People might have questions about why the sikhs did not support this so called "war of independence". One merely has to look at the history of sikhs vs. mughals to understand the reasons. I am a sikh and we had a very long troublesome history with the Mughal empire and there was no way in hell that sikhs could fight to allow a Mughal emperor to become powerful again.
In hindsight though that actually doesnt seem like the smartest decision they could have made. I mean lets be honest the last capable emperor of the Mughals was Aurangzeb. The others were just namesakes. This mughal emperor they rallied behind was a puppet whose face was being used to gather support. If the war succeeded to kick out the British the actual guy who would have been chosen to rule definitely wouldn't be him.
My great grandfather Daniel Egan was wounded in the hand during the attack on Delhi on Sept 14 as a soldier in the 81st Regiment of foot. For his service, he was one of the 50,700 British troops who fought in this campaign, he was awarded the Indian Mutiny medal. He returned to England with his Regiment in Oct 1865, having completed his enlistment he mustered out and immediately left England to join family Philadelphia.
Such an interesting story Chris ...the historical art work is a treat too . Nicholson may have been mad , but he's the kind of leader needed in an attack... and Cawnpore ...what a nightmare ...and brought on what followed
Thank you. Many years ago I was fortunate to read a copy of Major Reid of the Sirmoor Rifles account of the siege of Hindoo Rao's house. It belonged to a fellow student whose brother in law was a former officer of 2nd Gurkha Rifles , King Edward VII 's . Now the Royal Gurkha Rifles. The Bengal Fusiliers later became the Royal Munster Fusiliers, and was disbanded after the republic of Ireland became independent. Thank you for covering this episode.
And the glorious invaders continued their brutal occupation of India. The Brit’s seem to love their control of foreign lands and continue to brag about their ability to corrupt local forces and use their sacrifice to subjugate their fellow countrymen.
What a fantastic story and what incredible and nice memories you brought back! When I was 10 years old, I used to read the wonderful novels by Emilio Salgari (1862-1911) an Italian writer who, like Sir Walter Scott, based his novels on historical facts. One of my favourites was "The Two Tigers" set in India during the Great Mutiny. As incredible as it may seem, at 10 I was a little expert on the Great Mutiny as Salgari's novels were packed with accurate historical data. Thank you for bringing back those happy memories of my childhood!
Ah, remember "Fkashman in the Great Game" (methinks, or was it called differently?) escaping the Crimean war, russian captivity and the horrors of the russian invasion of the caspian region, just to make it straight in time for the indian mutiny? Also good read "the siege of Krishnapur"..
@@adammerrrick3509 Hello Adam! How nice to get feedback. Well, if my memory serves me right Emilio Salgari's novels followed a chronological order, therefore, they must be read in that order. Having said that, I remember well "The Two Tigers" and that novel can be read without a previous knowledge of the others. I have just read the English Wikipedia article on Salgari and is excellent with as much information as the Italian page. Good luck and have a nice day!
No need to go woke & mealy mouthed my friend, check the definition in a dictionary. It was an attack by soldiers who had sworn loyalty against those to whom they had sworn loyalty to. That is defined as a mutiny & this is why 1857 is referred to as the (great) Indian mutiny.
Sepoy mutiny is rise of Indian nationalism. It was first time when Indian rebels against foreign rules. Thanks to Britishers for their suppressing and looting policies. Salute to 60,0000 Indian who was killed by Britishers for 6000 British casualties.
Dude, you have a very binary view of history which is far from the truth!!. I suggest you study history by reading primary sources and not on narratives. Lack of depth of knowledge shows in your round figure numbers. Investigate why the rani of jhasi joined the rebellion after a whole year and only after the negotiations on doctrine of lapse failed.
@@surajbiradar9827 East India Company official backed by British parliament harassed kings, nawab, Native Soldiers , as well as farmers artisan. As well as trying to hurt religious sentiments. .It was cause uprising against British
@@amitmangsulikar7153 This seems like a movie dialogue and not history which is more nuaanced hahha. I suggest you read the book 'False allies' by Manu s Pillai on this topic.
