British India: Causes of the Mutiny (Army) Flashcards
What happened between 1847 to 1857?
East India Company decided to equip its Indian sepoys with the new Enfield rifle.
When did the East India Company decided to equip its Indian sepoys with the new Enfield rifle?
1847 to 1857
Between 1847-57, what kind of rifles did the East India Company give the Indian Sepoys?
Enfield rifles
What did the new rifled barrel require?
Greasing of Cartidges in order to ram home easily the bullet that was placed in the base off each cartridge
What did the loading process of the new “bored” rifles mean?
Top of cartridge had to be ripped off and in the heat of the moment, ripped off.
After the cartridge was torn off, what had to be done to the Enfield rifle?
Empty container with its bullet inside it rammed down the barrel
When did rumours circulate that the great arsenal at Dum-Dum, near Calcutta was coating the new issue cartridges with cow and pig fat?
January 1857
What happened in January 1857?
rumours circulate that the great arsenal at Dum-Dum, near Calcutta was coating the new issue cartridges with cow and pig fat
How did Hindus view the cow?
Sacred animal
Who saw the cow as a sacred animal?
Hindus
Who saw the pig as unclean and that contact would defile him?
Muslims
How did Muslims view the pig?
Unclean and contact would defile him
What was the impact of coating the cartridges with pig and cow fat?
Strike at the heart of Indian tradition
How many armies did the company maintain?
Bombay
Madras
Bengal
Out of the 3 armies the company maintained, who was the largest?
Army of Bengal which had 150, 000 Indian Sepoys
Which army had 150,000 Indian Sepoys?
Army of Bengal
How many Sepoys were with the Army of Bengal?
150,000 Indian Sepoys
How many Sepoys were recruited after the 1857 annexation of Awadh?
40,000 Sepoys
In what cities annexation in 1857, enabled the British to gain 40,000 Sepoys?
Annexation of Awadh
In what year did the British gain 40,000 soldiers?
1857 Annexation of Awadh
What classes did the Indian sepoys from the Bengal army come from?
High status of Indian society (e.g. Brahmins and Rajputs)
When Sepoys joined what was their relations with their families?
Didn’t become mere tools of the company
Maintained religion and caste
Maintained family connections
What was the impact of Sepoys maintaining their relationships with their families?
Sensitive to resentment that affected their families
Important status to uphold in the eyes of their relatives
Any slight insult to their religion, caste or standing would result in rejection from family and friends
By the mid 1850’s what were the sepoys subjected to?
Process of military modernisation and adjustment
