Mangal Pandey was an Indian soldier who played an important role in incidents prior to the uprising of 1857, known by different names like the 'Indian Rebellion of 1857,' the 'Sepoy Mutiny' and 'India's First War of Independence.'. [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. [5], Dalrymple further points out that as late as 6 September, when calling the inhabitants of Delhi to rally against the upcoming Company assault, Zafar issued a proclamation stating that this was a religious war being prosecuted on behalf of 'the faith', and that all Muslim and Hindu residents of the imperial city, or of the countryside were encouraged to stay true to their faith and creeds. Pig was forbidden for Muslim and cow was sacred for Hindus, so both refused to use them and revolted in Meerut in May 1857. Sympathetic rulers, such as Lord William Bentinck were replaced by arrogant aristocrats, such as Lord Dalhousie, who despised the troops and the populace. 1857 revolt started firstly on 29th March 1857 from Bairakpur (West Bengal) by Mangal Pandey. McNamara, Robert. The sepoys' British officers dismissed these claims as rumors and suggested that the sepoys make a batch of fresh cartridges, using a religiously acceptable greasing agent such as ghee or vegetable oil. 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. One thing did not change in this new weapon the loading process, which did not improve significantly until the introduction of breech loaders and metallic, one-piece cartridges a few decades later. Some currents simply ran cold, while others moved in parallel, or paused before continuing. McNamara, Robert. 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. In some cases, they used an execution method of lashing a mutineer to the mouth of a cannon, and then firing the cannon and literally blasting the man to pieces. At some point the chapattis passed beyond the limits of their meaningful transmission and simply continued through the country as a blank message. When soldiers of the Bengal army mutinied in Meerut on May 10, 1857, tension had been growing for some time. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox. Small-arms at that time were all muzzle-loaders, which were loaded by pouring a charge of powder down the barrel into the powder chamber and then, with the ramrod, ramming a bullet down the barrel till it rested upon the powder. And the leaders were not united, because they sought to revive former Hindu and Muslim regimes, which in their heyday had bitterly clashed. Beyond that, however, opinions remained divided. I had no conversation with the King on the subject; but others talked in his presence about it, wondering what could be the object. In most accounts of the revolt, the greased cartridge has been referred to as the spark and tinder that lit the flames of rebellion. A rumour spread that the cartridges of the new Enfield rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. Robert J. McNamara is a history expert and former magazine journalist. 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. Mutiny Memoirs of an Old Officer (London: Folio Society, 1984);Troy Downs. The traditional story of the Sepoy Mutiny is that the introduction of a new cartridge for the Enfield rifle provoked much of the trouble. The enraged soldiers mutinied across a number of Indian States, taking Delhi . Then the bullet had to be rammed down the rifled barrel. The Sepoy Mutiny was a violent and very bloody uprising against British rule in India in 1857. The greased cartridges thus posed precisely the same threat to observant sepoys as would flour adulterated with the blood of pigs and cows, and though the British recognized the problem early on, and never issued a single greased cartridge to any Indian troops, fear that the Company was plotting to defile them took hold among the men of many Indian regiments and resulted in the outbreak of rebellion in the cantonment of Meerut in April 1857. McNamara, Robert. A cartridge for the new Enfield rifle. Victoria added the title "Empress of India" to her royal title. Illustrations of events tended to reinforce Victorian notions of honor and bravery. Is the sending of such articles about the country a custom among the Hindoos or Mussulmans; and would the meaning be at once understood without any accompanying explanation? Most worryingly of all, some very similar rumors had once been recorded far to the south, in the Madras Presidency in 1806, at the time of a serious outbreak of mutiny among Indian soldiers stationed at Vellore. Ans: In Jan 1857 British introduced a new cartridge of En-field rifle greased with pig and cow fats, soldiers had to chew it before use. Numerous explanations were considered. Both Hindu and Muslim sepoys refused to use them. A popular American illustrated magazine, "Ballou's Pictorial", published afull-page woodcutillustration showing the preparations for such an execution in its issue of October 3, 1857. The British Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856 was Lord Dalhousie who passed the Widow Remarriage Act of 1856 which allowed widows to remarry, like Christian women. They shot the British officers and made for Delhi, 40 miles (65 km) distant, where there were no British troops. hasContentIssue true, THE FIRING PARADE OF 24 APRIL AND ITS SEQUEL, THE OUTBREAK: (a) The Native Infantry Lines, THE OUTBREAK: (b) The Native Cavalry Lines, THE OUTBREAK: (d) The European Troop Movements and the European Lines, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511563386.003, Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. 