History of Indian Mutiny 1857

DESPITE the enduring myth of a nineteenth century Pax Britannica, British rule in India, and across the Empire, was punctuated by revolts, rebellions, insurrection and instability. So endemic were such challenges to British imperial rule that the events of the so-called 'Indian Mutiny' of 1857 have been described as 'unique only in their scale'. 1 1857 was also unique in another way, as the rebellion and its aftermath embedded itself in the British national consciousness in a way unmatched by previous colonial confrontations. One of the fi rst confl icts to be covered by press reporters in the fi eld, the unfolding of events in India in 1857-1858 caught the popular imagination, provoking both virulent debate and a wealth of historical, literary and artistic productions, at the time and since. 2 The sudden, unexpected eruption of violence, the longevity of the subsequent unrest and the atrocities committed against combatants and civilians on both sides, together with the very real threat posed to British rule in India and the perceived challenge to British honour and prestige as an imperial power, set the uprising of 1857 apart from previous confl icts and left an indelible scar on the national psyche. 1857 represented a seminal moment in British imperial history and in Britain's relationship with and attitudes to India. Bringing about fundamental changes in the structure of British power, with the end of East India Company government and the imposition of Crown rule in India, it also impacted in less quantifi able ways on British attitudes to other races and ideas about the potential equality of man, as well as challenging and revealing the fi ssures within Britain's emerging self-perception and identity as an imperial nation. 3 British colonial rule in India can be dated from their victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and their subsequent acceptance of the diwani, or administrative authority, of Bengal in 1765. Over the next century, from footholds in Bengal, Bombay and Madras, the British expanded their territorial control and infl uence via a combination of treaties, agreements, conquests and annexations, until in xvi Introduction 1857 they directly controlled roughly two-thirds of the subcontinent's land and four-fi fths of its population, exercising indirect infl uence over the remainder. 4 Signifi cantly, however, this vast area was not governed by the British crown or Parliament, but by an independent trading concern, the East India Company, which had taken on the administrative control of India in order to secure it as a trade and revenue resource. Its control of the subcontinent was based on a thinly stretched network of British administrators, offi cials and civil servants and a large mercenary army of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. When, in May 1857, sections of this army began to rebel, fi rst at Meerut and then at cantonments across north and central India, they were quickly joined by signifi cant sections of the civilian population and many Britons found themselves stranded and outnumbered in a hostile land. Some were killed at the hands of the rebels, both individually and at infamous massacres such as those at Delhi and Cawnpore. 5 Others fl ed their homes, losing everything, or were besieged in forts and residencies at Agra, Lucknow and elsewhere. 6 The chapter by Ira Bhattacharya in this volume explores some of the diverse experiences of British men and women of different social backgrounds who found themselves under siege, drawing out from their accounts the details of ordinary life under extraordinary circumstances.

Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi is a recently released Indian historical biopic of Rani Lakshmi Bai. Through historical re-imagining, the film renders several potential social and political issues, which are topical and timely in contemporary India. The present article attempts to examine the topicality of the film. First, it discusses how it rekindles the female heroic tradition of India, which has been overshadowed due to the patriarchal mindset and historiography. Secondly, it explores how, through cinematic liberties, issues like gauraksha, Hindutva, and patriotism have been propagated. Thirdly, it argues how by foregrounding Dalits and Muslims, the film attempts to neutralise extremist Hindu prejudices, dominant in the hyper-nationalist climate of India. The article concludes that by recreating a crucial historical epoch and a legend, the film attempts to reinstate a secular heritage of India's heroic tradition to rekindle nationalistic and patriotic sensibility among the contemporary masses.