TN History Textbook: Vellore Mutiny | Old & New NCERTs for IAS Preparation (Must Read) - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


Vellore was the capital of erstwhile North Arcot district in Tamil
Nadu. At present, this district is named after its capital Vellore. It is
a well fortified and beautiful city.
With the expansion of the East India Company’s rule in India,
the native rulers and their dependents suffered. The native rulers
either submitted or rebelled. These rebellions had no clear vision or
ideal but purely motivated by the territorial interest of the native rulers
and their ambition to preserve the old feudal order. The heroism and
sacrifice of individuals like Puli Thevar, Kattabomman and Marudu
Brothers had no parallel. But all these leaders never organised the
common people for a unified and meaningful cause. The ideas of
nationalism, political consciousness and organized struggle came much
later.
 In Vellore the native sepoys rose in revolt in 1806.This incident
differs from other previous rebellions in. The earlier rebellions   were
those of the native rulers. The Vellore  Mutiny  was  organized by
the sepoys.    The   earlier rebellions had  only  a regional interest.
Every prince wanted to safeguard his  own  kingdom  at  any  cost.
But Vellore Mutiny was the result of spontaneous outflow of the
feelings of the sepoys who served under the Company. It was a
protest by the sepoys against the Company. This protest showed the
future possibilities.
Causes
Several causes are attributed to the Vellore Mutiny. Indian
sepoys had to experience numerous difficulties when they went to
serve in the Company’s army.
The sepoys were forced to serve under the Company since
their earlier patrons (the native chieftains) were all disappearing from
the scene. The strict discipline, practice, new weapons, new methods
and  uniforms were all new to the sepoys. Anything new appears to
be difficult and wrong for a man who is well-settled in the old way of
life for a long-time.
Sir John Cradock, the commander-in-chief, with the -approval
of Lord-William Bentinck, the Governor of Madras, introduced a
new from of turban, resembling a European hat. Wearing ear rings
and caste marks were also prohibited.
The sepoys were asked to shave the chin and to trim the
moustache. The sepoys felt that these were designed to insult them
LESSON 10
VELLORE MUTINY
Learning Objectives
Students will understand
1. The Causes for the Vellore Mutiny.
2. The objectives of this Mutiny.
3. The suppression of the Mutiny.
4. The nature of this anti-British uprising.
95 96
Vellore Fort
Page 2


Vellore was the capital of erstwhile North Arcot district in Tamil
Nadu. At present, this district is named after its capital Vellore. It is
a well fortified and beautiful city.
With the expansion of the East India Company’s rule in India,
the native rulers and their dependents suffered. The native rulers
either submitted or rebelled. These rebellions had no clear vision or
ideal but purely motivated by the territorial interest of the native rulers
and their ambition to preserve the old feudal order. The heroism and
sacrifice of individuals like Puli Thevar, Kattabomman and Marudu
Brothers had no parallel. But all these leaders never organised the
common people for a unified and meaningful cause. The ideas of
nationalism, political consciousness and organized struggle came much
later.
 In Vellore the native sepoys rose in revolt in 1806.This incident
differs from other previous rebellions in. The earlier rebellions   were
those of the native rulers. The Vellore  Mutiny  was  organized by
the sepoys.    The   earlier rebellions had  only  a regional interest.
Every prince wanted to safeguard his  own  kingdom  at  any  cost.
But Vellore Mutiny was the result of spontaneous outflow of the
feelings of the sepoys who served under the Company. It was a
protest by the sepoys against the Company. This protest showed the
future possibilities.
Causes
Several causes are attributed to the Vellore Mutiny. Indian
sepoys had to experience numerous difficulties when they went to
serve in the Company’s army.
The sepoys were forced to serve under the Company since
their earlier patrons (the native chieftains) were all disappearing from
the scene. The strict discipline, practice, new weapons, new methods
and  uniforms were all new to the sepoys. Anything new appears to
be difficult and wrong for a man who is well-settled in the old way of
life for a long-time.
Sir John Cradock, the commander-in-chief, with the -approval
of Lord-William Bentinck, the Governor of Madras, introduced a
new from of turban, resembling a European hat. Wearing ear rings
and caste marks were also prohibited.
The sepoys were asked to shave the chin and to trim the
moustache. The sepoys felt that these were designed to insult them
LESSON 10
VELLORE MUTINY
Learning Objectives
Students will understand
1. The Causes for the Vellore Mutiny.
2. The objectives of this Mutiny.
3. The suppression of the Mutiny.
4. The nature of this anti-British uprising.
95 96
Vellore Fort
and their religious and social traditions. There was also a popular
belief that this was the beginning of a process by which all of them
would be converted to Christianity.
