REVOLT OF 1857

SEPOY MUTINIES AND OTHER REBILLIONS

SEPOY MUTINY
• The revolt of 1857 started with company’s sepoys whose
devoted service enabled the company to conquer India
Why did they revot
 After all they were also part of Indian society and therefore
they felt and suffered what other Indians did.
 Sepoy was in fact , “ a peasant in uniform”
 General belief that British converted Indians to Christianity.
 A wide gap between officers and the sepoys.
 Feeling of inferiority.
 No batta when serving at Sindh or Punjab.
 Annexation of Sindh which was home of many sepoys.
THE MUTINIES BEFORE THE REVOLT
From 1763 -1856 there were more than 40 major rebellions and hundreds of
minor ones
 1764 – sepoy mutiny in bengal
authorities killed 30 sepoys
cause: The Sepoys had been instrumental in defeating and deposing two Nabobs of
Bengal. They became inflated with an idea of their own importance, and they
manifested it by the demand of increased pay. But it was refused.
Leader:Major Munro
 1806 – sepoys of Vellore mutinied
was crushed with terrible violence in which several hundred men died(600)
 First instance of a large-scale and violent mutiny by Indian sepoys
cause: Changes in the sepoy dress code, introduced in November 1805. Hindus were
prohibited from wearing religious marks on their foreheads while on duty, and
Muslims were required to shave their beards and trim their moustaches.
 1824- 47th regiment of sepoys at barrachpore protest
cause: order to go to burma by sea route
the regiment was disbanded its unarmed men were fired upon by artillery
and leaders of sepoys were hanged.
eleven sepoys sentenced to death by hanging
After the massacre, many sepoys deserted British service.
 1844- seven battalions revolted
on the question of salaries and batta.

A Hindu and Muslim subedars , were shot dead for giving expression to the
discontent in the army.
 Fredrick halliday lieutenant governor of Bengal in 1858
“ the Bengal army was more or less mutinous always on the verge of
revolt and certain to have mutinied at one time or another as soon as
provocation might combine with opportunity”
SANYASI UPRISING (1770-1820’S)

 It was the practice of the Sanyasis to collect alms and contributions from these
zamindars during their religious travels. This was stopped when the zamindars
found it too difficult to provide alms since after paying the British their due,
they were hardly left with anything substantial.
 The British considered the Sanyasis looters and imposed restrictions on the
Sanyasis from visiting holy places.
 The Sanyasis rose in rebellion against the British and raided English factories
and government treasuries.
 This rebellion was centred in the forests of Murshidabad and Baikunthupur,
Bengal.
 In 1771, 150 unarmed sanyasis were killed under the orders of Warren Hastings.
 The Sanyasi uprising went on for about 50 years and was suppressed
completely only in the 1820s.
FAKIR UPRISING (1776-77)
 Fakir uprising was started after the British annexation of Bengal by
Fakirs or wandering Muslim mendicants.
 They were led by Majnu Shah.
 He defied the British authority and began to levy taxes on the farmers
and zamindars in Bengal.
 They looted English factories acquiring cash, arms and ammunitions.
 Majnu Shah was supported by Rajputs, Pathans and disbanded Indian
soldiers.
 After Majnu Shah’s death, his brother Chirag Shah led the operations.
 Other notable leaders of the uprising were Bhavani Pathak and Devi
Chaudhurani
CHUAR REBELLION 1799

The term Char or Chuar was used for local tribals in Bengal
and it was a derogatory word {meaning pig}. Leader of
this revolt was Durjan Singh, a displaced Zamindar who
along with his 1500 followers created havoc.
He established his rule over 30 villages and attacked the
East India Company establishments. The British was able
to suppress the rebellion with utmost cruelty and deceit
with the help of local landlords. Around 200 rebels were
executed in the process.
PAIKA REBELLION
 Paika Rebellion of 1817 is an armed revolt against the British by
the Paikas of Khurda in Odisha. The rebellion took form and
shape under the leadership of Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhara.
 Discontent over the policies of the company was simmering in
Odisha when, in March 1817, a 400-strong party
of Kandhas crossed over into Khurda from the State
of Ghumsur, openly declaring their rebellion against the
company's rule.
 The result of the Pika Rebellion was disheartening as the rebels
involved were awarded sentences of death,  long-term
imprisonment.
 A commission was appointed by the British officials to enquire
into the rebellion.
₪ After all these rebellions revolts mutinies and uprisings from
1763 – 1856 the material for a mass upheavl was ready and
only needed only a spark
₪ The incident of greased cartridges provided the spark
₪ Cartridges of the new Enfield rifle which had been introduced
in the army had a greased paper cover whose end had to be
bitten off before the cartridge was loaded into rifle.
₪ The grease was in some instances made of beef and pig fat.
₪ This completely enraged the Hindu and Muslim sepoys and
made them believe that the government was deliberately
trying to destroy their religion. And thus acted as a spark to
inflate the revolt.
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