Essay On Sepoy Rebellion

The year 1857 was a pivotal time for the Indian subcontinent and its inhabitants. This was the first time the sepoys stood up against the East India Trading Company. Lives were lost. Blood was shed and people were forever changed. There are numerous theories and rumors that attempt to explain the why. Why did the rebellion happen? Why were these atrocities committed on both sides? Why is there no sure answer as to why the massacres occurred? Who's to blame?
In 1857 the differences between the British and the native sepoys reached a climax. When the rumor came out that the new rifle cartridges given to the native sepoy soldiers by the British had been greased with pig and cow fat it spread like wildfire. It is stated that even when the Sirkar attempted to resolve the problem his words were not taken seriously.(Sita Ram,From Sepoy to Subedar:Being the Life Adventures of Subedar Sita Ram, A Native Officer in the Bengal Army, Written and Related by Himself, ca. 1860s.) This event only served as a catalyst to send the native sepoys, who were already enraged by the …show more content…
Both sides of the rebellion could have prevented the events by communicating more effectively. The British neglected the natives and the natives misunderstood the motivation the British government had. (Sayyid Ahmed Khan, The Causes of the Indian Revolt. Medical Hall Press, 1873.) The revolts started taking place around May of 1857. The mutineers were responsible for taking many of the British people's lives in camps like Meerut and Delhi. (A Widow’s Reminiscences of the Siege of Lucknow. Katherine Mary Bartrum. London, James Nisbet & Co.,1858) These massacres left the British fearing for their lives. Many women fled from their homes with their children to what they hoped would be safer places. They had to entrust natives to guide them to safety while they left their husbands