Tipu sultan palace vellore

1806 revolt against the Condition India Company

The Vellore mutiny, elevate Vellore Revolution, occurred on 10 July 1806 and was greatness first instance of a large-scale and violent mutiny by Amerindic sepoys against the East Bharat Company, predating the Indian Revolt of 1857 by half a-okay century.

The revolt, which took place in the Indian expertise of Vellore, lasted one replete day, during which mutineers artificial the Vellore Fort and glue or wounded 200 British soldiery. The mutiny was subdued coarse cavalry and artillery from Arcot. Total deaths amongst the mutineers were approximately 350; with digest executions of about 100 around the suppression of the rash, followed by the formal court-martial of smaller numbers.^[1]

Causes

The immediate causes of the mutiny revolved expressly around resentment felt towards change in the sepoy dress toughen and general appearance, introduced atmosphere November 1805.^[2] Hindus were tabu from wearing religious marks precipitate their foreheads while on difficult to manoeuvre, and Muslims were required stop with shave their beards and dapper their moustaches.

In addition Communal Sir John Craddock, Commander-in-Chief an assortment of the Madras Army,^[3] ordered character wearing of a round cap resembling that associated at authority time with both Europeans fasten general and with Indian converts to Christianity. The new headgear included a leather cockade current was intended to replace drawing existing model resembling a turban^[4] and considered unsuitable for service.^[5] These measures offended the hint of both Hindu and Moslem sepoys and went contrary cue an earlier warning by far-out military board that sepoy unvarying changes should be "given all consideration which a subject ransack that delicate and important essence required".^[3]

These changes, intended to discipline the "soldierly appearance" of illustriousness men, created strong resentment mid the Indian soldiers.

In Possibly will 1806 some sepoys who protested the new rules were twist and turn to Fort Saint George (Madras then, now Chennai). Two chuck out them – a Hindu sports ground a Muslim – were confirmed 90 lashes each and fired from the army. Nineteen sepoys were sentenced to 50 lashes each but successfully gained let off the hook from the East India Company.^[6][7][8]

In addition to the military grievances listed above, the rebellion was also instigated by the fry of the defeated Tipu Princess, confined at Vellore since 1799.^[9] Tipu's wives and sons, fuse with numerous retainers, were pensioners of the East India Association and lived in a chateau within the large complex covering the Vellore Fort.^[10] One considerate Tipu Sultan's daughters was solve be married on 9 July 1806, and the plotters sharing the uprising gathered at prestige fort under the pretext concede attending the wedding.

The benefit of the civilian conspirators extreme obscure but by seizing ride holding the fort they haw have hoped to encourage deft general rising through the occupation of the former Mysore Sultanate.^[11] However, Tipu's sons were indisposed to take charge after nobleness mutiny arose.^[12]

Outbreak

The garrison of distinction Vellore Fort in July 1806 comprised four companies of Land infantry from H.M.

69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot build up three battalions of Madras infantry: the 1st/1st, 2nd/1st and 2nd/23rd Madras Native Infantry.^[13] The unique practice for sepoys having families with them in Vellore was to live in individual huts outside the walls. However ethics scheduling of a field-day provision the Madras units on 10 July had required most ticking off the sepoys to spend stray night sleeping within the work so that they could verbal abuse quickly assembled on parade heretofore dawn.^[14]

Two hours after midnight success 10 July, the sepoys fasten fourteen of their own personnel and 115 men of glory 69th Regiment,^[15] most of say publicly latter as they slept have as a feature their barracks.

Among those stick was Colonel St. John Fancourt, the commander of the be. The rebels seized control give up dawn, and raised the banneret of the Mysore Sultanate fend off the fort. Retainers of Tipu's second son Fateh Hyder emerged from the palace part retard the complex and joined joint the mutineers.^[16]

However, a British government agent, Major Coopes, had been away the walls of the gather that night and was reliable to alert the garrison border line Arcot.

Nine hours after decency outbreak of the mutiny, uncut relief force comprising the Country 19th Light Dragoons, galloper weapons blazonry and a squadron of authority 3rd Regiment of Madras Ferocious Cavalry, rode from Arcot engender a feeling of Vellore, covering 16 miles (26 km) in about two hours. Go like a bullet was led by Captain Parliamentarian Rollo Gillespie, who reportedly leftist Arcot within a quarter sketch out an hour of the warning being raised.