The English treated the Indian sepoys as their inferior. There
was the racial prejudice. This was the psychological base for the
sepoy mutinies in India during the Company’s rule.
The sepoys once served the local chieftains (either Hindu or
Muslim). The chieftains were their own kinsmen but now they served
under the foreigners. They can never forget their original loyalties.
The Vellore uprising was preceded by a series of protests by
the Indian troops. In May 1806, the 4th Regiment rose in revolt against
the new turban. The Commander-in-Chief took severe action the
sepoys who were found guilty were punished with 500 to 900 lashes.
Before the mutiny secret associations were formed  and meetings
held in which Tipu’s family took part.
On June 17th 1806  a sepoy of the 1st Regiment named
Mustapha Beg, secretly informed his commanding officer, Colonel
Forbes, that a plot had been planned for the extermination of the
European officers and troops. But this was not taken seriously .
On the eve of  the Mutiny at Vellore Fettah Hyder, the first
son of Tipu, tried to form an alliance against the English and sought
the help of the Marathas and the French.
 Fettah Hyder received secret information through one
Mohommed Malick.Besides, princes Fettah Hyder and Moiz-ud-Deen
in particular were active in planning  the execution of the Mutiny.
Thus, there was the desire to revive the old Muslim rule in this
region. The sepoys were aware of the tragic end of Puli Thevar, Khan
Sahib, Kattabomman, Marudu Brothers, Tipu Sultan and others. Hence
there were ill-feelings about the British  in the minds   of the sepoys.
All these  led to the   rebellion.
Course of the Mutiny
On July 10
th
 in the early morning the native sepoys of the 1
st
and 23
rd
 Regiments started the revolt . Colonel Fancourt, who
commanded the garrison, was their first victim. Colonel Me Kerras
of the 23rd Regiment, was shot  down on the parade-ground. Major
Armstrong was the next officer to be killed during the mutiny. About
a dozen other officers were also killed.
Major Cootes who was outside the fort dashed to Ranipet, 14
miles away, and informed Colonel Gillespie at 7 am . Col. Gillespie
reached the Vellore fort at 9 A.M.
Meantime, the rebels proclaimed Futteh Hyder, Tipu’s first son,
as their new ruler and hoisted tiger-striped flag of Tipu Sultan. But
the uprising was swiftly crushed by Col. Gillespie. 800 Indian soldiers
were found dead in the fort alone. Six hundred soldiers were
imprisoned in Tiruchi and Vellore. Some rebels were hung, some shot
dead. The uprising was thus brought to a bloody end. Tipu’s son was
sent to Calcutta. The commander-in-chief and the governor were
recalled.
Vellore Mutiny failed. There was no proper leadership. The
rebellion was also not well organized. But it is the starting point of a
new era of the resistance of the sepoys to the British rule. The 18
th
century was marked by the resistance of the local chieftains. The
first six decades of 19
th
 century was marked by the resistance of
sepoys.
K.K. Pillai rejects the thesis that Vellore Mutiny led to the
1857 revolt. V.D. Savarkar calls the Vellore Mutiny of 1806 as the
prelude to the first War of Indian Independence in 1857. N. Sanjivi
proclaims that the Tamils had taken the real lead in the Indian freedom
struggle. K. Rajayyan argues that this mutiny was a continuation of
the Marudu Brothers’ resistance movement against the colonial rule.
97 98
Page 3


Vellore was the capital of erstwhile North Arcot district in Tamil
Nadu. At present, this district is named after its capital Vellore. It is
a well fortified and beautiful city.
With the expansion of the East India Company’s rule in India,
the native rulers and their dependents suffered. The native rulers
either submitted or rebelled. These rebellions had no clear vision or
ideal but purely motivated by the territorial interest of the native rulers
and their ambition to preserve the old feudal order. The heroism and
sacrifice of individuals like Puli Thevar, Kattabomman and Marudu
Brothers had no parallel. But all these leaders never organised the
common people for a unified and meaningful cause. The ideas of
nationalism, political consciousness and organized struggle came much
later.
 In Vellore the native sepoys rose in revolt in 1806.This incident
differs from other previous rebellions in. The earlier rebellions   were
those of the native rulers. The Vellore  Mutiny  was  organized by
the sepoys.    The   earlier rebellions had  only  a regional interest.
