Indian Independence Movement

The Indian Independence Movement was a series of revolutions empowered by the people of India put forth to battle the British Empire for complete political independence, beginning with the Rebellion of 1857, reaching its climax with Mahatma Gandhi's Quit India Movement (1942-1945), and Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army invasion of British India during World War II, and freedom came on August 15, 1947.

1857: The First War of Independence

:Main article: Indian rebellion of 1857

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The First War Of Indian Independence, or The Indian Mutiny (also Sepoy Mutiny) as known to the British, was a period of uprising in northern and central India against British rule in 1857-1858. Although, the First War Of Indian Independence is considered to be the first united rebellion against colonial rule in India, a much smaller ethnic revolt against the Portuguese took place in Goa during 1787, and is known as the Conspiracy Of The Pintos.

Related Topics:
Indian Mutiny - Uprising - India - 1857 - 1858 - Goa - Conspiracy Of The Pintos

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Causes

The rebellion was the outcome of decades of ethnic and cultural differences between Indian soldiers and their British officers. The specific reason that triggered the rebellion was the use of cow and pig fat in .557 calibre Pattern 1853 Enfield (P/53) rifle cartridges. Since soldiers had to break the cartridges with their teeth before they could load them into their rifles, this was offensive to Hindu and Muslim soldiers, who considered tasting beef and pork to be against their respective religious tenets. In February 1857, sepoys (Indian soldiers in the British army) refused to use their new cartridges. The British claimed to have replaced the cartridges with new ones and tried to make sepoys make their own grease from beeswax and vegetable oils, but the rumor persisted

Related Topics:
Beeswax - Vegetable oil

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Mangal Pandey and the march to Delhi

In March 1857, Mangal Pandey, a soldier of the 34th Native Infantry, attacked his British sergeant and wounded an adjutant. General Hearsay, who said Pandey was in some kind of "religious frenzy," ordered a jemadar to arrest him but the jemadar refused. Mangal Pandey was hanged on 7 April along with the jemadar. The whole regiment was dismissed as a collective punishment. Other sepoys felt this was too harsh.

Related Topics:
1857 - Mangal Pandey - 7 April

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On May 10th, when the 11th and 20th cavalry assembled, they broke rank and turned on their commanding officers. They then liberated the 3rd Regiment, and on 11 May, the sepoys reached Delhi. They were joined by other Indians from the local bazaar. They attacked and captured the Red Fort, which was the residence of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last emperor of the Mughal dynasty. The sepoys demanded that he reclaim his throne. He was reluctant at first, but eventually agreed to the demands and became the leader of the rebellion.

Related Topics:
May - 11 May - Red Fort - Bahadur Shah Zafar - Mughal

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About the same time in Jhansi, the army rebelled and killed the British army officers. In 1858, when the British army marched towards Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai, the queen of Jhansi, assembled an army of 14,000 volunteers to fight the invaders. The war lasted 2 weeks but eventually the British won. The queen escaped on horseback to the fortress of Kalpi. Here she organized a few other kingdoms to rebel against the British. The rebel forces captured Gwalior from the British, who placed a prize of Rs. 20,000 on the capture of Rani Lakshmibai.

Related Topics:
Jhansi - 1858 - Rani Lakshmi Bai - Gwalior

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The British response

The British were slow to respond at first but eventually two columns left Meerut and Simla. At the same time, the British moved regiments from the Crimean War and diverted European regiments headed for China to India.

Related Topics:
Meerut - Simla - Crimean War - China

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After a march lasting two months, the British fought the main army of the rebels near Delhi in Badl-ke-Serai and drove them back to Delhi before laying a siege on the city. The siege of Delhi lasted roughly from 1 July to 31 August. After a week of street fighting, the British retook the city. The last significant battle was fought in Gwalior on 20 June 1858. It is during this battle that Rani Lakshmi Bai lost her life. Sporadic fighting continued until 1859 but most of the rebels were subdued.

Related Topics:
1 July - 31 August - Gwalior - 20 June - 1858 - Rani Lakshmi Bai

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Aftermath

The war of 1857 was a major turning point in the history of modern India. The British abolished the British East India Company and replaced it with direct rule under the British crown. A Viceroy was appointed to represent the Crown. In proclaiming the new direct-rule policy to "the Princes, Chiefs, and Peoples of India," Queen Victoria promised equal treatment under British law, but Indian mistrust of British rule had become a legacy of the 1857 rebellion.

Related Topics:
British crown - Viceroy - Queen Victoria

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The British embarked on a program of reform, trying to integrate Indian higher castes and rulers into the government. They stopped land grabs, decreed religious tolerance and admitted Indians into civil service, albeit mainly as subordinates. They also increased the number of British soldiers in relation to native ones and allowed only British soldiers to handle artillery.

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Bahadur Shah was exiled to Rangoon, Burma where he died in 1862, finally bringing the Mughal dynasty to an end. In 1877, Queen Victoria took the title of Empress of India.

Related Topics:
Bahadur Shah - Rangoon - Burma - 1862 - Mughal - 1877 - Queen Victoria - Empress of India

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