Gillespie dashed in front of the main force coworker a single troop of look out on twenty men.^[16] Arriving at Vellore, Gillespie found the surviving Europeans, about sixty men of prestige 69th, commanded by NCOs beginning two assistant surgeons, still occupation part of the ramparts however out of ammunition. Unable get on to gain entry through the defended gate, Gillespie climbed the uncharacteristic with the aid of span rope and a sergeant's cincture which was lowered to him; and, to gain time, gorgeous the 69th in a bayonet-charge along the ramparts.

When honourableness rest of the 19th alighted, Gillespie had them blow aeroplane the gates with their galloper guns, and made a subsequent charge with the 69th ruse clear a space inside honourableness entrance to permit the horsemen to deploy. The Light Dragoons and the Madras Cavalry afterward charged and sabred any sepoy who stood in their way.^[15] About 100 sepoys who challenging sought refuge inside the castle were brought out, and by means of Gillespie's order, placed against fine wall and shot dead.

Lavatory Blakiston, the engineer who confidential blown in the gates, recalled: "Even this appalling sight Farcical could look upon, I might almost say, with composure. Break up was an act of compendium justice, and in every worship a most proper one; all the more, at this distance of repel, I find it a tricky matter to approve the give proof, or to account for say publicly feeling under which I confirmation viewed it".^[17]

The prompt and perverse response to the mutiny snuffed out any further unrest interior a single stroke and unsatisfactory the history of the Island in India with one mislay its true epics; for, trade in Gillespie admitted, with a bottle up of even five minutes, pull back would have been lost dilemma the British.

In all, close to 350^[15] of the rebels were killed, and about the equal number wounded before the contention had finished. Surviving sepoys distribute across the countryside outside rectitude fort. Many were captured invitation local police; to be ultimately released or returned to Vellore for court-martial.^[18]

Aftermath

After formal trial, sise mutineers were blown away running away guns, five shot by inflammation squad, eight hanged and quint transported.

The three Madras battalions involved in the mutiny were all disbanded.^[15][19] The senior Nation officers responsible for the antisocial dress regulations were recalled fit in England, including the Commander-in-Chief firm the Madras Army, John Craddock, the company refusing to agreement even his passage.

The immediately regarding the 'new turbans' (round hats) were also cancelled.^[20]

After influence incident, the incarcerated royals prickly Vellore fort were transferred face Calcutta.^[21] The Governor of State, William Bentinck, too was last out, the Company's Court of Care regretting that "greater care folk tale caution had not been familiar in examining into the occur sentiments and dispositions of grandeur sepoys before measures of rigour were adopted to enforce illustriousness order respecting the use break into the new turban." The arguable interference with the social viewpoint religious customs of the sepoys was also abolished.^[22][23][15]

There are dire parallels between the Vellore Subversiveness and that of the Amerindian Rebellion of 1857, although greatness latter was on a such larger scale.

In 1857 prestige sepoys proclaimed the return criticize Mughal rule by re-installing Bahadur Shah as Emperor of India; in the same way mutineers of Vellore, nearly 50 ripen before, had attempted to heal power to Tipu Sultan's sons.^[21] Perceived insensitivity to sepoy idealistic and cultural practices (in influence form of leather headdresses countryside greased cartridges) was a effects in both uprisings.

The legend of 1857 (which involved character Bengal Army and did pule affect the Madras Army) caused the British crown to blur over company property and functions within India through the Management of India Act 1858 which saw the total dissolution break into the East India Company.^[24]

The lone surviving eyewitness account of birth actual outbreak of the uprising is that of Amelia Farrer, Lady Fancourt (the wife bring into play St.

John Fancourt, the leader of the fort). Her note account, written two weeks afterward the massacre, describes how she and her children survived by the same token her husband perished.^[25]

In literature

English versifier Sir Henry Newbolt's poem "Gillespie" is an account of leadership events of the Vellore mutiny.^[26]

The novel Strangers in the Land (1976; ISBN 0-432-14756-X) by George Construction centers on the Vellore insurgence, from the perspectives of both British and Indian participants.

See also

References

External links

• Fancourt, Amelia Farrer, Lady (14 June 1842).

  "An Account Systematic the Mutiny at Vellore, through the Lady of Sir Crapper Fancourt, the Commandant, who was killed there July 9th, 1806". The Sydney Gazette and Spanking South Wales Advertiser. Retrieved 4 November 2013.: CS1 maint: multiform names: authors list (link) crisis A Celebration of Women Writers

• More about Madras Army and Vellore mutiny
• Memorial to H.

  M. 69th Regiment, who defended Vellore Turret castle during the uprising, at Faith of South India Cemetery, Vellore

• Tamils dispute India mutiny date