Hello everyone, After much thought, I've decided that I will no longer be replying to comments on the channel. While I truly appreciate the thoughtful, engaging, and often hilarious conversations many of you bring to the table, I've noticed an increasing number of comments that seem more focused on negativity, criticism, or just finding something to be offended about. This channel is a labour of love, and I want to spend my energy creating more content that the majority of you enjoy rather than getting caught up in endless debates or responding to those who seem determined to stir the pot. I probably waste an hour a day replying to comments that would be better ignored. From now on Ill also just delete rude, offensive or aggressive comments. I have a full time job and young kids and so they will be my focus not an angry guy in his basement. To all of you who regularly bring positive vibes, share your insights, and show genuine interest in history-thank you! Your support means the world to me. If you'd like to keep in touch and stay updated with all my latest content, feel free to join my mailing list - bit.ly/redcoathistory. It's the best way to stay connected without the noise. Thanks for your understanding and support! Cheers, Chris.
Kunwar Singh of Bihar was the most successful Indian leader of this war. Unsurprisingly he doesn’t find much mention in either Indian or Western accounts as the discourse seems to be heavily focused on Delhi and areas closer to it.
Neither is birsa Munda but fair history sadly has never been taught india . Both the education system and historians like Ahmad yadgar , Seema alavi and special disappointing by trying to be freedom fighter like veer savarkar
The most successful leaders of 1857 do not find mention in British set narratives. Veer Savarkar has written extensively about Kunwar Singh. Kunwar in the East and Tathiya in Central India held the Indian flags high till the end. Edit: made sentence clearer
It wasn't Kunwar Singh who was the greatest hero but Tatya Tope (just my view). He was the mentor of Rani Lakshmi Bai. Even though both Kunwar Singh and Bahadur Shah Zafar fought at the age of 80+, and that is also commendable.
@@Crowka274lots of people thought he was a real character!-I suppose it's a great compliment to GMF,he does make you feel as if that's how it happened in all his books
The timing of this video is incredible, I'm currently reading Our Bones are Scattered by Andrew Ward. I have also learned that there are two men from my immediate area who played a part in events of the time; Samuel Hill VC and Brigadier General John Nicholson. It pains me that so many people are ignorant of this history...
My father lived in the old officers mess in meerut as my grandfather was garrison commander there in the pre ww2 years and told me stories of the bullet stars in the walls and surrounding buildings like the stables where the mutineers had slaughtered the British officers during the initial uprising
@@redcoathistory Thank you ! …. And in this case a friend from Kanpur . Do contact me in case you need any photos or inputs from this side . Btw the Indian army still practices a lot of English customs …. Out of respect of our English Heritage we still have the Union Jack inside the Chetwood Hall of the Indian military academy . My Grandfather fought in Burma against the Japanese alongside the British . Regards
Really enjoyed this video very well put together. Must get a copy of mr Singh’s book! My great great grandfather was the bugler of the 52nd at the blowing of the Kashmir gate. The story passed down is that he had to sound the charge three times as it could not be heard clearly. On his death years after he had left the army the regiment gave him full military honours at his funeral. His VC was sold by his widow to the regiment for £108 probably a lot of money for the time! Keep the videos coming!
@@redcoathistory Robert Hawthorne Joined aged 14 in 1836 Athlone Ireland In doing family history discover he named his son after first captain of the 52nd through the gates Charles kendrick crosse
I would struggle Chris to find gaps in the fantastic content you have given us over the years. Maybe the Opium wars, less well.know campaigns or following the career of some of the characters or individual regiments. You have been spot on so far cheers
I have so far read about 10-12 books on this great rebellion of 1857. From western perspective Andrew Ward's Our bones are scattered, William Dalrymple's The last Mughal, Mowbrey Thomson's cawnpur man and from Indian perspective Parag Tope's operation red lotus I liked.
When I visited India, I took the Metro to Cashmere Gate. The caretaker let me walk on the ramparts. The wall is not very high. I also bought a very large format book - Dateline 1857 Revolt against the Raj by Rudrangshu and Pramood Kapoor. The book has many photographs taken during and after the Indian Mutiny, as well as maps and essays.
My ancestor fought in the Indian Mutiny. After fighting in the Crimean War, his regiment was sent to Bombay. After fighting in the Indian Mutiny, he was retired on a pension. The British Government offered land grants to army pensioners willing to guard convicts on their trip to Western Australia. He took up the offer. He stayed in Western Australia. Another ancestor served in the Army of the East India Company. He received the same offer and ended also staying in Western Australia.
My ancestor was executed for insubordination in Barrackpore during the "mutiny" (For us it will always be the First War of Independence). His grandsons joined the Indian National Congress and were jailed during the freedom movement
The only contemporary account of the tumultous event of 1857 from an Indian comes from Vishnu Bhatt, a Brahmin wanderer who was trapped inside the mutiny zone. His account was restored much later and translated into English. The title of the book is 1857 the real story of uprising. He was an eyewitness to the mutiny.
Fascinating and lovely way of covering the topic with a mix of interviewees, nice graphics & on the ground filming. Excellent. Being Irish, struck by the prominent role of several Irish characters in this major historical event.
@@redcoathistory Very welcome! I think the length works very well, it's fantastic to put on when you've got an evening spare or some time in the weekend and really let's you get lost in the history for a good while. I can't speak for others but I could very readily sit through many more documentaries of a similar length or longer. I do appreciate it must take a lot of time and effort to put things like this together, so thank you for the hard work!
I am a relative of Henry Havelock from my farthers Grandfathers mothers side on the William Havlock side who was the older brother of Henry whom gave him his commition.despite Henry survival he died later of great illness in India. My relative and brother of Henry William Havelock was killed on the battle field.
Well Put together. As a person who loves history for what it is, a reminder of where we came from, it has been a pleassure to watch this documentary. There were good, heroic and bad deeds commited by both sides. What matters is the telling of this page in Indian History from a historical and factual point of view. Thank you much for this again.
Do you think that the British had an ironic advantage in having the P53 rifles while the rebels, I assume, were still using the India pattern Brown Bess?
Very objective,unemotional and balanced commentary on past events.Eventually it was a bunch of Indians led by the English,killing other Indians led by some Raja or Sultan or local chieftain.From what I have read / heard (and assessed on my own),the best leadership was provided by a woman -the Rani of Jhansi.In a sense,she provided the spark-for Indians to rise against all foreign rulers.(Of course she was fighting for her own small kingdom).I also believe the English had far superior canon/artillery -greater range,accuracy and rate of fire.
Most of the leaders of this revolution actually never came into the limelight. Some stayed hidden, but mostly their stories were suppressed, or they were demonized for the obvious reasons. Some of them were: Nana Sahib of Kanpur, Tathiya Tope from Kanpur, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah from Lucknow & Kolkata, Kuwar Singh from Jagdishpur, Rani Baija Bai from Gwalior. The revolution was much more than what popular narratives talk about
It is hard to imagine the brutality of this conflict; on both sides the stakes were enormous. The Indian soldiers could win independence from the British. The British empire ran the risk of collapsing. The British soldiers fighting to retain India were on the end of a long supply and communication line.
@redcoathistory I don't have anything specific to the period. I have read accounts of the Younghusband.'invasion' of Tibet that discussed supply line issues. It is a different period and terrain but gives an idea of the limits of logistics based on pack animals. Also the Independence of India after WWII really signalled the end of the existence of the British Empire worldwide. The same would have beem true to some extent in the 19thcentury. Interestingly something like 10,000 Indians fought on the side of the Japanese; was this also a mutiny?
I have read several of Dalrymple's books. The main thread appears to me to be his hatred of the EIC which alters his version of events when compared with other historians.
