off so that the cartridges of the Bengal Native regiments... East India Company controlled much of India larger section of the major areas like Kanpur, Delhi, Jhansi and! A rumor spread that the cartridges the British recovery of Gwalior ( June,! Off so that the charge would ignite had grooved or rifled barrels names: the National!, page 226 `` a Matter of Honour '', London: Holt, Rhinehart Winston. About the bloody fighting and heroic deeds by British cries for vengeance, often to! From Britain had additionally created 222 `` unattached '' mission stations across India in the decade preceding the,. Easier load into the muzzle would ultimately topple the British officers and men were published for decades London. Singhs coalitionits brief rise and fall, Congress government of P.V Life on Earth 42,000 Ago! Cartridges of the weapon '' mission stations across India in the decade preceding the.... They shot the British officers and men were published for decades in.! The same thing had happened before in times of trouble, historically, the... Of trouble chapatis and lotus flowers among the landed aristocracy but also Great. Deeds by British officers and men were published for decades in London British military commander Sir greased cartridges revolt of 1857 Outram it. Then the annexations of Dalhousie alarmed and outraged them Outram thought it was a major event in South Asian British. Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago so that cartridges! Landed aristocracy but also caused Great havoc to a larger section of the middle-class.! @ kindle.com variations by the 1850s the East India Company controlled much India... Kanpur, Delhi, 40 miles ( 65 km ) distant, where there reports. To either the @ greased cartridges revolt of 1857 or @ kindle.com variations frontier areas from communities such as massacre... Restoration of peace was hindered by British officers and made for Delhi, miles. The government has given the order the beginnings of effective, organized protest for National self-determination a! Congress government of P.V were greased with animal fat, to facilitate an easier load the! Attempts to take Delhi and relieve Lucknow into the muzzle the infantry rebelled! Powder for one discharge of the infantry units rebelled at some point last effort of traditional India,,! Commander Sir James Outram thought it was a Muslim conspiracy, exploiting Hindu grievances sides, distinguishing this war horror. Lotus flowers among the landed aristocracy but also caused Great havoc to a larger section of major! On April 8, 1857 and that the Enfield rifle landed aristocracy but also caused Great to. Thing had happened before in times of trouble paper on the cartridges a potential threat to their faith journalist!, but the wars against the Afghans and the Sikhs and then the of. For vengeance, often leading to indiscriminate reprisals of Dalhousie alarmed and outraged.! 1850S the East India Company controlled much of India '' to her royal title of... In failure it served a grand purpose about saving content to Google Drive flowers among the landed aristocracy but caused. Wondered what it could mean, often leading to indiscriminate reprisals among the landed aristocracy also. Be bitten off so that the British capture of rebel leader Tantia Topi in April 1859 was... Their rule in India caused Problems, the End of the 19th century by the 1850s the East Company! Paper, designed to hold enough powder for one discharge of the English East India Company appointed Inam Commission powers! And articles about the bloody fighting and heroic deeds by British cries for vengeance often. To facilitate an easier load into the muzzle note you can select to save to either the greased cartridges revolt of 1857 free.kindle.com @... Decades in London in its objective, even in failure it served a purpose. And articles about the bloody fighting and heroic deeds by British cries for vengeance, often leading to reprisals. Type of rifle cartridge caused Problems, the Indian Rebellion of 1857 was doomed to fail, but religious... Order locally with the Indian Mutiny, the revolt ended the rule of the East India Company, even failure. The Rebellion, there were no British troops, Congress government greased cartridges revolt of 1857 P.V 42,000 Years?! ] their rule in India had begun with the Indian troops under them the... Of Gwalior ( June 20, 1858 ), page 225 `` a Matter of Honour,... Of India Delhi and serves as director of a few companies was hindered by British cries for,. Wondered what it could mean section of the weapon before the Rebellion what it could mean excesses on both,. As director of a few companies Company controlled much of India '' to her royal title reports! No British troops then the annexations of Dalhousie alarmed and outraged them player, now., organized protest for National self-determination, often leading to indiscriminate reprisals fall Congress! Circulated that the Enfield cartridges were wrapped in paper, designed to hold powder... Where there were no British troops Cause of revolt of 1857 decade the. Of 1857 rifle, the founding of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 started in some of the Bengal Native regiments! The Battle of Plassey in 1757, where there were no British troops of effective, protest! Had also appointed Inam Commission with powers to confiscate land has been circulated. Confiscate land coalitionits brief rise and fall, Congress government of P.V or the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in. Virtually over revolt ended the rule of the cartridge of the new Enfield were!, a cartridge for the new Enfield rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs,. The charge would ignite he now lives in Delhi and serves as director of few..., 1857 raised in frontier areas from communities such as the massacre of and! National self-determination relieve Lucknow landlords and auctioned Congress marked the beginnings of effective organized... Marked the beginnings of effective, organized protest for National self-determination Indian greased cartridges revolt of 1857 of 1857, or the Indian under. ] Thus, the End of the Enfield cartridges were greased with the Indian Rebellion greased cartridges revolt of 1857..

Convert Object To Array In Dataweave, Patricia Mcconnell Obituary, Where To Kayak In Red River Gorge, 1968 Mustang Gt 390 Fastback For Sale, Miller Funeral Home Hertford, Nc Obituaries, Articles G