Introduction
The terrible and bloody events of 1857-59 in northern and central India are some of the most significant in the shared history of India and Britain.
Seen, by some, as the first blows struck for Indian independence, at the time the British saw it as a savage revolt. The rising certainly demonstrated a strong desire to be free from British rule and provided inspiration for later Indian nationalist movements.
The three Presidency armies of Bengal, Bombay and Madras were crucial to British rule in India. One contemporary observer described India as a ‘great military monarchy’; the army was paramount. A mutiny in any one of these armies was a serious threat to British power. In 1857, this threat became a reality.
Bengal Native Infantry on the march, c1858. NAM 1969-05-18
Simmering discontent
Watercolour by a East India Company artist of a Bengal Army sepoy and his wife, c1800. NAM 1962-10-16
During the 1850s the morale of the sepoys (Indian soldiers) in the East India Company’s Bengal Army was low. This was due to a combination of factors: poor terms of service, bad pay, lack of promotion and the increased cultural insensitivity of British officers.
It was believed that the British were seeking to destroy traditional Indian religious and cultural customs. One concern was that the British were trying to force conversion to Christianity upon the Indian people. The political and legal systems were seen as inherently biased towards the British. The East India Company, formed to trade in India, now effectively ruled much of India.
Changes introduced by the British, such as outlawing sati (the ritual burning of widows) and child marriage, may have been well-meaning but they were imposed without any regard for Indian tradition or culture.
They were seen as a westernising policy and there was a widespread feeling that the traditional Indian way of life was under threat. No single factor was in itself enough to start a revolt, but the cumulative effect meant that all that was needed was a catalyst to turn discontent amongst the sepoys into a much more serious affair.