Yes he certainly has an agenda. I do really enjoy his books tho - I just have to accept his bias in the same way many earlier accounts are purely from a British perspective. PS I saw your email - thanks a lot 🙏
What was so grossly wrong about his view, and about his dislike of the EIC? What was there about that commercial enterprise that deserved a better reading?
Indian fortifications have such character. Those lotus-petal shaped merlons with firing ports built into them and the narrow crenels between are what I found most interesting (along with the incredible gates) Thanks Redcoat history for inspiration, I look forward to playing tabletop scenarios (wargaming/thought exercises) based on this conflict.
It was first ever uprising by a regular military force against it's government . Itwas followed closely specially by Engles who wrote dispatches to New York Times which were also used by revolutionaries in Russian Revolution studied by Marx . Downloaded by Google. 1857 mearly pushed the EIC out if not for many princely houses standing away waiting to see how the mutineers fared. The two powerful armies of Sikhs and Gurkhas joined the British against their fellow countrymen . SOUTH INDIANS kept totally away thus British had only to fight against the Bengal Army which incidentally had no Bengalees but only warrior communities of North India. The seige of Delhi was broken with support of Sikhs. Thank you for covering this excellently Maj gen IA vets
There were also Bengalis in the Bengal Army. On 29 March 1857 at the Barrackpore parade ground, near Calcutta, 29-year-old Mangal Pandey of the 34th BNI, angered by the recent actions of the East India Company, declared that he would rebel against his commanders. Mutiny spread not only in Barrackpore but also in the cantonments of Murshidabad, Dhaka and Chittagong. Sepoys started a fierce battle with the English soldiers. But in just a few months, the rebellion was suppressed and hundreds of sepoys were martyred. The most sepoys died in Chittagong. Thus ended the rebellion in the Bengal region.
@@md.rs9467 Mangal Pandey and all his fellow mutineers were from Bihar/UP ie Bhojpuranchal. Immediately after the war, British stopped hiring of Hindus from Bihar/Up terming them as non-martial and filled sikhs and others who sucked up to them. Incidentally, Indian Army carried on this heinous system even after 1947
Did you know why the Sikhs supported the British? It was because during the Anglo-Sikh wars the Hindu soldiers fought against their own countrymen when they joined the British Indian army. Secondly, there was no country back than as India was ruled by different kingdoms.
@@manh9105 Sikhs sucked up to them ? Did you know anything about the Anglo Sikh wars ? British lost more than 1000 white officers and soldiers during the second Anglo-Sikh war. That was their biggest loss not only in India but in entire Asia. Secondly, the Hindu soldiers fought against the Sikhs during the wars. Those traitor Hindus supported the British army.
Hey Chris I had watched your videos about Delhi Cawnpore and Lucknow before but I decided to re-watch them all by watching this video-I wasn't disappointed! I really loved the on-site footage. Can't wait for that vid on la Martienere school to come out! I'm a teacher and this subject interests me greatly-teachers and students fighting side by side? Wow!
The Bibighar massacre was probably the most tragic part of the entire Cawnpore siege as it involved only defenceless women and children. They literally barricaded themselves into a room to save themselves and were shot through the wooden doorway. After that the doors were broken down and the survivors dragged out and cut down or shot. A truly shameful act by the sepoys. It's very understandable why the British reprisal was so horrific that even local civilians weren't spared. I don't whether the Bibighar location exists today or even remains of it.
It's a horrible and very sad story. Obviously, that doesn't excuse the emotionally driven violence their British enemies stooped to. The whole story is very tragic 😢
millions of Indians perished under colonian European powers so there was a heavy resentment. Foreigners and their familiers who came to plunder their home lands. Its not as if we can forget the massive atrocity Indians were facing under that triggered such resentment
@redcoathistory hello Chris, indeed , as a young student , "African Studies" at the university of Gent, we studied also colonial history on a European scale and so got to know a bit more on the subject. And last but not least, as an aficionado of the books of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, it's a story you find in Sherlock Holmes' "the sign of four", where Jonathan Small and 4 Sikh soldiers stood guard at the Agra fortress during the Sepoy rebellion. The plot of that book starts and is inspired by this history. Wish you a lot of success with your historical work!
Sir if you want know there is lot of red coat history in my own town masulipatnam in India in fact it is the first town where east India company settled here there is a lot of romance and a big tragedy which is not much known to many I love history so I found some of the graves and names of British officers here in early 18th century I started to trace many of their descendants who have settled in Australia and England
@@redcoathistory there is one church in which a woman named arabella Robinson was buried in a glass coffin her beautiful body preserved by her lover captain James pater they both loved each other but as their marriage was not approved in those days arabella died with grief so James pater sold all his properties in England and built a church it’s called the Taj Mahal of south India u can just google it if u want
Another book set against this war was MM Kaye’s Shadow of the Moon. Now I understand some of the events, particularly those during the siege of Lucknow.
@@redcoathistoryThey're all excellent ,"At the Charge" and "Redskins". The references at the back of all of them just show the work GMF put into writing them
Man, I wish I had watched this before my trip to India. I remember being told that something to do with the mutiny happened at this and that historic site around Delhi....
Very informative video and i like that you visited the places... i am from manipur state in indian north eastern part of india... you would find it interesting how british took over that part of the country. For instance battle between princely state of manipur and british. May be you ll find it interesting and unexplored. Theres a book from a british women ethel grimwood. Her husband was killed outside the kangla fort... look into it i think you ll find it very interesting. And its mostly unexplored part of british india.
George MacDonald-Fraser's Flashman series has been an excellent historical reference for me, especially about Afghan and India. The Great Game depiction of the Sepoy Mutiny, bloodshed and massacres was a nightmare scenario. The Enfield Pattern 1853 rifle has a significant history here in the States as well. Many of them saw action in the hands of the confederates; some in the union as well. The rifled muskets- Enfield and Springfield unleashed havoc that had not been seen before.
As well as my ancestors that fought in the Indian Mutiny, I also have an ancestor that fought in the First Afghan War. He was not involved in the retreat from Kabul. Instead, his regiment was part of the Army of Retribution formed up in Peshawar. The Army of Retribution relieved the siege at Kandahar, then waited. The commanders of the Army of Retribution refused to return directly to India from Kandahar. They waited months in Kandahar, until they received orders which allowed them to return to India by a route of their choice. Their route of choice was to take Kabul and release British hostages, They destroyed the village where the hostages had been kept and destroyed the arch in the Kabul Bazaar where British bodies had been hung. The Army of Retribution then returned to India. My ancestor received the Cabool Star in bronze. Officers received the same medal in silver. The general's medal was made of gold. My ancestor retired on a British army pension. The British Government offered land grants to army pensioners willing to guard convicts on their trip to Western Australia. He took up the offer. He stayed in Western Australia.
This correlates closely to the memoirs of a soldier involved. Rotter, scoundrel, cad , bounder and all round good fellow, Sir Harry Flashman; VC , KCB , KCIE.
I have noticed that a lot of history books (both Indian and British) skip from Battle of Plassey to the 1857 revolt. Why don't they cover the intervening period?
It was the Bengal army which was primarily used to win Nepal and Punjab, therefore for the Sikhs and Gurkhas it was also a matter of revenge. One of the reasons they disliked the Bengal army and joined the British in the war.
It should be ok to call it as it was called then, a mutiny, because that was the heart of it. There may have been those who encouraged it and wete ready to follow it outside the sepoy army, but it was the annexation of Ouhd and the resulting change in the status of the sepoys that the British were blind to.
Welcome mate - I'm a Leicester lad myself and always happy when a fellow Midlander gets in touch. Thanks for the message and I hope you continue to enjoy the videos.
Princely states benefited greatly from British being in power. They were collaborators that opposed Indian independence at all cost. I hope you know this. I meam look at where they are now? They were aristocrats looting the country for centuries.
Fun fact: my great-grandfather was there during this mutiny, serving with the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers. He lied about his age when enlisting, and was in India for many years. He told stories about the goat that led the Regiment and the Indian elephants impressed him a lot.
His medals recently sold at auction if I recall correctly for £8000 hammer price. I was lucky and purchased his Wilkinson sword used in the Indian Mutiny from the same auction.
During 1857 it was company rule 😂 people are rarely loyal to a company in 21st century what do you think people did when they where unhappy by their employers in 1857 😂
Mmmm......did they take an oath which included insulting their own religion and culture? The British leadership were typically insensitive, arrogant towards the native troops they needed to be on their side and didn't take explanation of the new weapon and concern of it seriously. Common stupidity by chinless elite
Once again Steve you nail it! 8th8th5th for Artete/Klopp and now some United fans are calling for ETH head when two terms he’s achieved top four and this season he’s still competing for top four with a side wreaked with injuries.
I Have a question i invite anybody to try and answer to me in a polite and civil manner,you see i think there were many instances where the children of the garrisons didnt have to be killed so the question is quite simply why,even in the American Indian wars Children werent allways killed they were taken to live with the tribes as members of the tribes who had captured them so what is different here?
Probably because the rebels were super religious, drunk on hatred, and saw it as a chance for revenge against their enemies. To be fair on them, at Cawnpore, enough of them refused to do it, so they got some local Muslim Hatchet men to do it, and unfortunately the British went nuts in the same way and did pretty much the same thing, also tripping on religious fervour - muscular Christianity was very popular in England at that time.
Less Indian army troops revolted, than stayed loyal to the relatively small number of British troops! By far most Indigenous peoples were happy to accept and live in the relatively peace and order India.
Yes, It seems to me the biggest problem for the Indians were a lack of unified command (or soldiers with experience of commaning a large body of troops) and also luke warm support in many regions. A brutal but fascinating conflict and one I hope we can now discuss frankly. Thanks for your comment.
As an Indian its funny that we only learnt about British war crimes during the 1857 Sepoy mutiny but never hear about the war crimes by the sepoy's. Not that this in any way decreases British and EIC war crimes.
Yes Britain is so bad that’s why when British rule ended in the raj so many Indians came over to the U.K. and many more since . Not to mention war crimes wasn’t a thing in the 1800’s but throwing women on a funeral pyre of her dead husband was going on in India do they teach how the British put an end to that.
U r a fool. If your country is getting looted da after day u gotta take some steps these britishers were no less than nazi. Compare bengal famine in 1943 with jews in germany. It is easy to sit comfortably and comment about political correctness. I pity u for questioning your own heritage.
And now as the ncrt is changed again their is no hope for fair education where history is tought with the perspective of all sides but their is just one group that is who will always be sinless , inocent , peace loving , and oppressed while all the rest are evil who exited just to oppress them.
I opened a Brittanica and randomly landed on Clive. I was 12 and in love with British military history. So you get my attention and I can't believe my luck. I will gladly watch all of your shows and opine which is the best. Thank you.
Hi I've just come across your Channel today. Fabulous video and great timing too, I'm doing my family history (Irish side) and found my G.G Grandfather was a Captain in the Irish Army (that's what the records say) in India. He married my G.G.Grandmother in 1853 and she went with him so they may have been there during the Rebellion....have to do some more digging and see what I can find on his time there.
I was really disappointed when I went to order some Merch that New Zealand was not listed. Places as remote as Madagascar and Tajikistan were but your commonwealth brother county of New Zealand was not.
Best introduction to this subject? Read Flashman in the Great Game. Reveals the horrific brutality...from both sides. Audiobook is available on UA-cam.
I haven't been able to find out exactly. It seems, reading between the lines, that the early cartridges could have been haram but that once the authorities realised they made sure to allow the sepoys to grease their own bullets. By then it was too late and trust has been lost. I think incompetance and lack of forsite were to blame for the debacle.
Very well done sir! I do wish the capture of Bahadur Shah by William Hodson were mentioned. Hodson actually played a significant role in Delhi and Lucknow. Our Bones are Scattered is one of the best books I've read on the Mutiny.
Thankyou, Sir. Hodson's murder of the King's sons does get a mention though you are right I probably could have given it more time. Thanks for your comment. Any other books you would reccomend on the conflict?
@@redcoathistory Christopher Hibbert's "The Great Mutiny" is pretty good. You already mentioned Saul David. Also highly recommended: "A Life of Hodson of Hodson's Horse" by Lionel Trotter. Trotter also wrote a biography of John Nicholson which is fairly decent. I know you mentioned Dalrymple but I find his anti-imperialist and leftist bias clouds his judgment.
@@redcoathistory As a matter of fact, I would be thrilled if you could do a separate clip on the Corps of Guides and Hodson himself. The khaki colour used by the Guides was a significant military development and is used by armies all over the world. It would be appropriate to mention the roles played by William Hodson and Harry Lumsden in this.
Overall it a very informative documentary. On that note there should more info aspects How, what,when and why the revolt took place. That all I can think about at the moment. But it a very good sir hat off with your incredible knowledge
@@redcoathistorythere’s a response to the This in my comments above - Queen Victoria took over from East India Company after Indian Sepoy rebellion & commissions in Cavalry could be purchased
There is a veneer of even handedness. When the Indians committed atrocities, it is explained in detail. When the Britishers do it, it is dismissed in single line as reasonable retribution. Subtle propaganda. The Britishers saw and talked about them selves as a “civilising force in the subcontinent”, coming up with theories such as Utilitarianism behind which they took shelter while they looted the Indian subcontinent. These men of the Company were no better than slave owning class in the Americas. It’s a shame that we will honour these British generals and military commanders with roads and places named after them. The British made famines killed millions of Indians, their unfair trade practices destroyed families and then they were surprised that the Indians didn't really love them to bits.
@@redcoathistory It maybe a different battle. But why, still, don't u say how to find it?? After u told me elsewhere that u made a vid on it, I inquired about finding it, n never got an answer.
The Imperial Gazetteer of India states that throughout the “Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Gujars proved the most irreconcilable enemies of the British. A band of rebellious Gujjars ransacked Bulandshahr after a revolt by the 9th Native Infantry on May 21, 1857. The British forces were able to retake the town with the help of Dehra Gurkhas, but the Gujars rose again after the Gurkhas marched off to assist General Wilson’s column in another area. the British garrison was driven out the district. Walidad Khan held Bulandshahr from July to September, until he was expelled after an engagement with Colonel Greathed’s flying column. On October 4, the Bulandshahr District was regularly occupied by the British Colonel Farquhar and measures of repression were adopted against the armed Gujars. Source Hindustan Times
Could you bring up what happened to the Rajwars? Rajwars are a community - who are said to have waged war for 10 years begining in 1857. The brihisb forces burnt down 600 of their villages, to subdue them..
The British cavalry in particular always had up and downs, during the Napoleonic wars they were not noted as being fantastic though the kings German legion cavalry were professionals. In terms of cavalry in general it depended a lot on context, they remained very relevant through ww1 and in large part past it. The decline is mostly one in prestige as the media loved using them as an example of technological progress, the reality is that cavalry weren't suitable for changing pike-blocks and infantry-squares centuries ago and aren't suitable for charging barbed wire and pillboxs now, they are however excellent in many other roles. I believe a number of recent histories have been written contesting the narrative of obsolescence, especially in regards to ww1.