Every prince wanted to safeguard his  own  kingdom  at  any  cost.
But Vellore Mutiny was the result of spontaneous outflow of the
feelings of the sepoys who served under the Company. It was a
protest by the sepoys against the Company. This protest showed the
future possibilities.
Causes
Several causes are attributed to the Vellore Mutiny. Indian
sepoys had to experience numerous difficulties when they went to
serve in the Company’s army.
The sepoys were forced to serve under the Company since
their earlier patrons (the native chieftains) were all disappearing from
the scene. The strict discipline, practice, new weapons, new methods
and  uniforms were all new to the sepoys. Anything new appears to
be difficult and wrong for a man who is well-settled in the old way of
life for a long-time.
Sir John Cradock, the commander-in-chief, with the -approval
of Lord-William Bentinck, the Governor of Madras, introduced a
new from of turban, resembling a European hat. Wearing ear rings
and caste marks were also prohibited.
The sepoys were asked to shave the chin and to trim the
moustache. The sepoys felt that these were designed to insult them
LESSON 10
VELLORE MUTINY
Learning Objectives
Students will understand
1. The Causes for the Vellore Mutiny.
2. The objectives of this Mutiny.
3. The suppression of the Mutiny.
4. The nature of this anti-British uprising.
95 96
Vellore Fort
and their religious and social traditions. There was also a popular
belief that this was the beginning of a process by which all of them
would be converted to Christianity.
The English treated the Indian sepoys as their inferior. There
was the racial prejudice. This was the psychological base for the
sepoy mutinies in India during the Company’s rule.
The sepoys once served the local chieftains (either Hindu or
Muslim). The chieftains were their own kinsmen but now they served
under the foreigners. They can never forget their original loyalties.
The Vellore uprising was preceded by a series of protests by
the Indian troops. In May 1806, the 4th Regiment rose in revolt against
the new turban. The Commander-in-Chief took severe action the
sepoys who were found guilty were punished with 500 to 900 lashes.
Before the mutiny secret associations were formed  and meetings
held in which Tipu’s family took part.
On June 17th 1806  a sepoy of the 1st Regiment named
Mustapha Beg, secretly informed his commanding officer, Colonel
Forbes, that a plot had been planned for the extermination of the
European officers and troops. But this was not taken seriously .
On the eve of  the Mutiny at Vellore Fettah Hyder, the first
son of Tipu, tried to form an alliance against the English and sought
the help of the Marathas and the French.
 Fettah Hyder received secret information through one
Mohommed Malick.Besides, princes Fettah Hyder and Moiz-ud-Deen
in particular were active in planning  the execution of the Mutiny.
Thus, there was the desire to revive the old Muslim rule in this
region. The sepoys were aware of the tragic end of Puli Thevar, Khan
Sahib, Kattabomman, Marudu Brothers, Tipu Sultan and others. Hence
there were ill-feelings about the British  in the minds   of the sepoys.
All these  led to the   rebellion.
Course of the Mutiny
On July 10
th
 in the early morning the native sepoys of the 1
st
and 23
rd
 Regiments started the revolt . Colonel Fancourt, who
commanded the garrison, was their first victim. Colonel Me Kerras
of the 23rd Regiment, was shot  down on the parade-ground. Major
Armstrong was the next officer to be killed during the mutiny. About
a dozen other officers were also killed.
Major Cootes who was outside the fort dashed to Ranipet, 14
miles away, and informed Colonel Gillespie at 7 am . Col. Gillespie
reached the Vellore fort at 9 A.M.
Meantime, the rebels proclaimed Futteh Hyder, Tipu’s first son,
as their new ruler and hoisted tiger-striped flag of Tipu Sultan. But
the uprising was swiftly crushed by Col. Gillespie. 800 Indian soldiers
were found dead in the fort alone. Six hundred soldiers were
imprisoned in Tiruchi and Vellore. Some rebels were hung, some shot
dead. The uprising was thus brought to a bloody end. Tipu’s son was
sent to Calcutta. The commander-in-chief and the governor were
recalled.
Vellore Mutiny failed. There was no proper leadership. The
rebellion was also not well organized. But it is the starting point of a
new era of the resistance of the sepoys to the British rule. The 18
th
century was marked by the resistance of the local chieftains. The
first six decades of 19
th
 century was marked by the resistance of
sepoys.
