To What Extent Where the Grievances of the Sepoys the Main Reason for the Unrest in India in 1857.
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- Category: History: Asian
- Date Submitted: 03/24/2011 05:16 AM
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India in 1857 was a disturbing time as there was a rebellion which took place. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 did not occur as a result of one specific event; it was an accumulation of several events, over time, which resulted in the outbreak in May 1857. However, the main reason for this unrest in India was caused by the grievances of the Sepoys. There are believed to be a number of events over previous years, which set off the commotion. It was a war of independence and ultimately a forerunner to them achieving independence from Britain.
The sepoys were a combination of Muslim and Hindu soldiers serving for the ‘East India Company’, British owned. The forces were divided into three armies. The rebellion started on 10th May 1857 when a group of sepoys, native soldiers, who were working for the East India Company, decided to rebel due to racial injustice and inequality. This uprising slowly turned into a civilian rebellion against the British owned company. The unrest in India was seen as the first of several events to occur before India achieved its independence in 1947.
“The rebellion posed a considerable threat to British East Indian Company power in that region, and it was contained only with the fall of Gwalior on 20 June 1858.”
One of the grievances of the sepoys which lead to the outbreak of the rebellion was the controversy over the “Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifle, Musket”. . The rifles were introduced to the Indian armies in 1857, this set off a flood of rumors. The rumors’ were vicious and caused great controversy in Indian soldiers between the British army forces. It was reported that the paper cartridges issued with the guns were greased with lard, pork fat or tallow, beef fat, both extremely controversial for Muslim’s and Hindus. A number of troops refused, for religious reasons, to accept the ammunition.
The reason for the unrest in India ion 1857 could have been due to the fact that the natives believed that the British were trying to convert them...
The sepoys were a combination of Muslim and Hindu soldiers serving for the ‘East India Company’, British owned. The forces were divided into three armies. The rebellion started on 10th May 1857 when a group of sepoys, native soldiers, who were working for the East India Company, decided to rebel due to racial injustice and inequality. This uprising slowly turned into a civilian rebellion against the British owned company. The unrest in India was seen as the first of several events to occur before India achieved its independence in 1947.
“The rebellion posed a considerable threat to British East Indian Company power in that region, and it was contained only with the fall of Gwalior on 20 June 1858.”
One of the grievances of the sepoys which lead to the outbreak of the rebellion was the controversy over the “Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifle, Musket”. . The rifles were introduced to the Indian armies in 1857, this set off a flood of rumors. The rumors’ were vicious and caused great controversy in Indian soldiers between the British army forces. It was reported that the paper cartridges issued with the guns were greased with lard, pork fat or tallow, beef fat, both extremely controversial for Muslim’s and Hindus. A number of troops refused, for religious reasons, to accept the ammunition.
The reason for the unrest in India ion 1857 could have been due to the fact that the natives believed that the British were trying to convert them...