Gripping, tragic and insightful narrative of this conflict. Interesting history of the Gurkhas, Pathans (Pashtuns) and Sikhs serving loyally with the British during this conflict. The Sikhs fought the British in the mid 1840s Anglo-Sikh Wars. The Sikhs and the Gurkhas will serve in the British army in the following decades including WW1 and WW2. Really appreciate your videos.
One of main reason for British victory over outnumbered Indian sepoy was helping hand of Sikhs, Gurkha and Pashtun and Punjabi Muslim. Punjab remains helpfull to British. The British rule just started in Punjab and they not experience the oppressive and exploiting British policies like sepoy, and farmers and former kings of northern part of India face in last 100 years.
That was excellent, thank you. There's a lot of misinformation about the events of 1857, particularly the way it was taught to me in school. It's good to hear a factual, evidence-based account, which is what the study of history should always be, of course. Thanks again.
When it comes to Hobson and really the mutiny in general the factor of group psychology was key, the reason he shot the men wasn't because the mob had decided on attack but rather that they were indecisive, weakness or fear from the British would have given them confidence and made them aware of their numbers, likewise if they had had leadership of one of the prince's had been charismatic and daring then it is almost certain the British would have been ripped to pieces. Instead due to his actions they lost their nerve and dispersed, the moment of decision was marked by inactive tension and I'm sure that Hobson could have danced an Irish jig if he had wanted, the confusion that would have caused would certainly have brought him time. Time and time again throughout the mutiny decisiveness was proven the most valuable attribute, men like Nicholson were so effective because they could push a fine balance in their favour and that change would snowball as all the fence sitters stampeded to line up behind the path of least resistance. Without such men and actions the British would have found that even those who hated the rebels would look to their own interests and the sudden realisation of British weakness and indecision would have caused a spiral into chaos. Hodson's horse is still an active unit of the Indian Army, at current they are the 4th horse of the armoured corps.
Interesting, but I don't think it was that finely balanced. Indians in battles against the British had always been incredibly hopeless though - many decisive British victories from 1754 - 1860 were fought at odds like 10 to 1. Also, many of the Hindu maharajahs of princely states were really semi-autonomous, they didn't even have to pay taxes, they led good lives and only had to put up with a British "political officer" who made sure that they didn't fight their princely neighbours etc. or strike up dialogues with other European powers (that's it) - for those rulers it was "better the devil you know" rather than throw their weight behind a resurgent Islamic Empire ruling from Delhi who were going to do God knows what with their territories - the Sikhs felt the same way. And the Gurkhas were not even Indian - they didn't care, and they were happy with the pay, treatment and with the equipment from their British paymasters who offered guaranteed long term employment. As professional mercenaries, the rebels would have always seemed a dubious prospect as a future employer.
The native soldiers who mutinied were led by what was known as "Native Officers" (Subedar, Risaldar etc.). These officers had command over a small group of men who were mainly from same area and religion etc. These officers never could get the "big picture" (the latest jargon) of waging a war. Planning large military operations, troop movements and even maintaining a supply line was not their skill. The British Generals were smart here. They knew which soldiers (Sikhs/Gorkhas) remained loyal to them and could bring in a large number of troops from Karnal etc. And simply put the British officials knew the Indian society and it's differences better than Indians themselves .
Well done a great talk as always. One of the reasons why the majority of sepoys did not join the mutiny was religion. The mutiny was seen as largely a Muslim affair and other religious groups would have none of it. India has a long memory and many had suffered under Muslim rule before the British arrived. I am looking forward to the Cawnpore episode covering the infamous Bibigar Massacre.
@@TheHistoryChap Certainly Hindus played a substantial part in the revolt. But British soldiers and historians blame the Muslims who had been calling for Jihad years before the mutiny. The 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry which trigged the mutiny were Muslim.