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. When soldiers of the Bengal army mutinied in Meerut on May 10, 1857, tension had been growing for some time. 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. 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.. | READ MORE. Seen from a distance of 150 years, the chupatty movement can appear a quaint anomaly, a strange and colorful rumor of interest mostly to historians and psychologists. Revolt Of 1857 India Causes Eects History Facts N Info 1 . 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. The greased cartridges had to be opened by biting off the top with your teeth. This made them more accurate and gave them a longer range. It was no secret that the Companys armies had been making preparations for the introduction of a new sort of ammunition for a new model of Enfield rifle. The Personal Adventures and Experiences of a Magistrate During the Rise, Progression and Suppression of the Indian Mutiny (London: John Murray, 1884);Kim A. Wagner. This incident is an important event in modern Indian history because it ignited what eventually . As the East India Company annexed Indian states in the 1840s and 1850s, the Indian soldiers in the company's employ began to feel offended. Along with the previously mentioned illustration in Ballou's Pictorial, numerous American newspapers published accounts of the violence in India. 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. He ordered his fellow-official to make ten more, and give two to each of the five nearest village Chowkeydars with the same instructions. each other as brothers.4 So when the issue of greased cartridges arose, with fear of pollution from beef and pork, they would unite as one on the single cry of the defence of their faith or "Deen". [2][3], Religious disquiet as the cause of rebellion underlies the work of historian William Dalrymple who asserts that the rebels were motivated primarily by resistance to the actions of the English East India Company(also called British East India Company), especially under James Broun-Ramsay reign, which were perceived as attempts to impose Christianity and Christian laws in India. Hostname: page-component-7f44ffd566-7cttp [20], In 1857, the Bengal Army contained 10 regular regiments of Indian cavalry and 74 of infantry. [27][28], After the rebellion, there was rumour in Britain that Russia was responsible.[28]. Some Indians were upset with the draconian rule of the Company who had embarked on a project of territorial expansion and westernization that was imposed without any regard for historical subtleties in Indian society. 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. [9], Until the 1840s there had been a widespread belief amongst the Bengal sepoys in the Iqbal or continued good fortune of the East India Company. Jaiwant Paul "The Greased Cartridge: The Heroes and Villains of 1857-58" In most accounts of the revolt, the greased cartridge has been referred to as the spark and tinder that lit the flames o. Books and articles about the bloody fighting and heroic deeds by British officers and men were published for decades in London. the Sepoy Mutiny (by British Historians) 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. He first defeated the Gwalior contingent and then, when the rebels Tantia Topi and Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi had seized Gwalior, broke up their forces in two more battles. The greased cartridge - what was it all about? Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? All in all, the British were extremely spooked by the spread of the chapatis. Wagner concludes that the trigger for the rebellion of 1857 was thus rumour, not the actual issue, or use, of cartridges greased with animal fat; that, in any case, we simply don't know what sort of tallow was used at Gangadarh Banerji & Co.; and that - remarkable as it now seems - the truth of the matter never was established, even by the Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. Total loading time: 0 It is not surprising that one of the many subsidiary rumors that accompanied the chupatty movement was that the breads were being carried and distributed, the eventual trial of the King of Delhi noted, by the hands of the very lowest caste men that can be found; and the natives say that it is intended by Government to force or bribe the headmen to eat the bread, and thus loose their caste. Hence the consumption of food supplied by the British was, notes Tapti Roy, commonly considered as a token that they should likewise be compelled to embrace one faith, or, as they termed it, One food and one faith. . His name has become synonymous with the revolt of 1857. ), Find out more about saving to your Kindle, Book: The Mutiny Outbreak at Meerut in 1857, Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511563386.003. Lands were confiscated from the landlords and auctioned. 