The Company administration introduced the new Enfield rifle whose cartridge had a greased paper cover. It had to be bitten off before it could be loaded into the rifle. A rumour that the cover contained cow and pig fat started doing the rounds. Cow was sacred to the Hindus, and pig was taboo for the Muslims. As a result, both religious groups felt insulted and cheated. The cartridge incident proved to be the final straw as the sepoys were already seething with discontent because of a variety of other social, economic and political policies of the British Government. Finally, on 29 March 1857, Mangal Pandey, a sepoy at the Barrackpore cantonment, refused to use the cartridges. As a result, he was hanged to death. The news spread like wildfire and on 9 May, 85 soldiers at Meerut too refused to use the new equipment. They were court-martialled and sentenced to 10 years. To further buttress the point, they were stripped in front of their colleagues and thrown into jail. This resulted in the other sepoys rising in revolt. They ransacked the jail and freed their comrades and even cut off the telegraph lines to Delhi. Even the European officers were not spared and their houses were set on fire. Thus began the revolt of 1857.

The immediate cause of the revolt of 1857:

The revolt of 1857, also known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857 or the First War of Independence, was a significant event in India's struggle for independence from British colonial rule. It had several causes, both immediate and long-term, that led to a widespread uprising against British authority. However, the immediate cause of the revolt can be attributed to the introduction of new cartridges in the British Indian Army.

Introduction of new cartridges:
1. The immediate cause of the revolt was the introduction of the new Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle by the British East India Company. These rifles used a new type of paper cartridge that required soldiers to bite off the end before loading the rifle.
2. It was rumored that the cartridges were greased with animal fat, either from cows or pigs, which deeply offended both Hindu and Muslim soldiers in the Indian army.
3. The use of animal fat violated religious beliefs and customs, and the soldiers believed that the British were deliberately trying to undermine their religions.
4. The introduction of the cartridges created widespread discontent and anger among the sepoys (Indian soldiers) who saw it as a deliberate attempt to humiliate them and their religious beliefs.

Spread of discontent among the sepoys:
1. The discontent among the sepoys quickly spread as they shared their grievances with one another.
2. Rumors and fears of British intentions to convert Indians to Christianity and destroy their culture further fueled the sepoys' anger.
3. The sepoys began to question their loyalty to the British and started contemplating rebellion.

Outbreak of the revolt:
1. The immediate trigger for the revolt was the refusal of the sepoys to use the new cartridges in Meerut and Barrackpore in early 1857.
2. The sepoys were subsequently arrested and sentenced to imprisonment, which further escalated the tensions.
3. On May 10, 1857, the sepoys in Meerut revolted, killing their British officers, releasing fellow prisoners, and marching towards Delhi.
4. The revolt quickly spread to other parts of northern and central India, with both soldiers and civilians joining the rebellion.

The introduction of the new cartridges and the grievances associated with it played a crucial role in igniting the spark of the revolt of 1857. However, it is important to note that there were several underlying factors such as economic exploitation, cultural and religious grievances, and political discontent that contributed to the uprising. The immediate cause acted as a catalyst, channeling the sepoys' frustrations and grievances into open rebellion against British rule.

Immediate cause

1 Enfield Rifle was introduced in the army
2 Cartridges of this rifle were smeared with grease and covered with caps
3 A rumour spread that the cartridges were greased with fat of Cow and Pigs
4 This Cartridges were bitten off before use
5 This hurt the religious sentiments of both Hindus and Muslim, So they refuse to use them
6 This causes a Revolt against the use of new Cartridges



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