The Indian Mutiny, 1857
Objectives
By the end of the
lesson you will be
able to:
■
explain the causes
of the revolt
■
decide who was
more brutal during
the mutiny
The Indian Mutiny of 1857 was the closest the British came to losing
control over India in the 19th century. During the mutiny both the
British and the Indian rebels committed very violent and cruel acts.
Getting you thinking
●
Can you decide who was more brutal during the mutiny?
The cartoon below, from Punch magazine, wants to show that British
forces were fighting for justice during the Indian Mutiny, which
began in May 1857.The final spark that started the revolt was when
sepoys in the Indian army refused to bite cartridges before loading
them into their Enfield
Rifles. Most Sepoys were
either Muslims or Hindus.
They believed the
cartridges had cow and pig
grease in them. In the
Hindu religion, cows are
sacred animals. Muslims
believe that pigs are
unclean and should not be
eaten. Many Indians were
also unhappy that the
British were ending some
of their traditions, such as
banning suttee and making
English the official
language of India.
Cartoon of ‘The Sepoy
Mutiny’ in Punch
magazine, 1857
124
Sepoys: Indian troops who served in the British Army