@@TheHistoryChap Did some more research. 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry was Muslim and the soldiers were Sowars not sepoys. All 11 Muslim Cavalry Regiments of the Bengal Army mutinied and were disbanded. The 20th Native Infantry Regt, the second unit to Mutiny at Meerut was also Muslim raised by the Vizier of Oude.
this is objectively wrong. it was most definitely NOT seen a Muslim affair. neither from the perspective of the Sepoys, nor the other powers that joined.
@@hardeepsingh-sg2kz yes and England belongs to the English but seeing as no one seems to think they should have to respect that anymore so guess it's all just a free for all worldwide
The first Canadian to win the VC William Hall, a black sailor, won it working artillery during the attack on the grand Mosque. He and a ships cabin boy worked the gun under heavy and relentless sniper fire, where other crews retreated. They eventually blew a hole large enough for the infantry to charge into and clear the mosque. His story was forgotten for a while, an old book my mother got for my birthday on Canadians and military decorations didn't even mention him, Old wrongs are being righted and one of our new APB's is named after him.
I read about him, a free man that sided with the British against the upstart British of the 13 colonies, upon the treasonous British with French and Dutch assistance victory. The brave honorary Brit fled to Canada with thousands of other sensible free black peoples they fled to the safety of the British Empire
Bravo Sir! Thank you for narrating another riveting example of daring, guts, and military skill and old fashioned determination to win. Brilliant video on the subject. Aces Sir! God bless you and I look forward to your next offering. 👊👍c
Though part of "bengal presidency" many of these regions weren't bengal region. Bengal region is the land consisting of Bangladesh and west bengal while there was awadh region or oudh, rohilkhand, bihar, bhojpur,etc.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. You are right that the Bengal Presidency was growing way beyond Bengal. That in itself was adding to internal differences in the Bengal army.
I served in 1st Bn The Light Infantry and they through previous county Light Infantry Regiment inherited part of the Union Flag that was recaptured from the battle of Lucknow, found throw down a well along with bodies of British men , women and children.
I've recently have watched "55 Days in Peking" and I was wandering whether you have any plans to talk about the Boxer Uprising and the involvement of England in it?
Nicholson is buried in a cemetery called Nicholson cemetery in an area called Kashmere Gate in north Delhi I studied in a school called st Xaviers which abutted the cemetery and a couple of our teachers had the misfortune of being buried there !
A great summary, but one question. A lot of pictures feature the Foreign Service helmet (adopted in the 1870's) rather than the Kepi style cap covered by the Havelock cap and neck cover which was standard headgear in the 1857 - 58 period. Am I being picky? As an aside, the Havelock is now usually associated with the French Foreign Legion without acknowledgement of its British origins.
No cooperations in between Indian rebels and no uniformity and no commanders to guide the Indian rebels . Even though rebels army big but what use.. No discipline in Indian rebels because every kings who were having small military forces. Every kings were become commandantto their rebel army and no single command to the whole rebel militay. The rebels did not think about telegram messeges which will inform to British Army Commandant. After receiving Delhi telegram messeges , British army became alert To bring and assemble the British military from various places to arrive Delhi and brought the big cannon from Ambala and Brtish army faced the rebel army which were came from various places and also the princess, the small state kings with minimum vepan and due to shortage of vepan Indian Rebel army defeated.If telegram and Train didn't introduce by British army, the situations may be changed in that period of 1857 Indian rebel war.
I first time I heard about the siege of Delhi was from Martin Carthy a Folk guitarists so learning the history behind the song has been very interesting.
Great series, it was definitely the Indian mutiny, never mind that a few present day Indians get all upset about it, in 1857 India my have been a generic name for the sub continent, but there was no such thing as India the country. That's something else we gave them. Their callous butchery of women & children, had to be avenged, unfortunately this vengeance probably went too far as well, although having said that they had to make this a lesson, that rebellion would never be tolerated as to prevent this happening again, by their standards of those times were far more severe, even on our own people, rebellion meant death.