Something i have noticed thats missing from most narratives of the 1st independance war/mutiny is the truly massive impact that the British practice of never raising a native officer corps had upon its vulnerability in the face of properly organised troops. Their highest rank was the equivalent of a section leader or seargent and the tactical knowledge of handling brigade & more importanly, campaign level control of forces was simply absent for them. It was this element that meant the mutiny would be relatively easily crushed, because the rebel forces were essentially neutered by it. Never really had a chance: organisation = power
Could you make a detailed video on the "1781 uprising in bihar" - it is said that zamindars and rajas of bhojpur and magadh region had risen up in revolt but the British subdued it and it's said they replaced the ruling clans and communities with the people who were loyal to East India company. There's many unknown details regarding this, also all the details of the region, now lay with the British. Bihar was also highly impoverished by the british, especially after it served as the peimary garrison region for the British, to conquer the rest of the subcontinent. The opium cultivation was also done primarily in bihar and also the saltpetre and gunpowder - was monopolized by british East India company. In East india company control since 1600s, the EIC is said to have shipped millions of tons of saltpetre to britain - in order to make advanced weapons and artillery.
@@82abhilashok so if you insist, I will break it down and simplify it so you can understand, I’m not saying the raja’s of India were United, ever, I am saying (pay attention) that the British would say to one raja “we are your friends” then they would go to the enemy if that raja & say “we hate that other guy, he’s an idiot, we’re behind you” hence creating a divide & allowing the British empire to take over, this is documented facts, now can you single brain cell understand what I mean!?
@@MrWhitebullok let me update you all - Queen Victoria took over from East India Company just after the Indian Sepoy Mutiny & commission could be purchased during the Reign of Queen Victoria in cavalry & Infantry regiments - tell me I’m wrong? What do you know about Indian history? Just so you know “Mr Whitebull” expert on all things Indian, I’m Panjabi, I use a white man name as it makes life easier in a white mans country, I could’ve been a Nobleman, based on my lineage, but Britishers had to have Panjab, but hey, you must be the font of all knowledge
I'm a druggie and I know as much about British History. All kinds of history as you. I grow mushrooms and take opiates. All kinds of people are addicts. Im a Veteran of the USAF.
Hello everyone,
After much thought, I've decided that I will no longer be replying to comments on the channel. While I truly appreciate the thoughtful, engaging, and often hilarious conversations many of you bring to the table, I've noticed an increasing number of comments that seem more focused on negativity, criticism, or just finding something to be offended about.
This channel is a labour of love, and I want to spend my energy creating more content that the majority of you enjoy rather than getting caught up in endless debates or responding to those who seem determined to stir the pot. I probably waste an hour a day replying to comments that would be better ignored. From now on Ill also just delete rude, offensive or aggressive comments. I have a full time job and young kids and so they will be my focus not an angry guy in his basement.
To all of you who regularly bring positive vibes, share your insights, and show genuine interest in history-thank you! Your support means the world to me.
If you'd like to keep in touch and stay updated with all my latest content, feel free to join my mailing list - bit.ly/redcoathistory. It's the best way to stay connected without the noise.
Thanks for your understanding and support!
Cheers, Chris.
Absolutely Chris.
critiques will always be around, after all every nationality has it's own perspective based on their ideology and belief systems
Engage with people who want to do it decently and positively. There is much to learn this way.
Everybody offended nowadays by Everything
Kunwar Singh of Bihar was the most successful Indian leader of this war. Unsurprisingly he doesn’t find much mention in either Indian or Western accounts as the discourse seems to be heavily focused on Delhi and areas closer to it.
Neither is birsa Munda but fair history sadly has never been taught india . Both the education system and historians like Ahmad yadgar , Seema alavi and special disappointing by trying to be freedom fighter like veer savarkar
The most successful leaders of 1857 do not find mention in British set narratives. Veer Savarkar has written extensively about Kunwar Singh. Kunwar in the East and Tathiya in Central India held the Indian flags high till the end.
Edit: made sentence clearer
It wasn't Kunwar Singh who was the greatest hero but Tatya Tope (just my view). He was the mentor of Rani Lakshmi Bai.
Even though both Kunwar Singh and Bahadur Shah Zafar fought at the age of 80+, and that is also commendable.
I had no idea about the Indian Rebellion thanks for doing this... another day I learned something.
In his novel, "Flashman in the Great Game," gives a fascinating account of the Meerut mutiny and the sieges of Cawnpore and Lucknow.
That's G.M. Fraser's novel.
Also the Sherelock Holmes story "The Crooked Man"
@@jeremyd1869 it's fictional
@@Crowka274lots of people thought he was a real character!-I suppose it's a great compliment to GMF,he does make you feel as if that's how it happened in all his books
The timing of this video is incredible, I'm currently reading Our Bones are Scattered by Andrew Ward. I have also learned that there are two men from my immediate area who played a part in events of the time; Samuel Hill VC and Brigadier General John Nicholson. It pains me that so many people are ignorant of this history...
Ward's book is brilliant isnt it. Nicholson is such a fascinating character. Any other good books you reccomend?
My father lived in the old officers mess in meerut as my grandfather was garrison commander there in the pre ww2 years and told me stories of the bullet stars in the walls and surrounding buildings like the stables where the mutineers had slaughtered the British officers during the initial uprising
Great read
Very nice work . I’m from Kanpur and have served in the army . I’ve seen most of these places . It great to see someone podcast the story .
A pleasure to have you watch. I am really glad when friends from other nations watch the videos and found it interesting. I am glad you enjoyed it.
@@redcoathistory Thank you ! …. And in this case a friend from Kanpur . Do contact me in case you need any photos or inputs from this side . Btw the Indian army still practices a lot of English customs …. Out of respect of our English Heritage we still have the Union Jack inside the Chetwood Hall of the Indian military academy . My Grandfather fought in Burma against the Japanese alongside the British .
Regards
@@specnaz1395 that’s wonderful thanks so much. If I ever make it to Kanpur again then I would love to meet for chai.
@@redcoathistory Absolutely ! You’re welcome ! You will be taken care of !
Regards again my friend !
Are you an officer sir???@@specnaz1395
Really enjoyed this video very well put together. Must get a copy of mr Singh’s book!
My great great grandfather was the bugler of the 52nd at the blowing of the Kashmir gate. The story passed down is that he had to sound the charge three times as it could not be heard clearly. On his death years after he had left the army the regiment gave him full military honours at his funeral. His VC was sold by his widow to the regiment for £108 probably a lot of money for the time!
Keep the videos coming!
What a fantastic family story. Thanks so much for sharing. What was his name please?
@@redcoathistory
Robert Hawthorne
Joined aged 14 in 1836 Athlone Ireland
In doing family history discover he named his son after first captain of the 52nd through the gates Charles kendrick crosse
Absolutely fantastic thoroughly enjoyed this one 👏
What a story it is, some astonishing characters in there.
Thanks Allan. What other conflicts would you like me to focus on in the future?
I would struggle Chris to find gaps in the fantastic content you have given us over the years. Maybe the Opium wars, less well.know campaigns or following the career of some of the characters or individual regiments. You have been spot on so far cheers
I have so far read about 10-12 books on this great rebellion of 1857. From western perspective Andrew Ward's Our bones are scattered, William Dalrymple's The last Mughal, Mowbrey Thomson's cawnpur man and from Indian perspective Parag Tope's operation red lotus I liked.
Excellent - a great number of books. I will look up the Red Lotus as I don't know it.
@@redcoathistory Parag Tope is rebel leader Tatya Tope's own descendent.
When I visited India, I took the Metro to Cashmere Gate. The caretaker let me walk on the ramparts. The wall is not very high. I also bought a very large format book - Dateline 1857 Revolt against the Raj by Rudrangshu and Pramood Kapoor. The book has many photographs taken during and after the Indian Mutiny, as well as maps and essays.
