The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.

1. Mutiny of the Sepoys in Bengal in 1764.
2. Vellore Mutiny of 1806 - prohibition of religious faiths against the Hindus and Muslims was the cause for this mutiny. The Hindus were not allowed to put religions marks on their forehead while the Muslims were asked to shave of their beard etc. Nearly 200 Britishers were killed.
3. Mutiny of the Sepoys of the 47th Regiment at Barrackpore in Bengal in 1824.
4. Mutinies of the 34th Native Infantry (1844), the 22nd North Infantry (1849), the 66th North Infantry (1850) and the 37th North Infantry (1852).

1. Discrimination in payment and promotions.

2. Illtreatment of the Sepoys by the British.

3. Refusal of payment of foreign service allowance.

4. Refusal of High Caste Hindus to obey Lord Cannings General Service Act 1856 for foreign service.

5. Encouragement given to Christian missionaries by the Britishers.

All the mutinies were put down by force and the leaders were executed.

1. In January 1857, the British introduced new Enfield Rifle, and catridges supposedly greased with the cow and pig fats. This was against the sentiments of both Hindus and Muslims. The Sepoys disobeyed as the catridges ends have to be bitten off before loading into the gun. When this was forced on them it led to the mutiny, in the 19th Native Infantry at Berhampur on 26.2.1857. The infantry led by its commanding officer Col. Michell was disbanded.

2. 29th March 1857 - Similar mutiny, for the same reason and in support of the Berhampur one, took place at the 34th Native infantry at Barrackpore, led by Mangal Pandey. Mangal Pandey severely wounded Lt. Baugh a British officer and killed two more officers.. Mangal attempted suicide, but was captured and executed. The unit was disbanded.

3. 85 Sepoys of 3rd Cavalry at Meerut disobeyed. All of them imprisoned after trial after the suppression of the 1857 mutiny.

4. At the 7th Awadh regiment at Lucknow, the Sepoys refused to use the greased catridges on 2.5.1857. The regiment was disbanded.

1. 10.5.1857 - The third Cavalry sepoys at Meerut openly revolted by swarming the prisons and released 85 of their sepoys earlier imprisoned due to their refusal even to touch the greased catridges.

2. 11th and 20th Cavalry Sepoys also joined the other Sepoys, murdered some English officers including Col.Finnis of the 11th Cavalry and marched towards Delhi, and met no opposition at Delhi due to the absence of any British regiment. On 11th May 1857, the mutineers made Bahadur Shah Zafar as the Emperor of India. Massacred a number of British officers and civilians. The only British official Lt. Willoubhy, failing to defend the Delhi magazine store, blew it up and fled. The mutiny at Delhi was led by Genl. Bakt Khan, who was an ordinary Subedar with the British army at Bareilly.

KANPUR - The revolt and mutiny was led by Nana Saheb, Rao Sahib (nephew of Nana), Tantia Tope and Azimullah Khan advisor of Nana Saheb. The British under Sir Hugh Wheeler managed to defend till 26.6.1857. Then they surrendered. The British were, on the pretext of safe passage to Allahabad and after a brief confinement, all of them were mudered on 15th July 1857. Major Gen.Havelock recaptured Kanpur after a series of battles with Nana Sahib. Brig.Genl. Neill who succeeded Havelock took revenge for the earlier killing of Britishers by killing many Indians.
Kanpur was again taken over by Tantia Tope and his Gwalior mutineers but was recaptured by the Britishers, in December 1857, by Sir Colin Campbell who incidentally became the new Commander in Chief of the Indian Army in August 1857.
LUCKNOW - Was seized by the mutineers on 2nd July 1857 resulting in the death of Sir Henry Lawrence. Reinforcement arrived in September 1857. In December 1857, Tantia Tope occupied Lucknow, but British led by Campbell recaptured it around March 1858.
JHANSI & GWALIOR - Jhansi was recaptured by Sir Hugh Rose on 4th April 1858 and the escape of Rani Laxmibhai; Capture of Gwalior (whose ruler was (Scindia) was driven out by a revolt of mutineers) by Rani Jhansi and Tantia Tope. Rani Jhansi died on 17.6.1858 and Gwalior was recaptured by Sir Hugh Rose in June 1858.
BAREILLY - which was captured by the mutineers, was recaptured by Campbell on 5th May 1858.
ARRAH in Bihar - the mutiny or revolt was led by Kunwar Singh. It was suppressed by William Taylor and Vincent Eyre in August 1857. Kunwar Singh escaped to Awadh and returned in April 1858 and fought his last battle.
BENARES & ALLAHABAD - The mutiny here was suppressed and recaptured by the British in June 1857 by Neill.
CENTRAL INDIA - the mutiny was suppressed and brought under control by Sir Hugh Rose around first half of 1858.

1. TANTIA TOPE - After losing Gwalior, he escaped to Central India and indulged in guerilla war against the British for about 10 months. By the betrayal of Man Singh ( a feudatory of Scindia ) Tantia was captured and executed by the British on 18.4.1859.
2. NANA SAHIB, BEGUM OF AWADH & KHAN BAHADUR - Escaped to Nepal in December 1858 and died there.
3. GENERAL BAKHT KHAN - Who led the mutiny at Delhi, escaped to Awadh after the fall of Delhi and died there fighting against the British on 13.5.1859.
4. MAULAVI AHMADULLAH - He was deceived and treacherously murdered by Raja of Puwain in June 1858.

1. Non participation by educated modern Indians.
2. Non participation by major provinces like Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Western Punjab and Rajputana. Entire South, East, North East and some West and South West regions did not participate.
3. The mutiny was isolated, unplanned, lacked coordination, cooperation, expertise, support from native rulers and Zamindars and above all leadership.
4. Hostility and unsympathetic attitude towards the mutineers by their own rulers and Zamindars.
5. British had leadership, resources, techniques, weapons and reinforcements.

1. Queen Victoria passed Government of India Act of 1858, placing India under direct control of the Queen.
2. Lord Canning was appointed as the First Viceroy of India.
3. Doctrine of Lapse abolished. Princes were allowed to the right of adoption.
4. Equality and freedom of religion restored.
5. The proclamation of the Queen was called the "Magna Carta of Indian Liberty".
6. Bahadur Shah Zafar III, the last Mughal emperor was exiled to Burma and his three sons were killed.