@Sahitya oh arent you the wise one? Or smart alec? There was never a unified India until the area was reduced by modern rapid 19th century transportation, the railway, otherwise it took days & sometimes weeks to cross the vast distancees as the roads were rudimentary at best. Same for communication, 19th century telagraph meant news & info could pass very rapidly, the whole process making in what it is today, never mind going back millenia, what difference does that make? It was British western modern technology of the 19th century that only began to create the country you have today. We even gave you a common language, English. Stop being so butt hurt because it was Britain itself that helped make your country what it has become today, not some long dead empire from 4 millenia ago. Similarly Britain became a country because at the beginning it was occupied by Rome, for nearly 400 years, several centuries after their departure we had established a kingdom. But their occupation basically made us one country as they had more advanced technology of their day.
Wonderful narration ! William Dalrymple's The Last Mughal brought me here :) Even though we studied about 1857 in high school History, there are so many details and events which we are not aware of.
1857 sepoy revolt is considered "First war of Independence" but unfortunately, neither it was "First" nor a "War" nor for the "Independence". Many Hindus did not like the idea of having Mughal emperor on their head again. West Sutlej Sikhs hate Bihari bengali British Raj soldiers who they fought against in Anglo Sikh wars. While Eastern sutluj sikh empires were under british rule who had disputes with Hindu kings on their borders so Sikhs overwhelming oppose Bahadurshah led 1857 revolt where bihari bengali soldiers revolted who were once used against Punjab. Neither there was any unification feeling in India nor nationalism. Rani Jhansi wanted her kingdom back, sepoys wanted better pay and work environment while many zamindars/ big landlords were pissed being marginalized and taxed heavily. Every one wanted their own individual goals to settle 😅
Interesting video, but it wasn't just the Sikh's and Gurkha's who supported us, a large proportion of the population also did, and many Sepoys stayed loyal, if it been a war of independence it could 17:21 😅😅 not have been won, but a mutiny could be beaten. You mention John Nicholson as a psychopath, and portray him as a vicious killer, but you don't mention that he was so loved and revered by the natives of his province that they diefied him and worshipped him( the cult of the Nickelseyns) Nowhere in his records does Robert's mention drunken 'rape and pillage' by the British force, he clearly states that in order to prevent this all liquor stores were destroyed when captured. He does mention the rage and fury of the attacking force to avenge the massacres the mutineers had perpetrated, but no revenge attacks ! I I cannot find Roberts's quote about Hobson, ordering the Princes to strip before executing them, and their escape/rescue would have been disastrous. Altogether an enjoyable video, 8 out of 10
Actually the vellore mutiny on 10july1806 was the first mutiny / rebellion .lasted one day.maj gen sir hugh robert rollo gillespie led the counterattack.
Rivetting stuff! Detailed, objective, exciting, and perfectly paced. You've done excellent work here. I'm hooked and binge watching through to the end. Had only planned to watch the first one!
Liked the video, but I did detect some political correctness therein. The most surprising aspect of the siege was that a numerically inferior force of 10,000 (of which only 3000 was British) besieged and successfully stormed a solid fortification held by 40,000+ .... which is quite mind blowing. I think think you were treading lightly by not really dwelling upon this, lest you're accused of imperialistic triumphalism - but " imperialistic triumphalism " or not, that's the history.
I hate to say this to my fellow Indian citizens, but in fact the 'First War of Independence' was nothing of the sort. 'The' Mutiny was actually a series of more or less independent mutinies, not one. A case of many (often very deeply felt) grievances simmering and bubbling over decades, boiling over sequentially once the first mutiny took place in Meerut. Every Mutiny leader, without exception, fought for her/is own local or personal issues, joining together with others when it was convenient to do so. There was in fact not ONE Mutiny leader in 1857 who enunciated a cogent, coherent cause and vision for a united India. The only 'pan India' causes were the greased bullets and heavy handed CofE priests being sent out to civilize - Christianize the natives, who were beginning to be attached to every regiment; these you will agree are flimsy grounds for building a Nation. Bahadur Shah Zafar the only 'pan India' figure of sorts was at best a reluctant leader, virtually press-ganged into the role by the first mutineers who arrived from Meerut. However, even those who fought in his name were actually fighting for the India of a hundred years previously - a grouping of basically independent States, competing and fighting with one another, but with the Mughal emperor as its titular head. Large parts of India - the South and the East for example - never joined the Mutiny. In my home city of Kolkata (earlier Calcutta), that had moved way ahead of North India in education and science, the prospective return of the Mughal Emperor was greeted with some consternation; and this was a place where the first stirrings of anti-Britishness had occured several decades before 1857. (My ancestor was a city notable, and held several meetings in our family home in Kolkata-Calcutta with other notables to jaw over what to do if the Muntiny arrived in the city). Had the Mutiny succeeded, the India we would have had even now would very probably been a collection of Balkanized, squabbling States. Sorry, but true.