My ancestor fought in the Indian Mutiny. After fighting in the Crimean War, his regiment was sent to Bombay. After fighting in the Indian Mutiny, he was retired on a pension. The British Government offered land grants to army pensioners willing to guard convicts on their trip to Western Australia. He took up the offer. He stayed in Western Australia.
Another ancestor served in the Army of the East India Company. He received the same offer and ended also staying in Western Australia.
My ancestor was executed for insubordination in Barrackpore during the "mutiny" (For us it will always be the First War of Independence). His grandsons joined the Indian National Congress and were jailed during the freedom movement
Do You still control criminal offspring in western Australia?
Like generations task.
A Rich family History. Brave souls and adventures to say the least. Something to definitely be proud of
But it's sad that our own people worked for the British army against us.
@@rehanarahimtula6513 Yes it was sordid chapter! Lot many fought against 1857 freedom fighters and Azad hind Faujj!
great storytelling Chris, well done sir-going to have to buy the scattered bones book now-you keep leading me down another rabbithole
Great stuff glad you enjoyed it. The book is excellent 👍🏼
That was a great compilation of your work Chris. A hour and 45 went by like half an hour!
Thanks Rob, really glad that you enjoyed it.
The only contemporary account of the tumultous event of 1857 from an Indian comes from Vishnu Bhatt, a Brahmin wanderer who was trapped inside the mutiny zone. His account was restored much later and translated into English. The title of the book is 1857 the real story of uprising. He was an eyewitness to the mutiny.
Thanks- I will look it up.
I have read that book some years ago. It is fascinating and gives some rare insights of battles in kanpur and jhansi!
Thank you for the timeline of the history of the period. Greatly appreciated! ❤
Fascinating and lovely way of covering the topic with a mix of interviewees, nice graphics & on the ground filming. Excellent.
Being Irish, struck by the prominent role of several Irish characters in this major historical event.
Fantastic stuff, intriguing, engaging and detailed. A very long video, perfect. Good work lad!
Thanks John - that sort of feedback makes it all worthwhile. Did you think the length was ok?
@@redcoathistory Very welcome! I think the length works very well, it's fantastic to put on when you've got an evening spare or some time in the weekend and really let's you get lost in the history for a good while. I can't speak for others but I could very readily sit through many more documentaries of a similar length or longer. I do appreciate it must take a lot of time and effort to put things like this together, so thank you for the hard work!
Excellent, and well done presentation of a brutal time, and struggle. Thank you for this story, and history! Regards from Canada 🇨🇦
Cheers Keith. Got some good videos coming up soon also that you may enjoy
@@redcoathistory Super! I'm looking forward to all your videos!
I am a relative of Henry Havelock from my farthers Grandfathers mothers side on the William Havlock side who was the older brother of Henry whom gave him his commition.despite Henry survival he died later of great illness in India.
My relative and brother of Henry William Havelock was killed on the battle field.
Well Put together. As a person who loves history for what it is, a reminder of where we came from, it has been a pleassure to watch this documentary. There were good, heroic and bad deeds commited by both sides. What matters is the telling of this page in Indian History from a historical and factual point of view. Thank you much for this again.
Many thanks.
Do you think that the British had an ironic advantage in having the P53 rifles while the rebels, I assume, were still using the India pattern Brown Bess?
Definitely / and yes it is very ironic. There is a book I think called ‘destroying angel’ that goes into detail on this.
Recommend Brett’s book.100%
Very objective,unemotional and balanced commentary on past events.Eventually it was a bunch of Indians led by the English,killing other Indians led by some Raja or Sultan or local chieftain.From what I have read / heard (and assessed on my own),the best leadership was provided by a woman -the Rani of Jhansi.In a sense,she provided the spark-for Indians to rise against all foreign rulers.(Of course she was fighting for her own small kingdom).I also believe the English had far superior canon/artillery -greater range,accuracy and rate of fire.
Most of the leaders of this revolution actually never came into the limelight. Some stayed hidden, but mostly their stories were suppressed, or they were demonized for the obvious reasons. Some of them were: Nana Sahib of Kanpur, Tathiya Tope from Kanpur, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah from Lucknow & Kolkata, Kuwar Singh from Jagdishpur, Rani Baija Bai from Gwalior. The revolution was much more than what popular narratives talk about
It is hard to imagine the brutality of this conflict; on both sides the stakes were enormous. The Indian soldiers could win independence from the British. The British empire ran the risk of collapsing. The British soldiers fighting to retain India were on the end of a long supply and communication line.
Yep all good points. Any favourite sources you can share?
@@redcoathistoryWikipedia is my favorite source
@redcoathistory I don't have anything specific to the period. I have read accounts of the Younghusband.'invasion' of Tibet that discussed supply line issues. It is a different period and terrain but gives an idea of the limits of logistics based on pack animals.
Also the Independence of India after WWII really signalled the end of the existence of the British Empire worldwide. The same would have beem true to some extent in the 19thcentury. Interestingly something like 10,000 Indians fought on the side of the Japanese; was this also a mutiny?
I have read several of Dalrymple's books. The main thread appears to me to be his hatred of the EIC which alters his version of events when compared with other historians.
Yes he certainly has an agenda. I do really enjoy his books tho - I just have to accept his bias in the same way many earlier accounts are purely from a British perspective. PS I saw your email - thanks a lot 🙏
What was so grossly wrong about his view, and about his dislike of the EIC? What was there about that commercial enterprise that deserved a better reading?
Hatred of that which is hateful is entirely justified.
Hatred is never justified@@kaushiksaha8416
Hatred for a looting, pillaging, destructive British enterprise called the EIC? Sure, count me in.
Indian fortifications have such character. Those lotus-petal shaped merlons with firing ports built into them and the narrow crenels between are what I found most interesting (along with the incredible gates) Thanks Redcoat history for inspiration, I look forward to playing tabletop scenarios (wargaming/thought exercises) based on this conflict.
It was first ever uprising by a regular military force against it's government . Itwas followed closely specially by Engles who wrote dispatches to New York Times which were also used by revolutionaries in Russian Revolution studied by Marx . Downloaded by Google. 1857 mearly pushed the EIC out if not for many princely houses standing away waiting to see how the mutineers fared. The two powerful armies of Sikhs and Gurkhas joined the British against their fellow countrymen . SOUTH INDIANS kept totally away thus British had only to fight against the Bengal Army which incidentally had no Bengalees but only warrior communities of North India. The seige of Delhi was broken with support of Sikhs. Thank you for covering this excellently Maj gen IA vets
Thank you, Sir.
There were also Bengalis in the Bengal Army. On 29 March 1857 at the Barrackpore parade ground, near Calcutta, 29-year-old Mangal Pandey of the 34th BNI, angered by the recent actions of the East India Company, declared that he would rebel against his commanders. Mutiny spread not only in Barrackpore but also in the cantonments of Murshidabad, Dhaka and Chittagong. Sepoys started a fierce battle with the English soldiers. But in just a few months, the rebellion was suppressed and hundreds of sepoys were martyred. The most sepoys died in Chittagong. Thus ended the rebellion in the Bengal region.
@@md.rs9467 Mangal Pandey and all his fellow mutineers were from Bihar/UP ie Bhojpuranchal. Immediately after the war, British stopped hiring of Hindus from Bihar/Up terming them as non-martial and filled sikhs and others who sucked up to them. Incidentally, Indian Army carried on this heinous system even after 1947
Did you know why the Sikhs supported the British? It was because during the Anglo-Sikh wars the Hindu soldiers fought against their own countrymen when they joined the British Indian army.
Secondly, there was no country back than as India was ruled by different kingdoms.