K.K. Pillai rejects the thesis that Vellore Mutiny led to the
1857 revolt. V.D. Savarkar calls the Vellore Mutiny of 1806 as the
prelude to the first War of Indian Independence in 1857. N. Sanjivi
proclaims that the Tamils had taken the real lead in the Indian freedom
struggle. K. Rajayyan argues that this mutiny was a continuation of
the Marudu Brothers’ resistance movement against the colonial rule.
97 98
MODEL QUESTIONS
I. Choose the correct answer.
1. Which among the following was one of the causes for the
Vellore Mutiny?
(a) Doctrine of lapse
(b) Collection of Tributes
(c) Introduction of new army regulations
(d) Economic exploitation of the British rule.
II. Fill in the blanks.
1The Commander-in-Chief of the Vellore Fort was ————
——-
2. ———— who was outside the fort dashed to Ranipet to seek
help
III. Match the following
1. Fettah Hyder                      a. Governor of Madras
2. Colonel Fancourt                 b. suppressed the mutiny
3. William Bentinck                 c. Tipu’s son
4. Col. Gillespie                       b. killed in the mutiny
IV. Find out the correct statement. One statement alone is
right.
a) New army regulations were mainly responsible for the Vellore
Mutiny.
b) Tipu’s family were not kept in the Vellore fort.
c) French help was not sought by Tipu’s son.
d) After the mutiny Tipu’s sons were sent to Penang.
Learning Outcome
The students have learnt
1. The multiple causes that led to this outbreak of Vellore
sepoy Mutiny.
2. The grievances of the sepoys such as new rules and customs
implemented by the British in the army.
3. The suppression of the revolt.
4. The nature of this anti-British rebellion.
99 100
Page 4


Vellore was the capital of erstwhile North Arcot district in Tamil
Nadu. At present, this district is named after its capital Vellore. It is
a well fortified and beautiful city.
With the expansion of the East India Company’s rule in India,
the native rulers and their dependents suffered. The native rulers
either submitted or rebelled. These rebellions had no clear vision or
ideal but purely motivated by the territorial interest of the native rulers
and their ambition to preserve the old feudal order. The heroism and
sacrifice of individuals like Puli Thevar, Kattabomman and Marudu
Brothers had no parallel. But all these leaders never organised the
common people for a unified and meaningful cause. The ideas of
nationalism, political consciousness and organized struggle came much
later.
 In Vellore the native sepoys rose in revolt in 1806.This incident
differs from other previous rebellions in. The earlier rebellions   were
those of the native rulers. The Vellore  Mutiny  was  organized by
the sepoys.    The   earlier rebellions had  only  a regional interest.
Every prince wanted to safeguard his  own  kingdom  at  any  cost.
But Vellore Mutiny was the result of spontaneous outflow of the
feelings of the sepoys who served under the Company. It was a
protest by the sepoys against the Company. This protest showed the
future possibilities.
Causes
Several causes are attributed to the Vellore Mutiny. Indian
sepoys had to experience numerous difficulties when they went to
serve in the Company’s army.
The sepoys were forced to serve under the Company since
their earlier patrons (the native chieftains) were all disappearing from
the scene. The strict discipline, practice, new weapons, new methods
and  uniforms were all new to the sepoys. Anything new appears to
be difficult and wrong for a man who is well-settled in the old way of
life for a long-time.
Sir John Cradock, the commander-in-chief, with the -approval
of Lord-William Bentinck, the Governor of Madras, introduced a
new from of turban, resembling a European hat. Wearing ear rings
and caste marks were also prohibited.
The sepoys were asked to shave the chin and to trim the
moustache. The sepoys felt that these were designed to insult them
LESSON 10
VELLORE MUTINY
Learning Objectives
Students will understand
1. The Causes for the Vellore Mutiny.
2. The objectives of this Mutiny.
3. The suppression of the Mutiny.
4. The nature of this anti-British uprising.
95 96
Vellore Fort
and their religious and social traditions. There was also a popular
belief that this was the beginning of a process by which all of them
would be converted to Christianity.
The English treated the Indian sepoys as their inferior. There
was the racial prejudice. This was the psychological base for the
sepoy mutinies in India during the Company’s rule.
The sepoys once served the local chieftains (either Hindu or
Muslim). The chieftains were their own kinsmen but now they served
under the foreigners. They can never forget their original loyalties.
The Vellore uprising was preceded by a series of protests by
the Indian troops. In May 1806, the 4th Regiment rose in revolt against
the new turban. The Commander-in-Chief took severe action the
sepoys who were found guilty were punished with 500 to 900 lashes.
Before the mutiny secret associations were formed  and meetings
held in which Tipu’s family took part.