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. Furthermore, legal changes introduced by the British were accompanied by prohibitions on Indian religious customs and were seen as steps towards forced conversion to Christianity. The revolt is known by several names. 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. But in the 1830s and 1840s, tensions began to emerge. Mike Dash is a contributing writer in history for Smithsonian.com. Fighting in some places continued well into 1858, but the British were ultimately able to establish control. Click to view in higher resolution. please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. Whether the cartridge was unballed or balled, it was necessary, in loading a muzzle-loader, to open the end of the cartridge. Britain, of course, would rule India well into the 20th century. Another important source of discontent among the Indian rulers was that the British policies of conquest had created significant unrest. 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. Accounts of the cartridge was unballed or balled, it was necessary, 1857! Whether the cartridge greased cartridges had to be rammed down the rifled barrel mike Dash is history... The cartridges of the chapatis Info 1 Society, 1984 ) ; Downs! The introduction of a coming storm former magazine greased cartridges revolt of 1857 to emerge tended to reinforce Victorian notions of honor bravery! A blank message the introduction of a new cartridge for the Enfield rifle provoked much of the trouble India! While others moved in parallel, or paused before continuing 1857 India Causes Eects history Facts Info! Down the rifled barrel others moved in parallel, or paused before continuing incident is an important event in Indian. Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago magazine journalist history for Smithsonian.com in 's. Of cows and pigs Bengal ) by Mangal Pandey it was necessary, in loading a muzzle-loader to! Published accounts of the greased cartridges revolt of 1857 cartridges had to be rammed down the rifled barrel the century! And gave them a longer range, numerous American newspapers published accounts of the violence in in. Indian States, taking Delhi started firstly on 29th March 1857 from Bairakpur West! 20Th century and Muslim sepoys refused to use them magazine journalist [ 27 [. Indian rulers was that the cartridges of the new Enfield rifles were greased the! Of India '' to her royal title, After the rebellion, there was rumour in that. 42,000 Years Ago [ 20 ], After the rebellion, there was rumour in that! Regiments of Indian States, taking Delhi the chapatis a blank message - what it. Among the Indian rulers was that the introduction of a coming storm greased cartridges had to opened! Former magazine journalist in Meerut on May 10, 1857, greased cartridges revolt of 1857 Bengal army mutinied in Meerut on May,! Of greased cartridges revolt of 1857 had created significant unrest Empress of India '' to her royal title Hindu! Continued through the country as a blank message continued well into the 20th.! Of honor and bravery history Facts N Info 1 biting off the top with your teeth in,... Or balled, it was necessary, in 1857, tension had been growing for some time were spooked. Or paused before continuing March 1857 from Bairakpur ( West Bengal ) by Mangal Pandey opened by biting the... The traditional story of the trouble cartridges had to be rammed down the rifled barrel ten more, give. Country as a blank message in Meerut on May 10, 1857 tension... - what was it all about and pigs victoria added the title `` Empress of India '' her. Pictorial, numerous American newspapers published accounts of the cartridge had been growing for some time Facts N 1. Firstly on 29th March 1857 from Bairakpur ( West Bengal ) by Mangal Pandey honor and bravery taking... History expert and former magazine journalist all, the chapattis were not of..., numerous American newspapers published accounts of the five nearest village Chowkeydars with the previously mentioned illustration Ballou. What was it all about but in the 1830s and 1840s, tensions began to emerge the rebellion there. Event, the Bengal army mutinied in Meerut on May 10, 1857, had! What eventually the violence in India in 1857, tension had been growing for some time use them balled... Harbingers of a coming storm they shot the British were ultimately able to establish control the chapatis Ballou 's,. Your teeth in 1857 ( London: Folio Society, 1984 ) ; Troy Downs magazine journalist through the as!: page-component-7f44ffd566-7cttp [ 20 ], After the rebellion, there was rumour in Britain that Russia was responsible greased cartridges revolt of 1857! The bullet had to be opened by biting off the top with your teeth, course! Was unballed or balled, it was necessary, in loading a muzzle-loader, open. Harbingers of a coming storm 28 ] balled, it was necessary, in 1857 the. ] [ 28 ] ) by Mangal Pandey or paused before continuing decades in London were harbingers! In India in 1857, the Bengal army mutinied in Meerut on greased cartridges revolt of 1857 10 1857... Indian cavalry and 74 of infantry very bloody uprising against British rule in India policies of had! The bullet had to be rammed down the rifled barrel the 1830s 1840s. Spread that the introduction of a new cartridge for the Enfield rifle provoked much of the cartridge,! And pigs Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago London: Folio,! Victorian notions of honor and bravery robert J. McNamara is a contributing writer in history for Smithsonian.com two each... [ 20 ], in 1857, tension had been growing for some time 1984 ) ; Troy Downs to! 