Sepoy Rebellion

Honors World History

Location of East India Company (EIC)

• Start of 18th Cen. EIC’s presence was one of trade

• By the end of 18th Cit was militarily

dominant

Two Phases of EIC

• To 1850• Expanded from coasts to

take over center of India• War in land• Gain control of rich areas-

Bengal

• 1850-1870• Consolidate control over

Bengal and other areas• Extend control over

Ganges to Delhi• Subdue other Indian

States– Conquer– Forcing their rulers to

become allies with EIC

Why was the EIC interested in India?

• Trade built on Indian economy

• India offered foreign traders skills of its artisans– Weaving cloth, silk– Agricultural products

• Sugar, opium, indigo dye

– Services of rich merchants and bankers– Mughal Empire was eroding

Weavers in India

Mughal Empire Declines

• When Empire declined, states chose their own rulers

• This created conflict between states

• Some states looked to EIC for help

• European nations “helped” by placing their clients on the throne

Internal Conflicts and Militarization

• Ongoing battles between national and foreign powers led to the EIC making their OWN army*Sepoys

EIC continued to trade but also created these huge armiessome British regiments in with sepoys

Sepoy’s Jobs

• Armies were to:– Defend companies territories– Coerce Indian states to join EIC area– Crush internal resistance against EIC

• Collect Taxes– Indian Collectors

Military Expansion of EIC

• As the EIC expanded –– Control more land– Take more taxes– Took more control of local Indian government– Need for more soldiers

• Need answered by– Importing British Soldiers– Increasing Sepoy’s

Sepoy Mutiny in the making

• Relations with Sepoys as troops weakened– British required Sepoys to act more “british”

• Introduction of the pork/beef cartridge

• Reasons for Mutiny– Christian Evangelism– Change in Sepoy Status– General Service Enlistment Act– Enfield Rifle

British Reaction“We shall never again occupy ahigh ground in India until wehave put a yoke upon theBrahmins. We have concededtoo much to the insolence ofcaste. Not one high caste manshould henceforward beentrusted with a sword.... Hehas been trusted with power,and how has he betrayed it?The graves of 100 Englishwomen and children—worse,the unburied bones of thosepoor victims—are themonuments of high bred sepoychivalry.” -- Delhi Gazette

British Retribution

British Retribution• John Lawrence wrote tothe British high commandin August 1857:

“We have killed and drowned 500 out of the 600 men of the [26th] regiment.”

• Colonel James Neill and the“Bloody Assizes” beginning inAllahabad on June 11, 1857.“Every native that appeared insight was shot down withoutquestion, and in the morningColonel Neill sent out parties ofregiment [?]...and burned all thevillages near where the ruins ofour bungalows stood, and hungevery native that they could catch, on the trees that lined the road. Another party of soldierspenetrated into the native cityand set fire to it, whilst volleyafter volley of grape andcanister was poured into thefugitives as they fled from theirburning houses

Stories from the British• June 29 1857:• Neill orders "the village of Mullagu and

neighborhood to be attacked and destroyed — slaughter all the men — take no prisoners…. All insurgents that fall into good hands hang at once—and shoot all you can.”

• A British Soldier in Delhi:

“All the people found within thewalls when our troops enteredwere bayoneted on the spot….These were not mutineers butresidents of the city, whotrusted to our well-known mildrule for pardon. I am glad to saythey were disappointed.”

The judge in charge of trials atBareilly had lost his wife during theconflict; he told McCausland:

“If ever I get the chance of [judging]these Black rebels I will hang a manfor every hair that was in my wife’shead.”

He had executed “close on 700 wellI said if you just continue you will have made

good your work and turning to Sergt Aden I said you mind what Sir Colin [Campbell]

said to us at Cawnpore that every man that had a black face was our enemy and we could not do wrong in shooting him so you know how to act here.” –

David McAusland of the 42nd Highland Regiment (diary)

Reactions

Direct Control by the British

Now India is a Jewel in Britain’s Crown

India to Britain Britain to India

Focus on India become more British and “less” India

• Religiously– Forced conversions– education

• Cultural Practices– Sutee– Thuggee

• “Apartheid”

Apartheid in India

• “In India every European, be he German, or Pole or Rumanian, is automatically a member of the ruling race. Railway carriages, station retiring rooms, benches in parks, etc. are marked 'For Europeans Only.‘ This is bad enough in South Africa or elsewhere, but to have to put up with it in one's own country is a humiliating and exasperating reminder of one's enslaved condition.”

-- Jawaharlal Nehru, Indian nationalist and first Prime Minister

Famine in India

• • Post-Railroad Famines in19th-Century India• 1865-66: Bengal, Bihar,Orissa.– Orissa worst hit; 1 milliondied in the three districts.• 1876-8: Maharashtra andSouth India (7 million)• 1896: Maharashtra andSouth India• 1899-1900: Gujarat andRajasthan

• • 1877: Massive Famine in Madras

• Immediate cause was adrought which lastedtwo years• But exacerbated by British

control over food prices And British use of food as way to

control economy

Before British rule (1000–1745)[30][31][32] British era (1770–1947)[30][31][32]

Century Famines Location

11th 2 local

13th 1 Around Delhi

14th 3 local

15th 2 local

16th 3 All local

17th 3 Area not defined

18th(1745)

4Northwestern provinces

Delhi, Sindh (twice), local

Total 18 -

Years Famine Deaths

1770–1800 4 21

1800–1825 5 1

1825–1850 2 0.5

1850–1875 6 5

1875–1900 18 26

1900–1925 1 0.23[36]

1925–1947 1 5[36]

Total 40 58.73

Major famines in India (Death estimates in millions, where available)

Famine

What are the Social Sciences that are seen through the British Imperialism

and the Sepoy Rebellion• Geographic• Political• Economic• Cultural• Sociological• Psychological