On June 17th 1806  a sepoy of the 1st Regiment named
Mustapha Beg, secretly informed his commanding officer, Colonel
Forbes, that a plot had been planned for the extermination of the
European officers and troops. But this was not taken seriously .
On the eve of  the Mutiny at Vellore Fettah Hyder, the first
son of Tipu, tried to form an alliance against the English and sought
the help of the Marathas and the French.
 Fettah Hyder received secret information through one
Mohommed Malick.Besides, princes Fettah Hyder and Moiz-ud-Deen
in particular were active in planning  the execution of the Mutiny.
Thus, there was the desire to revive the old Muslim rule in this
region. The sepoys were aware of the tragic end of Puli Thevar, Khan
Sahib, Kattabomman, Marudu Brothers, Tipu Sultan and others. Hence
there were ill-feelings about the British  in the minds   of the sepoys.
All these  led to the   rebellion.
Course of the Mutiny
On July 10
th
 in the early morning the native sepoys of the 1
st
and 23
rd
 Regiments started the revolt . Colonel Fancourt, who
commanded the garrison, was their first victim. Colonel Me Kerras
of the 23rd Regiment, was shot  down on the parade-ground. Major
Armstrong was the next officer to be killed during the mutiny. About
a dozen other officers were also killed.
Major Cootes who was outside the fort dashed to Ranipet, 14
miles away, and informed Colonel Gillespie at 7 am . Col. Gillespie
reached the Vellore fort at 9 A.M.
Meantime, the rebels proclaimed Futteh Hyder, Tipu’s first son,
as their new ruler and hoisted tiger-striped flag of Tipu Sultan. But
the uprising was swiftly crushed by Col. Gillespie. 800 Indian soldiers
were found dead in the fort alone. Six hundred soldiers were
imprisoned in Tiruchi and Vellore. Some rebels were hung, some shot
dead. The uprising was thus brought to a bloody end. Tipu’s son was
sent to Calcutta. The commander-in-chief and the governor were
recalled.
Vellore Mutiny failed. There was no proper leadership. The
rebellion was also not well organized. But it is the starting point of a
new era of the resistance of the sepoys to the British rule. The 18
th
century was marked by the resistance of the local chieftains. The
first six decades of 19
th
 century was marked by the resistance of
sepoys.
K.K. Pillai rejects the thesis that Vellore Mutiny led to the
1857 revolt. V.D. Savarkar calls the Vellore Mutiny of 1806 as the
prelude to the first War of Indian Independence in 1857. N. Sanjivi
proclaims that the Tamils had taken the real lead in the Indian freedom
struggle. K. Rajayyan argues that this mutiny was a continuation of
the Marudu Brothers’ resistance movement against the colonial rule.
97 98
MODEL QUESTIONS
I. Choose the correct answer.
1. Which among the following was one of the causes for the
Vellore Mutiny?
(a) Doctrine of lapse
(b) Collection of Tributes
(c) Introduction of new army regulations
(d) Economic exploitation of the British rule.
II. Fill in the blanks.
1The Commander-in-Chief of the Vellore Fort was ————
——-
2. ———— who was outside the fort dashed to Ranipet to seek
help
III. Match the following
1. Fettah Hyder                      a. Governor of Madras
2. Colonel Fancourt                 b. suppressed the mutiny
3. William Bentinck                 c. Tipu’s son
4. Col. Gillespie                       b. killed in the mutiny
IV. Find out the correct statement. One statement alone is
right.
a) New army regulations were mainly responsible for the Vellore
Mutiny.
b) Tipu’s family were not kept in the Vellore fort.
c) French help was not sought by Tipu’s son.
d) After the mutiny Tipu’s sons were sent to Penang.
Learning Outcome
The students have learnt
1. The multiple causes that led to this outbreak of Vellore
sepoy Mutiny.
2. The grievances of the sepoys such as new rules and customs
implemented by the British in the army.
3. The suppression of the revolt.
4. The nature of this anti-British rebellion.
99 100
V . State whether the following statements are True or False
1. Mustapha Beg Indian sepoy forewarned about the Vellore
Mutiny.
2. No British army officer was killed during  the Vellore Mutiny.
VI. Write short notes (Any three points).
1. Sir John Cradock
2. Col. Gillespie
VII. Answer briefly ( 100 words)
1. Explain the Course of the Vellore Mutiny.
VIII. Answer in detail (200 words).
1. Examine the causes for the outbreak of Vellore Mutiny of 1806.
101