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• On 29 March 1857, Mangal Pandey, a young soldier, was hanged to death for attacking his
officers in Barrackpore. This was too much for the sepoys. They refused to do the army
drill using the new cartridges, which were suspected of being coated with the fat of cows
and pigs. Thus, tension grew between the Company and sepoys.
• The sepoys were determined to bring an end to the Company’s rule. From Meerut they
rushed to Delhi.
• As the news of their arrival spread, the regiments stationed in Delhi also rose up in
rebellion. They killed several British officers, seized arms and ammunitions, set buildings
on fire.
• They met the Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar and proclaimed him as their leader.
• The Mughal Emperor got support from the rulers and chiefs of the country and together
they rose against the British power.
• After the British were routed from Delhi, there was no uprising for a few days. Then, a
spurt of mutiny began.
• Regiment after regiment mutinied and took off to join other troops at nodal points like
Delhi, Kanpur and Lucknow. After them, the people of the towns and villages also rose up
in rebellion and rallied around local leaders, zamindars and chiefs who were prepared to
fight the British. Thus, a widespread revolt shook the British confidence over ruling India.
• The Company had no way out except supressing the revolt with all its might. It brought
reinforcement from England, passed new laws so that the rebels could be convicted with
ease, and then moved into the storm centres of the revolt.
• The Company recaptured Delhi from the rebel forces in September 1857. Bahadur Shah
Zafar was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment. He along with his wife were
sent to prison in Rangoon.
• But people in other areas still continued to resist and fought with the British. The British
had to fight for two years to suppress the massive forces of mass rebellion.
• The British had regained control of the country by the end of 1859 but they could not carry
on ruling the land with the same policies anymore.
• The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East
India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of
Indian affairs.
• The Governor-General of India was given the title of Viceroy, that is, a personal
representative of the Crown. In this way the British government took direct responsibility
for ruling India.
• All ruling chiefs of the country were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs,
including adopted sons. However, they were made to acknowledge the British Queen as
their Sovereign Paramount.

Revolt started with an outbreak of mutiny in Meerut on 10th May, 1857. After taking over the
local administration, sepoys alongwith people of surrounding village marched to Delhi. They
wanted the support of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah. Sepoys came to Red Fort and demanded
that the emperor give them his blessings. Bahadur Shah had no option but to support them.

Revolt of 1857: