Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the birth of the British Raj
- Date
- 1857–1858 (rebellion); Government of India Act 2 August 1858
- Category
- Politics & governance
- Region
- India (Gangetic plain, central India)
- Era
- Modern
- Significance
The Indian Rebellion of 1857—known variously as the Sepoy Mutiny, the Great Rebellion, or India's First War of Independence—erupted on 10 May 1857 when sepoys of the East India Company's Bengal Army mutinied at Meerut, in part over the introduction of cartridges rumoured to be greased with cow and pig fat, offensive to Hindu and Muslim soldiers alike.
The revolt spread rapidly across the upper Gangetic plain and central India, drawing in disaffected princes, landholders and peasants and engulfing Delhi, Kanpur and Lucknow in fierce sieges and reprisals on both sides. After more than a year of brutal fighting, British and loyal Indian forces suppressed the rising, with the final defeat at Gwalior in June 1858. The political consequences were profound: by the Government of India Act of 2 August 1858, Parliament abolished the East India Company and transferred direct rule of India to the British Crown, inaugurating the British Raj. Queen Victoria's proclamation promised non-interference in religion and the rights of Indian princes. The rebellion reshaped colonial governance, the army and Anglo-Indian relations, leaving a lasting legacy in Indian nationalist memory.
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Empires active in 1857–1858 (rebellion); Government of India Act 2 August 1858
- Russian Empire1721 CE – 1917 CE
- French Colonial Empire (Second)1830 CE – 1962 CE
- British Empire1583 CE – 1997 CE
- Qing Dynasty1636 CE – 1912 CE
- Spanish Empire1492 CE – 1976 CE
- Portuguese Empire1415 CE – 1999 CE
Related politics & governance events
- Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand and the Kingdom of ItalyMay–September 1860; Kingdom of Italy proclaimed 17 March 1861
- Commodore Perry forces the opening of Japan1853–1854 (Treaty of Kanagawa, 31 March 1854)
- The Revolutions of 1848 (the Springtime of Peoples)1848–1849
- The Meiji Restoration1868 (proclamation 3 January 1868)
- The Slavery Abolition Act ends slavery across the British Empire28 August 1833 (in force 1 August 1834)
- Berlin Conference and the partition of Africa15 November 1884 – 26 February 1885
Further reading
The wider story
The Mughal Empire
The standard scholarly survey (New Cambridge History of India).
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