@@manh9105 Sikhs sucked up to them ? Did you know anything about the Anglo Sikh wars ? British lost more than 1000 white officers and soldiers during the second Anglo-Sikh war. That was their biggest loss not only in India but in entire Asia.
Secondly, the Hindu soldiers fought against the Sikhs during the wars. Those traitor Hindus supported the British army.
Hey Chris I had watched your videos about Delhi Cawnpore and Lucknow before but I decided to re-watch them all by watching this video-I wasn't disappointed! I really loved the on-site footage. Can't wait for that vid on la Martienere school to come out! I'm a teacher and this subject interests me greatly-teachers and students fighting side by side? Wow!
@@catholicmilitantUSA Great, thanks for watching. PS the La MArtinerre film is on my feed. Emjoy!
The Bibighar massacre was probably the most tragic part of the entire Cawnpore siege as it involved only defenceless women and children. They literally barricaded themselves into a room to save themselves and were shot through the wooden doorway. After that the doors were broken down and the survivors dragged out and cut down or shot. A truly shameful act by the sepoys. It's very understandable why the British reprisal was so horrific that even local civilians weren't spared. I don't whether the Bibighar location exists today or even remains of it.
It is certainly incredibly sad to read about it.
It's a horrible and very sad story. Obviously, that doesn't excuse the emotionally driven violence their British enemies stooped to. The whole story is very tragic 😢
The red coats did that to millions since the company raj of 1757, yet as an Indian, it is condemnable.
We are proud of it we learned it from you 😊@@redcoathistory
millions of Indians perished under colonian European powers so there was a heavy resentment. Foreigners and their familiers who came to plunder their home lands. Its not as if we can forget the massive atrocity Indians were facing under that triggered such resentment
Just splendid Chris! Respect!
Thanks Johann. Have you read much on this conflict?
@redcoathistory hello Chris, indeed , as a young student , "African Studies" at the university of Gent, we studied also colonial history on a European scale and so got to know a bit more on the subject. And last but not least, as an aficionado of the books of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, it's a story you find in Sherlock Holmes' "the sign of four", where Jonathan Small and 4 Sikh soldiers stood guard at the Agra fortress during the Sepoy rebellion. The plot of that book starts and is inspired by this history.
Wish you a lot of success with your historical work!
@@johannleuckx1625 that’s great thanks for sharing. Hope all is well with you.
So informative and interesting...thx for your documentary!
Sir if you want know there is lot of red coat history in my own town masulipatnam in India in fact it is the first town where east India company settled here there is a lot of romance and a big tragedy which is not much known to many I love history so I found some of the graves and names of British officers here in early 18th century I started to trace many of their descendants who have settled in Australia and England
Many thanks. That is very interesting. I appreciate the information and your love of history.
@@redcoathistory there is one church in which a woman named arabella Robinson was buried in a glass coffin her beautiful body preserved by her lover captain James pater they both loved each other but as their marriage was not approved in those days arabella died with grief so James pater sold all his properties in England and built a church it’s called the Taj Mahal of south India u can just google it if u want
We all one day will vanish into history we can’t know the future so atleast want to know the past
1864 November 1st a big wave came at midnight and swept our whole town into eternity
Another book set against this war was MM Kaye’s Shadow of the Moon. Now I understand some of the events, particularly those during the siege of Lucknow.
It is a wonderful book - one of my favourite of all time
M8 another excellent podcast, you told it well. ps- I was introduced to the Flashman series of books at the age of 15yrs,they are magic!.
Thanks Peter. Glad you enjoyed it. Which is your favourite Flashman book?
@@redcoathistoryThey're all excellent ,"At the Charge" and "Redskins".
The references at the back of all of them just show the work GMF put into writing them
Another outstanding video! Thanks for your efforts. Where is the comic strip from, please?
Thanks. I tried to find a source but sadly I couldn’t
No dramas! Thanks for letting me know. I'll ask around 😊
Man, I wish I had watched this before my trip to India. I remember being told that something to do with the mutiny happened at this and that historic site around Delhi....
Very informative video and i like that you visited the places... i am from manipur state in indian north eastern part of india... you would find it interesting how british took over that part of the country. For instance battle between princely state of manipur and british. May be you ll find it interesting and unexplored. Theres a book from a british women ethel grimwood. Her husband was killed outside the kangla fort... look into it i think you ll find it very interesting. And its mostly unexplored part of british india.
Thanks a lot for the info…I know nothing about it so I’ll look into it. Next time I visit India I’ll try and come.
@@redcoathistory most welcome.. do come and visit next time you visit india. Would love to show you around.
Next level research and presentation...many thanks.
George MacDonald-Fraser's Flashman series has been an excellent historical reference for me, especially about Afghan and India. The Great Game depiction of the Sepoy Mutiny, bloodshed and massacres was a nightmare scenario. The Enfield Pattern 1853 rifle has a significant history here in the States as well. Many of them saw action in the hands of the confederates; some in the union as well. The rifled muskets- Enfield and Springfield unleashed havoc that had not been seen before.
As well as my ancestors that fought in the Indian Mutiny, I also have an ancestor that fought in the First Afghan War. He was not involved in the retreat from Kabul. Instead, his regiment was part of the Army of Retribution formed up in Peshawar. The Army of Retribution relieved the siege at Kandahar, then waited. The commanders of the Army of Retribution refused to return directly to India from Kandahar. They waited months in Kandahar, until they received orders which allowed them to return to India by a route of their choice. Their route of choice was to take Kabul and release British hostages, They destroyed the village where the hostages had been kept and destroyed the arch in the Kabul Bazaar where British bodies had been hung. The Army of Retribution then returned to India. My ancestor received the Cabool Star in bronze. Officers received the same medal in silver. The general's medal was made of gold. My ancestor retired on a British army pension. The British Government offered land grants to army pensioners willing to guard convicts on their trip to Western Australia. He took up the offer. He stayed in Western Australia.
This correlates closely to the memoirs of a soldier involved. Rotter, scoundrel, cad , bounder and all round good fellow, Sir Harry Flashman; VC , KCB , KCIE.
Yeah, but I posted this early, only to see that you had covered this potential analogy, by some other author of brilliant entertainment.
I have noticed that a lot of history books (both Indian and British) skip from Battle of Plassey to the 1857 revolt. Why don't they cover the intervening period?
It was the Bengal army which was primarily used to win Nepal and Punjab, therefore for the Sikhs and Gurkhas it was also a matter of revenge. One of the reasons they disliked the Bengal army and joined the British in the war.
Yeah, Punjabis being great puppets.
@@aksmex2576 not puppets , just smart.
It should be ok to call it as it was called then, a mutiny, because that was the heart of it. There may have been those who encouraged it and wete ready to follow it outside the sepoy army, but it was the annexation of Ouhd and the resulting change in the status of the sepoys that the British were blind to.
Hope you enjoyed the film 👍🏼
Bumped into your channel today great channel gained a new subscriber Punjabi England dude born in BIRMINGHAM ✊🏽
Welcome mate - I'm a Leicester lad myself and always happy when a fellow Midlander gets in touch. Thanks for the message and I hope you continue to enjoy the videos.
If all indian princely states take part in revolt than British wiped out from india. Indian princely states helped british to suppress the revolt.
Princely states benefited greatly from British being in power. They were collaborators that opposed Indian independence at all cost. I hope you know this.
I meam look at where they are now? They were aristocrats looting the country for centuries.
@@aksmex2576Everyone wanted to defend their own kingdoms and build an empire of their own. These regional disputes lead to India's colonization
@@aksmex2576Muslims were looting India. Not hindu kings.