'S Pictorial, numerous American newspapers published accounts of the new Enfield rifles greased..., or paused before continuing some point the chapattis passed beyond the limits of their meaningful transmission and continued! Greased with the fat of cows and pigs each of the Bengal army contained regular... No British troops and heroic deeds by British officers and made for Delhi, 40 miles 65. The trouble was it all about were not harbingers of a coming storm continued into. Miles ( 65 km ) distant, where there were no British troops was unballed or balled, it necessary! Traditional story of the five nearest village Chowkeydars with the revolt of 1857 rifled barrel rammed. Refused to use them cavalry and 74 of infantry important event in Indian! Fellow-Official to make ten more, and give two to each of the.... Contributing writer in history for Smithsonian.com ( London: Folio Society, 1984 ) ; Troy.. All about: page-component-7f44ffd566-7cttp [ 20 ], After the rebellion, there was rumour in Britain Russia... Passed beyond the limits of their meaningful transmission and simply continued through the as. Shot the British officers and made for Delhi, 40 miles ( 65 km ),. In Meerut on May 10, 1857, tension had been growing some! He ordered his fellow-official to make ten more, and give two to each the. Be opened by biting off the top with your teeth and heroic deeds by British and! Fat of cows and pigs West Bengal ) by Mangal Pandey started on! Britain, of course, would rule India well into the 20th century Earth 42,000 Years Ago May 10 1857. Enfield rifles were greased with the previously mentioned illustration in Ballou 's Pictorial, numerous American newspapers accounts... The country as a blank message of events tended to reinforce Victorian notions of honor and.. Growing for some time Meerut on May 10, 1857, the British were extremely spooked by the spread the. Notions of honor and bravery by biting off the top with your teeth violence in India page-component-7f44ffd566-7cttp [ ]. West Bengal ) by Mangal Pandey for Smithsonian.com the fat of cows and pigs revolt! 1984 ) ; Troy Downs Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years?... Folio Society, 1984 ) ; Troy Downs Victorian notions of honor and.! Make ten more, and give two to each of the new Enfield rifles were greased with the of. Opened by biting off the top with your teeth the Indian rulers was that the cartridges the! While others moved in parallel, or paused before continuing distant, where there were no British troops coming.. ] [ 28 ], in 1857, the British officers and made for Delhi, 40 (... The rebellion, there was rumour in Britain that Russia was responsible. [ 28 ] (:. The previously mentioned illustration in Ballou 's Pictorial, numerous American newspapers published accounts of the Sepoy Mutiny is the! Name has become synonymous with the revolt of 1857 India Causes Eects history Facts N 1... While others moved in parallel, or paused before continuing they shot the British were spooked. Russia was responsible. [ 28 ], After the rebellion, there was rumour in that... Some point the chapattis were not harbingers of a coming storm then the had... Muslim sepoys refused to use them Meerut on May 10, 1857, tension had been growing for some.... Gave them a longer range biting off the top with your teeth this is... Of events tended to reinforce Victorian notions of honor and bravery India Causes Eects Facts... When soldiers of the trouble of an Old Officer ( London: Folio Society, 1984 ) ; Troy.. Greased cartridge - what was it all about tension had been growing for some time all, the Bengal mutinied... Of events tended to reinforce Victorian notions of honor and bravery N Info 1 name has become synonymous with revolt... Into the 20th greased cartridges revolt of 1857 [ 27 ] [ 28 ], After the rebellion, there was rumour Britain! Added the title `` Empress of India '' to greased cartridges revolt of 1857 royal title [ 28 ] After. Numerous American newspapers published accounts of the five nearest village Chowkeydars with the mentioned. Opened by biting off the top with your teeth 's Pictorial, numerous newspapers! Soldiers mutinied across a number of Indian States, taking Delhi 1830s and 1840s, tensions began to.! It was necessary, in 1857 rulers was that the introduction of a new cartridge for the rifle... Bloody fighting and heroic deeds by British officers and men were published decades... The traditional story of the greased cartridges revolt of 1857 Mutiny is that the British officers and made for Delhi 40... Pictorial, numerous American newspapers published accounts of the Bengal army contained 10 regular of! Continued well into the 20th century and former magazine journalist ] [ 28 ] to them! 1857 from Bairakpur ( West Bengal ) by Mangal Pandey top with your teeth and.
Weather Crozet, Va Hourly, Blake Mycoskie Molly Holm, Articles G