I'm surprised that you did not speak of the cause of the rebellion. I have heard two causes aside from a basic desire to reassert the Mogul Empire, not a very likely motivator alone. One cause was that initially, British soldiers had served alone, and the locals came to rely on the money families made from supplying the soldiers and officers with surrogate wives, who many reports say were "quite delightful," in many ways. The British wives back in England learned of this arrangement eventually and insisted on accompanying their men to India. This deprived many Indian families of a steady income and was highly resented. Second, and very importantly, the rumor was spread that the British were lubricating their ordinance, bullets, and cannon balls with pig grease. This, according to "Mr. Kipling's Army" was the final spark that set off the revolt. The force behind this was a religious resentment of the Christian presence in India. This is why so many women and children, and the general attack on Christians was made. Summarizing it as a kind of Indian Fight for Independence is a cheap dodge and not worthy of a historian who wants to report the truth.
At 24 seconds into this video I mention that this is the second in my series and that you might want to watch the first video to find out how and when it started. Here's the link ua-cam.com/video/oWiHjXCm8dI/v-deo.html
Th British left them with several things they should be grateful , ) A united India which previously divided into several states each with its own Prince 2) The English language the common language of the world 3) a working government Civil Service 4) A democrat government of the people. 4) law and order. 5) An end to barbaric customs such as t a widow throwing herself on the burning bonfire of her dead husband. I should imagine the people of Uganda wish e Brits were still in charge
Indias biggest enemy will always be herself, when a foreigner comes we are always eager to ally with them to seek revenge on our own neighbours to avenge past attrocities. It was true for persians, true for alexander, true for Delhi sultunate, true for mughals and it was true for the cold war too. Nothing is learned by us.
It's no breavery of any British soldier or officers but Madras and Bombey regiments went with the British was the main reason behind India failed to ger her freedom in 1857 .
I love these videos. Entertaining and I believe educational. I say believe because I am not well versed in the history of India or of the British administration in India. Even so, I believe it is clear that India benefited then and even more so now from British involvement in the subcontinent
Another mutiny by Royal Indian navy in 1926 forced Britain give Independence, Britain did nothing give freedom Indians took it by by might INA was the eye opener.
That's a ridiculous nationalistic claim ,and you know it. The naval mutiny had a very small impact on the British administration. Britain was broke after ww2 so it had to leave india.
It's a very over from old Indian posts like Jamadar, Naik, Subedar etc. But don't get confused by "Major", as these were all NCOs (one advantage of British not letting Indians become commissioned officers was leaderless rebels promoting dismally here)... Also those ranks still exists for NCOs of today's Indian Army.
What an intriguing and eye-opening explanation. We were taught about this event in our textbooks as the Sepoy Revolt, and some historians refer to it as the First Freedom Struggle. However, as a software engineer with a passion for history, I believe that the East India Company's victory in this rebellion set the stage for positive transformation in India. The rebellion ultimately led to the end of Mughal rule in India, paving the way for a unified and independent country where Hindus could live in peace and harmony. While the rebellion undoubtedly was a time of great upheaval and suffering, it also marked the dawn of a new era for India. I understand that this may be a controversial opinion, but I believe it is crucial to recognize the multifaceted and complex nature of this historical event. Furthermore, I would like to emphasize that the failure of the Sepoy Revolt ultimately proved to be a blessing in disguise, a felix culpa. While the rebellion itself was a tragic event, it ultimately led to the dismantling of the Mughal Empire, which had become increasingly oppressive and inefficient. This paved the way for India's eventual independence from British rule, which in turn laid the foundation for the establishment of a democratic system of government. Under Mughal rule, democracy would have been virtually impossible to achieve.