Fun fact: my great-grandfather was there during this mutiny, serving with the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers. He lied about his age when enlisting, and was in India for many years. He told stories about the goat that led the Regiment and the Indian elephants impressed him a lot.
Thank you for keeping me entertained with this episode whilst decorating. Very interesting!
Glad to help make the time fly.
I’m reading Twelve Years of a Soldiers Life, by Maj Johnson, Scind cavalry who charged rebel gunners and cut them down
Thanks - I havent read that one - will look it up. Is is good?
@@redcoathistory yes. It’s based on W.T Johnson’s letters. He also has extensive Crimea War history and of course Indian Mutiny
His medals recently sold at auction if I recall correctly for £8000 hammer price. I was lucky and purchased his Wilkinson sword used in the Indian Mutiny from the same auction.
@@HypocriticYT that's fantastic - thanks for sharing.
by old delhi or the one you talk about at 27;00 is it the present delhi capital of india or the one part of Haryana
The Indian Mutiny you mean. Sepoys, native troops, had taken oaths which they broke.
Feel free to watch 👍🏼
During 1857 it was company rule 😂 people are rarely loyal to a company in 21st century what do you think people did when they where unhappy by their employers in 1857 😂
Mmmm......did they take an oath which included insulting their own religion and culture?
The British leadership were typically insensitive, arrogant towards the native troops they needed to be on their side and didn't take explanation of the new weapon and concern of it seriously. Common stupidity by chinless elite
There was no oath. Even if it were, it would be non-binding. No one swear oath to a company
No, they have papadams, silly.@sbt1220
I visited the Lucknow Residency it is quite well preserved along with a Muslim Dargah
Excellent in a subsequent video maybe you can talk more about Hodson who really turned the tide perhaps.
Hey Chris, nice shiner. What does the other guy look like?
Thanks. I used to compete as an amateur boxer - now I help younger fighters prep for competition and sometimes they catch me with good shots! 😅
You said what I was thinking!😂
Great episode. I am Indian and love your narration.
Many thanks. I really appreciate the feedback.
Once again Steve you nail it! 8th8th5th for Artete/Klopp and now some United fans are calling for ETH head when two terms he’s achieved top four and this season he’s still competing for top four with a side wreaked with injuries.
Lol - wrong video?
Loved this! Amazing account of the mutiny. New subscriber! Seen 2 other vids this Sunday afternoon too.
Great stuff. Glad you found it interesting. Keep in touch.
How did you get that shiner? At 11:50, damn looks like you got hit by something. Good video though 😁
Thanks. I used to compete as an amateur boxer - now I help younger fighters prep for competition and sometimes they catch me with good shots! 😅
I Have a question i invite anybody to try and answer to me in a polite and civil manner,you see i think there were many instances where the children of the garrisons didnt have to be killed so the question is quite simply why,even in the American Indian wars Children werent allways killed they were taken to live with the tribes as members of the tribes who had captured them so what is different here?
Probably because the rebels were super religious, drunk on hatred, and saw it as a chance for revenge against their enemies. To be fair on them, at Cawnpore, enough of them refused to do it, so they got some local Muslim Hatchet men to do it, and unfortunately the British went nuts in the same way and did pretty much the same thing, also tripping on religious fervour - muscular Christianity was very popular in England at that time.
Less Indian army troops revolted, than stayed loyal to the relatively small number of British troops! By far most Indigenous peoples were happy to accept and live in the relatively peace and order India.
Loved all your videos and content and already subscribed to your channel. Much Love ❤❤ from India 🇮🇳🇮🇳 GOD Bless You 🙏🙏 Cheers 👍👍
Awesome! Thank you too, Sir.
Its perspective. For us it was first war of independence. Had it been more organized and more local participation we would have won it. 😢
Yes, It seems to me the biggest problem for the Indians were a lack of unified command (or soldiers with experience of commaning a large body of troops) and also luke warm support in many regions. A brutal but fascinating conflict and one I hope we can now discuss frankly. Thanks for your comment.
One of my ancestors died in this conflict there a small monument with his name on it still to this day in Deli ..
Where in Delhi is the monument?
@@redcoathistory near the Lothian cemetery Delhi
Good stuff.
As an Indian its funny that we only learnt about British war crimes during the 1857 Sepoy mutiny but never hear about the war crimes by the sepoy's. Not that this in any way decreases British and EIC war crimes.
Thanks for your comment. It was certainly a brutal time. It is a shame that history can become so politicised in modern times.
Yes Britain is so bad that’s why when British rule ended in the raj so many Indians came over to the U.K. and many more since . Not to mention war crimes wasn’t a thing in the 1800’s but throwing women on a funeral pyre of her dead husband was going on in India do they teach how the British put an end to that.
U r a fool. If your country is getting looted da after day u gotta take some steps these britishers were no less than nazi. Compare bengal famine in 1943 with jews in germany. It is easy to sit comfortably and comment about political correctness. I pity u for questioning your own heritage.
And now as the ncrt is changed again their is no hope for fair education where history is tought with the perspective of all sides but their is just one group that is who will always be sinless , inocent , peace loving , and oppressed while all the rest are evil who exited just to oppress them.
@@yashsamuelIs that islam?
Enthralling story with excellent presentation . I'm subscribing .
Thankyou. What other areas of military history do you enjoy?
I opened a Brittanica and randomly landed on Clive. I was 12 and in love with British military history. So you get my attention and I can't believe my luck. I will gladly watch all of your shows and opine which is the best. Thank you.
Hi I've just come across your Channel today. Fabulous video and great timing too, I'm doing my family history (Irish side) and found my G.G Grandfather was a Captain in the Irish Army (that's what the records say) in India. He married my G.G.Grandmother in 1853 and she went with him so they may have been there during the Rebellion....have to do some more digging and see what I can find on his time there.
Very nice flim, please do one on the defence of the 'little' house at Arah , also caled Siege of Arrah, thanks
Excellent work 🇨🇦🇨🇦🙏🏾 thank you
I was really disappointed when I went to order some Merch that New Zealand was not listed. Places as remote as Madagascar and Tajikistan were but your commonwealth brother county of New Zealand was not.
Were there native soldiers who remained loyal to the British?.Thank you very much, greetings to all the followers of this channel!
Hi. Yes, many. Virtually the entire Bombay and Madras Presidency armies.
Best introduction to this subject? Read Flashman in the Great Game. Reveals the horrific brutality...from both sides.
Audiobook is available on UA-cam.
It’s a great book
My great grandfather suppressed the 1857 Mutiny, with some help. All hail, Gramps.
And youre proud of that 👹
It's not mutiny. It's 1st war of independence
@@cameronpillay8050 Says the guy who's got a profile pic of an ISIS member in it 😂
@@invisibleman4827 that's not isis Einstein 🔫🤭 Google is available
Indian war of independence
So what were the rifle cartridges actually greased with in reality?
I haven't been able to find out exactly. It seems, reading between the lines, that the early cartridges could have been haram but that once the authorities realised they made sure to allow the sepoys to grease their own bullets. By then it was too late and trust has been lost. I think incompetance and lack of forsite were to blame for the debacle.
They were greased with diarrhea
@@redcoathistory The Enfield must have been introduced in service in other parts of the world . Did this problem arise there too ?
It would be lovely if you did a video on the part of the Nepalese army during the sepoy mutiny.
One day!
Very well done sir!
I do wish the capture of Bahadur Shah by William Hodson were mentioned. Hodson actually played a significant role in Delhi and Lucknow.
Our Bones are Scattered is one of the best books I've read on the Mutiny.
Thankyou, Sir. Hodson's murder of the King's sons does get a mention though you are right I probably could have given it more time. Thanks for your comment. Any other books you would reccomend on the conflict?
