REBELS AND THE RAJ: THE REVOLT OF 1857 AND ITS REPRESENTATIONS
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown in parts of the Indian subcontinent. The rebellion began as a mutiny of sepoys — Indian soldiers employed by the British East India Company’s army — due to various grievances, including cultural insensitivities, heavy land taxation, and general discontent with British rule.
One of the immediate causes of the mutiny was the introduction of the new Enfield rifle. To load the rifle, sepoys had to bite off the ends of lubricated cartridges. Rumours spread that the cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat — a deeply offensive idea to Hindus and Muslims respectively. This was seen as a deliberate attempt to force them to convert to Christianity.
On 10 May 1857, the sepoys at the Meerut cantonment revolted against their British officers, breaking into open mutiny. This wasn’t just a military mutiny but also had a significant civilian participation. The rebels quickly moved towards Delhi, which was then the symbolic seat of power, given that the Mughal emperor resided there.
On reaching Delhi, the rebels sought to restore the Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II, to his ancestral throne, thereby making a political statement against British rule. The emperor was reluctant initially, but given the circumstances, he gave his nominal support to the rebellion. The fact that the mutineers rallied around the Mughal emperor was significant, as it gave the rebellion a symbol of legitimacy and united purpose.