@6:10 - That "junior officer, Frederick Roberts" went on to win a V.C. for his actions on 2 January 1858 at Khudaganj (later during the Mutiny) and eventually become Field Marshal Lord 'Bobs' Roberts of Kandahar... @12:23 - The 75th Foot were not merged with the Gordon Highlanders (the 92nd) until the reforms of 1881. During the Indian Mutiny they were the 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot. Originally raised in October 1787, in Stirling, by Colonel Robert Abercromby as the 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot the regiment was formed for service in India with the forces of the East India Company. Although the EIC was charged with the regiment’s upkeep while in India, it was still a British Army unit. Peviously serving in India from 1788 to 1807 it had fought in the Third & Fourth Mysore Wars and the Second Maratha War.
Did the young officer named Roberts go on to become Field marshal Lord Roberts of Kandahar? I have a copy of his book "My 41 years in India" fascinating reading.
This is fascinating. Perhaps consider the story of Baird Smith. A canal engineer who saved many British lives and the total destruction of a masque in old Delhi. Buried in Madras. A Victorian hero !!
The King's Royal Rifle Corps Association still celebrates the Siege with an annual Delhi Day Lunch in September in London. If you once wore the badge come and meet old comrades.
A decade even hadn't passed when the Sikhs were fighting against the Brits and at the moment they were against the armies of Bihar,Awadh and Bengal region. However as you stated that that the Sikhs had a low opinion of major Hindu soldiers rallying as a cause of not joining them seems not that accurate to me. BTW, nice video
1858 the Direct rule of the British Crown began after dissolution of the East India Company as a result of 1857 uprising. From 1858 queen Victoria was known as Empress of India just to be clear.
On leaving school in 1949 my brother began working in the Paymaster General's Office in Whitehall. he found that they were still paying pensions to widows of Officers who had been serving in the East India Company and had been granted pensions when the EIC had been dissolved in 1858. Some of these men had been still alive in the 1920s and, either widowed or unmarried, had married young women purely to give them an income since they were unlikely to marry due to the carnage of young men in the Great War.
The moghal empire was not a proud past for the 'indians', being as it was an islamic empire, while the majority of 'indians' were not islamic. See post-partition Pakistan/India.
I greatly enjoy your stories of the colonial era. I visit India often and have many friends there. They seem to hold Britain in great respect which I find odd given the current narrative. They are less keen on the Russians who bribe their corrupt politicians. Things I guess never change.
Don't worry about us Indians who are rapidly advancing in power and prosperity rather worry about your irrelevant small country which is an American vassal state 😂,and yaar we are pals with the Russians who helped us against you Brits in 1971 war . You have any problem with it?
@@harshitthakural3262 Exactly. What did the British ever do for you, except hospitals, infrastructure, roads, railroads, ports, civil servce, judicial systems and banking...?
The decline of the Mughal Empire following the 27-year Mughal-Maratha war (1680-1707) had led to rapid territorial gains for the Maratha Empire. Under Peshwa Baji Rao, Gujarat and Malwa came under Maratha control. Finally, in 1737, Baji Rao defeated the Mughals on the outskirts of Delhi, and brought much of the former Mughal territories south of Delhi under Maratha control. Baji Rao’s son, Balaji Baji Rao (popularly known as Nana Saheb), further increased the territory under Maratha control by invading Punjab in 1758. Lol most of the historians agree that maratha was sold responsible for destroying Mughals. Britishers themselves admitted they took most of India from marathas.The empire, at its peak in 1758, stretched for a brief time from Tamil Nadu in the south, to Peshawar (modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) in the north, and Orissa & West Bengal up to the Hooghly River, in the east. Mughals were under maratha vassals when British came as a military power. Just google who defeated Mughal. You will get the answers.
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People might have questions about why the sikhs did not support this so called "war of independence". One merely has to look at the history of sikhs vs. mughals to understand the reasons. I am a sikh and we had a very long troublesome history with the Mughal empire and there was no way in hell that sikhs could fight to allow a Mughal emperor to become powerful again.
Thanks for sharing your perspective. Appreciated.
And it was jihad...it was good sikhs didn't support....
In hindsight though that actually doesnt seem like the smartest decision they could have made. I mean lets be honest the last capable emperor of the Mughals was Aurangzeb. The others were just namesakes. This mughal emperor they rallied behind was a puppet whose face was being used to gather support. If the war succeeded to kick out the British the actual guy who would have been chosen to rule definitely wouldn't be him.
So they Allied with a force that destroyed the whole subcontinent.
Uh... shows how much we should care for them
@@arifahmedkhan9999 ''''destroyed the subcontinent''''? 😂 What the hell are you talking about? 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
My great grandfather Daniel Egan was wounded in the hand during the attack on Delhi on Sept 14 as a soldier in the 81st Regiment of foot. For his service, he was one of the 50,700 British troops who fought in this campaign, he was awarded the Indian Mutiny medal. He returned to England with his Regiment in Oct 1865, having completed his enlistment he mustered out and immediately left England to join family Philadelphia.
Fascinating. Thanks for sharing
😅No(
Also the European members HEIC Bengal Army also received the same medal
Are you a British American?
Colonizer bhadwe
Such an interesting story Chris ...the historical art work is a treat too .
Nicholson may have been mad , but he's the kind of leader needed in an attack...
and Cawnpore ...what a nightmare ...and brought on what followed
Unfortunately Cawnpore spawned a retribution out of all proportion. A classic case of unintended consequences
Brilliant selection illustrations along with a gripping story. Thanks Chris!
Thank you.
Thank you.
Many years ago I was fortunate to read a copy of Major Reid of the Sirmoor Rifles account of the siege of Hindoo Rao's house.
It belonged to a fellow student whose brother in law was a former officer of 2nd Gurkha Rifles , King Edward VII 's .
Now the Royal Gurkha Rifles.
The Bengal Fusiliers later became the Royal Munster Fusiliers, and was disbanded after the republic of Ireland became independent.
Thank you for covering this episode.
Thanks for watching and for sharing your book read.
And the glorious invaders continued their brutal occupation of India. The Brit’s seem to love their control of foreign lands and continue to brag about their ability to corrupt local forces and use their sacrifice to subjugate their fellow countrymen.
You didn't mention much about the Gurkhas or did I miss it? They received the Truncheon which is quite unique in the British Army.
What a fantastic story and what incredible and nice memories you brought back! When I was 10 years old, I used to read the wonderful novels by Emilio Salgari (1862-1911) an Italian writer who, like Sir Walter Scott, based his novels on historical facts. One of my favourites was "The Two Tigers" set in India during the Great Mutiny. As incredible as it may seem, at 10 I was a little expert on the Great Mutiny as Salgari's novels were packed with accurate historical data. Thank you for bringing back those happy memories of my childhood!
Thanks for watching & I'm pleased that you are enjoying.
@@TheHistoryChap love the way u narrate the wars.. Please give more stories about British wars in India
Ah, remember "Fkashman in the Great Game" (methinks, or was it called differently?) escaping the Crimean war, russian captivity and the horrors of the russian invasion of the caspian region, just to make it straight in time for the indian mutiny? Also good read "the siege of Krishnapur"..
Thanks for the wonderful Salgari tip. I have just 'Wikipedied' him. There are four Sandokan novels before Two Tigers. Should I read these first?
