The Indian Mutiny in the Context of Nineteenth Century Warfare

On May 10, 1857. a mutiny broke out in the army of the British East India Company. The proximate cause of the mutiny was the issue of greased paper cartridges for the new Enfield pattern rifled musket (see, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattern_1853_Enfield). It was rumored that the cartridges were greased with beef tallow, offensive to Hindus, or with pork lard, offensive to Muslims. More generally, the rebellion

“was fed by resentments born of diverse perceptions, including invasive British-style social reforms, harsh land taxes, summary treatment of some rich landowners and princes, and skepticism about British claims that their rule offered material improvement to the Indian economy.” (Wikipedia)

The book consists of an Introduction that reviews various theories about the Rebellion, and six thematic chapters:

The narrative is enhanced by 18 clearly drawn sketch maps and 17 data tables. There is also a very helpful Glossary that explains the numerous Indian terms that sprinkle the text.

Although many British officers respected and admired their Indian troops who belonged to so-called “martial races” (indigenous groups with a strong warrior tradition), the overall attitude of the colonial administration toward the native population could fairly be described as “racist.” The rebels greatly outnumbered the British, who were fighting in a harsh climate to which they were poorly adapted; deaths from disease and heat stroke were often greater than their battle casualties.

The book explores in rich detail the reasons for the decisive British victory over the rebellion. While the rebels captured many artillery pieces, they had few expert gunners who were able to use them effectively. “Lack of well-trained subordinate officers who were capable of maneuvering contingents of troops in the fire-swept battlefield dogged the rebel armies of the Indian Rebellion.” (p. 92). Although the rebellion produced some heroic leaders such as Tantia Tope, and Laxmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi (see, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rani_of_Jhansi) it failed to establish a viable unified political regime capable of opposing the financial and industrial might of the East India Company. Many native elites remained loyal to the British, providing manpower, intelligence, and critical resources, such as draft animals.

The Indian Rebellion will be of interest to readers who study military history, modern Indian history, and British imperial history. The author of a number of other works in Indian military history, such as The Army in British India, Kaushik Roy is Guru Nanak Chair Professor in the Department of History, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India.

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Our Reviewer: Mike Markowitz is an historian and wargame designer. He writes a monthly column for CoinWeek.Com and is a member of the ADBC (Association of Dedicated Byzantine Collectors). His previous reviews in modern history include To Train the Fleet for War: The U.S. Navy Fleet Problems, 1923-1940, Comrades Betrayed: Jewish World War I Veterans under Hitler, Rome – City in Terror: The Nazi Occupation 1943–44, A Raid on the Red Sea: The Israeli Capture of the Karine A, Strike from the Sea: The Development and Deployment of Strategic Cruise Missiles since 1934, 100 Greatest Battles, Battle for the Island Kingdom, Abraham Lincoln and the Bible, From Ironclads to Dreadnoughts: The Development of the German Battleship, 1864-1918, Venice: The Remarkable History of the Lagoon City, The Demon of Unrest, Next War: Reimagining How We Fight, Habsburg Sons: Jews in the Austro-Hungarian Army, Hitler's Atomic Bomb, The Dark Path: The Structure of War and the Rise of the West, The Last Hot Battle of the Cold War, Operation Title: Sink the Tirpitz, A Light in the Northern Sea, A Street in Arnhem, and British Naval Gun Mountings.

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Note: The Indian Rebellion, 1857-1859 is also available in hardback and e-editions.

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