In the nineteenth century, the British owned, East India Company, was a huge export enterprise in need of local soldiers to help protect its interests. These local men were called 'sepoys'. The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 happened when the natives turned against the foreign officers in charge of them, due to a variety of grievances.
The East India Company being in charge of so many areas was not welcomed, especially when the local people felt that the British were trying to impose their way of life on them. Laws preventing certain cultural practices were badly received, as was the large amount of missionaries arriving who attempted to convert Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims to Christianity. High taxes were introduced, rents for land were expensive and there were even tolls to pay on many roads.
Many Indians felt as if their officers did not understand them and their way of life. The Muslim and Hindu men were very upset when new cartridges for their rifles were introduced. Unlike the ones they had been using previously, these were coated in grease originating from pigs and cows and the soldiers were expected to bite the tops of them off in order to load their guns. Putting them in their mouths would violate the locals' religious beliefs, and unsurprisingly, some simply could not follow these orders.
Soldiers who refused to put cartridges in their mouths were punished in a variety of ways. Mangal Pandey, thought of as a hero in India, is commonly believed to have begun the uprising, when he shot a British lieutenant and sergeant-major because some of his comrades were going to be punished. More and more revolts followed this action, particularly in north India.
There were terrible eruptions of violence in Delhi, resulting in the deaths of many British people, when a revolt in nearby Meerut spread there. In Meerut, soldiers refusing to put cartridges in their mouths were chained up. Other employees, as a consequence, went on a rampage attacking officers as well as innocent civilians, including women and children.
In Cawnpore, now known as Kanpur, some officers surrendered and tried to leave the area along with many civilians. Uprisers attacked and killed the men, and took over two hundred women and children prisoner. The local leader asked butchers to kill the captives and throw them into a well.
When officers managed to catch members of the mob, they were executed. One particularly horrible way in which they did this was by firing live men from cannons. Other soldiers were expected to watch and heed the warning. Britons were aided from reinforcements from England, and the loyalty of the Sikhs (who largely disliked the Muslims)in the south, enabling them to eventually quell the uprising.
The British ruled India for many years after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. The government disbanded the trading company and then controlled India directly. However, many see this event as the start of Indian independence.
The East India Company being in charge of so many areas was not welcomed, especially when the local people felt that the British were trying to impose their way of life on them. Laws preventing certain cultural practices were badly received, as was the large amount of missionaries arriving who attempted to convert Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims to Christianity. High taxes were introduced, rents for land were expensive and there were even tolls to pay on many roads.
Many Indians felt as if their officers did not understand them and their way of life. The Muslim and Hindu men were very upset when new cartridges for their rifles were introduced. Unlike the ones they had been using previously, these were coated in grease originating from pigs and cows and the soldiers were expected to bite the tops of them off in order to load their guns. Putting them in their mouths would violate the locals' religious beliefs, and unsurprisingly, some simply could not follow these orders.
Soldiers who refused to put cartridges in their mouths were punished in a variety of ways. Mangal Pandey, thought of as a hero in India, is commonly believed to have begun the uprising, when he shot a British lieutenant and sergeant-major because some of his comrades were going to be punished. More and more revolts followed this action, particularly in north India.
There were terrible eruptions of violence in Delhi, resulting in the deaths of many British people, when a revolt in nearby Meerut spread there. In Meerut, soldiers refusing to put cartridges in their mouths were chained up. Other employees, as a consequence, went on a rampage attacking officers as well as innocent civilians, including women and children.
In Cawnpore, now known as Kanpur, some officers surrendered and tried to leave the area along with many civilians. Uprisers attacked and killed the men, and took over two hundred women and children prisoner. The local leader asked butchers to kill the captives and throw them into a well.
When officers managed to catch members of the mob, they were executed. One particularly horrible way in which they did this was by firing live men from cannons. Other soldiers were expected to watch and heed the warning. Britons were aided from reinforcements from England, and the loyalty of the Sikhs (who largely disliked the Muslims)in the south, enabling them to eventually quell the uprising.
The British ruled India for many years after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. The government disbanded the trading company and then controlled India directly. However, many see this event as the start of Indian independence.
About the Author:
Read more about The Interesting Events Of The Sepoy Mutiny Of 1857 visiting our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment