First War of Independence of 1857 was a period of armed uprisings against colonial authority of the British East India Company. One hundred years after the Battle of Plassey, anger against the unjust and oppressive British Government took the form of a revolt that shook the very foundations of British rule in India. In 1857, the controversy over the new pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle was regarding the cartridges. It was believed that the cartridges that were standard issue with the rifle were greased with pork fat which was regarded unclean by Muslims.
Revolt of 1857
On March 29, 1857 at the Barrackpur parade ground, near Kolkata, Mangal Pandey of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry was angered by the actions of the British and declared that he would rebel against his commanders. He was court-martialled on 6th April and hanged on 8th April. On 9th May 1857, 85 troopers of the Third Bengal Light Cavalry at Meerut refused to use their cartridges. They were imprisoned, sentenced to 10 years of hard labour and stripped of their uniforms in public. When the 11th and 20th Native Cavalry of the Bengal Army assembled in Meerut on 10th May 1857, they broke rank and turned on their officers.
The uprising grew into a wider rebellion to which the later Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah, the nominal ruler of India, lent his nominal support. Other main leaders were Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and Tantia Tope. The British cruelly put down the uprising, slaughtering civilians indiscriminately.
The war was mainly centred in northern and central areas of India. Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Bareilly, Arrah and Jagdishpur were the main centers of conflict. The Bhojpurias of Arrah and Jagdishpur supported the Marathas. The Marathas, Rohillas and the Awadhis supported Bahadur Shah Zafar and were against the British.
The rebels lacked resources in terms of men and money. The English, on the other hand, received a steady supply of men, money and arms in India. The rebellion saw the end of the British East India Company"s rule and that of the Mughal Empire when power was transferred to the British Crown.
Even though the rebellion had various causes, the rebels set out to revive the old Mughal Empire that signified a national symbol for them. The rebellion was therefore more than just a military rebellion, and it spanned more than one region. They displayed for the first time in this rebellion patriotic sentiments in the modern sense.