@@redcoathistory
Christopher Hibbert's "The Great Mutiny" is pretty good. You already mentioned Saul David.
Also highly recommended: "A Life of Hodson of Hodson's Horse" by Lionel Trotter. Trotter also wrote a biography of John Nicholson which is fairly decent.
I know you mentioned Dalrymple but I find his anti-imperialist and leftist bias clouds his judgment.
@@redcoathistory
As a matter of fact, I would be thrilled if you could do a separate clip on the Corps of Guides and Hodson himself.
The khaki colour used by the Guides was a significant military development and is used by armies all over the world. It would be appropriate to mention the roles played by William Hodson and Harry Lumsden in this.
Thankyou for the sources and for your ideas. I agree re Dalrymple and will look into a video on the Guides and on Hodson. Many thanks
Amsterdam
Thanks, at last the whole scenario in chronological order
Seen and read lots of the rebellion
But in drips and draps
Overall it a very informative documentary. On that note there should more info aspects How, what,when and why the revolt took place. That all I can think about at the moment. But it a very good sir hat off with your incredible knowledge
The comic strip is probably from victor magazine or those little battle books that were popular 50 years ago.
Any book suggestions on Anglo Sikh war
Amarpal Singh's books are very good to start with.
British officers purchased their rank, so a Captain cost less than a Major Or General, hence the lack of real war experience
I have about three films that cover that subject so you may really enjoy that. But be aware though that EIC officers didn’t pay for their rank 👍🏼
@@redcoathistorythere’s a response to the This in my comments above - Queen Victoria took over from East India Company after Indian Sepoy rebellion & commissions in Cavalry could be purchased
There is a veneer of even handedness. When the Indians committed atrocities, it is explained in detail. When the Britishers do it, it is dismissed in single line as reasonable retribution. Subtle propaganda. The Britishers saw and talked about them selves as a “civilising force in the subcontinent”, coming up with theories such as Utilitarianism behind which they took shelter while they looted the Indian subcontinent.
These men of the Company were no better than slave owning class in the Americas. It’s a shame that we will honour these British generals and military commanders with roads and places named after them. The British made famines killed millions of Indians, their unfair trade practices destroyed families and then they were surprised that the Indians didn't really love them to bits.
So where's the historical vid on how Clive took the 2 forts?
Different war, Sir.
@@redcoathistory It maybe a different battle. But why, still, don't u say how to find it?? After u told me elsewhere that u made a vid on it, I inquired about finding it, n never got an answer.
Please make a video on the Secunderabad Cantonment.
You mean Secunderbagh at Lucknow? If so, then please watch the film as I was there 👍🏼
@@redcoathistory I meant Secunderabad near Hyderabad in the Deccan.
Have you returned to India once again ?
Sadly not - I’ve put together all my footage from previous trips. I hope you enjoy the documentary 🙏
Really good ancillaries added depth and larkishness.
It was not just a revolt or a sepoy mutiny, it was INDIA'S FIRST WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE .
The Imperial Gazetteer of India states that throughout the “Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Gujars proved the most irreconcilable enemies of the British. A band of rebellious Gujjars ransacked Bulandshahr after a revolt by the 9th Native Infantry on May 21, 1857. The British forces were able to retake the town with the help of Dehra Gurkhas, but the Gujars rose again after the Gurkhas marched off to assist General Wilson’s column in another area. the British garrison was driven out the district. Walidad Khan held Bulandshahr from July to September, until he was expelled after an engagement with Colonel Greathed’s flying column. On October 4, the Bulandshahr District was regularly occupied by the British Colonel Farquhar and measures of repression were adopted against the armed Gujars. Source Hindustan Times
Great video!
Thanks!
I were the Sikhs who helped the British saving their crown India, from 🕉 and ☪️ sepoy onslaught.
And it was the coward lindus who served under the British during the Anglo-Sikh wars.
Could you bring up what happened to the Rajwars? Rajwars are a community - who are said to have waged war for 10 years begining in 1857. The brihisb forces burnt down 600 of their villages, to subdue them..
good documentary
Thankyou Sir.
Hi when did cavalry become ,2nd rate. For me 1870 ,what did cavalry do?
Hi. Could you eleborate on your question as Im not sure what the relevance is to the film?
The British cavalry in particular always had up and downs, during the Napoleonic wars they were not noted as being fantastic though the kings German legion cavalry were professionals.
In terms of cavalry in general it depended a lot on context, they remained very relevant through ww1 and in large part past it. The decline is mostly one in prestige as the media loved using them as an example of technological progress, the reality is that cavalry weren't suitable for changing pike-blocks and infantry-squares centuries ago and aren't suitable for charging barbed wire and pillboxs now, they are however excellent in many other roles. I believe a number of recent histories have been written contesting the narrative of obsolescence, especially in regards to ww1.
Sharpe was a great help too.
Good Scholastic Documentary
Many many thanks, Sir.
Something i have noticed thats missing from most narratives of the 1st independance war/mutiny is the truly massive impact that the British practice of never raising a native officer corps had upon its vulnerability in the face of properly organised troops. Their highest rank was the equivalent of a section leader or seargent and the tactical knowledge of handling brigade & more importanly, campaign level control of forces was simply absent for them. It was this element that meant the mutiny would be relatively easily crushed, because the rebel forces were essentially neutered by it. Never really had a chance: organisation = power
Could you make a detailed video on the "1781 uprising in bihar" - it is said that zamindars and rajas of bhojpur and magadh region had risen up in revolt but the British subdued it and it's said they replaced the ruling clans and communities with the people who were loyal to East India company.
There's many unknown details regarding this, also all the details of the region, now lay with the British.
Bihar was also highly impoverished by the british, especially after it served as the peimary garrison region for the British, to conquer the rest of the subcontinent.
The opium cultivation was also done primarily in bihar and also the saltpetre and gunpowder - was monopolized by british East India company. In East india company control since 1600s, the EIC is said to have shipped millions of tons of saltpetre to britain - in order to make advanced weapons and artillery.
can you do one for redcoats vs gurkhas please the anglo nepalese war
Yes, would like to. Thanks. Any good books you'd reccomend?
You people have quite a soldierly mind
How many Britishers ran the Indian empire? 2,000 men & women controlling a nation of 300 million is smart - divide & conquer comes from this empire
There was no need to divide what was never united in the first place.
@@82abhilashok so if you insist, I will break it down and simplify it so you can understand, I’m not saying the raja’s of India were United, ever, I am saying (pay attention) that the British would say to one raja “we are your friends” then they would go to the enemy if that raja & say “we hate that other guy, he’s an idiot, we’re behind you” hence creating a divide & allowing the British empire to take over, this is documented facts, now can you single brain cell understand what I mean!?
@@82abhilash aap ka damagh me ghass hai - 😂🤡
Your comment is clueless on substance.
@@MrWhitebullok let me update you all - Queen Victoria took over from East India Company just after the Indian Sepoy Mutiny & commission could be purchased during the Reign of Queen Victoria in cavalry & Infantry regiments - tell me I’m wrong? What do you know about Indian history? Just so you know “Mr Whitebull” expert on all things Indian, I’m Panjabi, I use a white man name as it makes life easier in a white mans country, I could’ve been a Nobleman, based on my lineage, but Britishers had to have Panjab, but hey, you must be the font of all knowledge
Beautiful aircraft
Dando on Delhi ridge is a good novel.
Oh yes I’d love to get a copy. Sadly it seems quite hard to find. Thanks a lot.
You're a better man than I am Gunga Din....
I'm a druggie and I know as much about British History. All kinds of history as you. I grow mushrooms and take opiates. All kinds of people are addicts. Im a Veteran of the USAF.
By the way BadhurShah was an Opium Addict.
Thanks for sharing.