Musings on the 1857 Mutiny

Some time back we had an animated discussion about the 1857 Mutiny. Some officers were of the opinion that it was not a national war but a localized conflict against the East India Company. That year an attempt was made by the Princes of North India to overthrow the yoke of British rule. The Sepoys also mutinied  and the effect was that the rule of East India company ended and was replaced by the crown of England. Thus the famous Raj was ushered in.

 Many Indian Historians with not with a  little egging from  vested interests have tried to dub this event as India's 'First Great War of Independence'.  But was this the case ? 

Not a Pan India Revolt

The first thing that is glaringly obvious is that the revolt was confined only to North India and the Southern part of India had nothing to do with this insurrection. Thus  it was a localized conflict and not a  national uprising against the British rulers. In North India also the Sikhs sided with the British and played a major role in the battles at Delhi and Lucknow.

Princes Fought for Their own Raj

 A second great fallacy is that rulers were wanting a free and united India.  Historians have pointed out  that the Princes fighting the British had no pan India plan and their sole aim was to regain control and rule  their states. Their rebellion was against the 'Doctrine of Lapse' which stated that in case the ruler of a princely state did not have a natural heir as a son, the state would be taken over by the British.  However by a quirk of fate the  Rani of Jhansi  and other rulers during this period did not have sons as natural heirs. 

Sepoy Revolt

Lastly the events which triggered the  insurrection was the disaffection among the Sepoy's of the Bengal Army. This was a genuine mutiny and the soldiers both Hindu and Moslem united to fight the British. The immediate cause of the rebellion was the rumor that the newly introduced cartridges for Enfield guns were laced with the fat of cows and pigs. This went against the grain of the Hindus and Moslem's who regarded this as a defilement of their religion.

One can write reams and reams on the mutiny, but one thing that cannot be denied is that the 1857 episode was only a mutiny and some localized battles in some parts of India. To label it a 'national War of Independence' would be a travesty of fact and history. But it certainly brought in the rule by the crown which was very beneficial for India

Lastly the events which triggered the  insurrection was the disaffection among the Sepoy's of the Bengal Army. This was a genuine mutiny and the soldiers both Hindu and Moslem united to fight the British. The immediate cause of the rebellion was the rumor that the newly introduced cartridges for Enfield guns were laced with the fat of cows and pigs. This went against the grain of the Hindus and Moslem's who regarded this as a defilement of their religion.

One can write reams and reams on the mutiny, but one thing that cannot be denied is that the 1857 episode was only a mutiny and some localized battles in some parts of India. To label it a 'national War of Independence' would be a travesty of fact and history.