@@adammerrrick3509 Hello Adam! How nice to get feedback. Well, if my memory serves me right Emilio Salgari's novels followed a chronological order, therefore, they must be read in that order. Having said that, I remember well "The Two Tigers" and that novel can be read without a previous knowledge of the others. I have just read the English Wikipedia article on Salgari and is excellent with as much information as the Italian page. Good luck and have a nice day!
No need to go woke & mealy mouthed my friend, check the definition in a dictionary. It was an attack by soldiers who had sworn loyalty against those to whom they had sworn loyalty to. That is defined as a mutiny & this is why 1857 is referred to as the (great) Indian mutiny.
Thanks for sharing.
I've been looking forward to this after your excellent first, scene setting, video. You do great work with great clarity. Thank you Chris.
My pleasure. Glad you are enjoying.
Sepoy mutiny is rise of Indian nationalism. It was first time when Indian rebels against foreign rules. Thanks to Britishers for their suppressing and looting policies. Salute to 60,0000 Indian who was killed by Britishers for 6000 British casualties.
Thank you for taking the time to comment
Dude, you have a very binary view of history which is far from the truth!!.
I suggest you study history by reading primary sources and not on narratives. Lack of depth of knowledge shows in your round figure numbers.
Investigate why the rani of jhasi joined the rebellion after a whole year and only after the negotiations on doctrine of lapse failed.
@@surajbiradar9827 East India Company official backed by British parliament harassed kings, nawab, Native Soldiers , as well as farmers artisan. As well as trying to hurt religious sentiments. .It was cause uprising against British
@@amitmangsulikar7153 This seems like a movie dialogue and not history which is more nuaanced hahha. I suggest you read the book 'False allies' by Manu s Pillai on this topic.
Mutiny to bring Mughals back in Power .....hahaha, no wonder Punjab didnt support the Mutiny
Gripping, tragic and insightful narrative of this conflict. Interesting history of the Gurkhas, Pathans (Pashtuns) and Sikhs serving loyally with the British during this conflict. The Sikhs fought the British in the mid 1840s Anglo-Sikh Wars. The Sikhs and the Gurkhas will serve in the British army in the following decades including WW1 and WW2. Really appreciate your videos.
Thanks for your support.
Conan Doyle paid due tribute to the Sikhs via Dr Watson "I know the Sikh he's not a man to be triffled with"
@@jasoncornell1579 an excellent quote (and very true!)
One of main reason for British victory over outnumbered Indian sepoy was helping hand of Sikhs, Gurkha and Pashtun and Punjabi Muslim. Punjab remains helpfull to British. The British rule just started in Punjab and they not experience the oppressive and exploiting British policies like sepoy, and farmers and former kings of northern part of India face in last 100 years.
Observe the divide and rule of the British.The sikhs and Gurkhas could have turned their guns towards British
That was excellent, thank you. There's a lot of misinformation about the events of 1857, particularly the way it was taught to me in school. It's good to hear a factual, evidence-based account, which is what the study of history should always be, of course. Thanks again.
Glad you found it both interesting and useful.
When it comes to Hobson and really the mutiny in general the factor of group psychology was key, the reason he shot the men wasn't because the mob had decided on attack but rather that they were indecisive, weakness or fear from the British would have given them confidence and made them aware of their numbers, likewise if they had had leadership of one of the prince's had been charismatic and daring then it is almost certain the British would have been ripped to pieces. Instead due to his actions they lost their nerve and dispersed, the moment of decision was marked by inactive tension and I'm sure that Hobson could have danced an Irish jig if he had wanted, the confusion that would have caused would certainly have brought him time. Time and time again throughout the mutiny decisiveness was proven the most valuable attribute, men like Nicholson were so effective because they could push a fine balance in their favour and that change would snowball as all the fence sitters stampeded to line up behind the path of least resistance. Without such men and actions the British would have found that even those who hated the rebels would look to their own interests and the sudden realisation of British weakness and indecision would have caused a spiral into chaos.
Hodson's horse is still an active unit of the Indian Army, at current they are the 4th horse of the armoured corps.
Thanks for taking the time to contribute. Appreciated.
Interesting, but I don't think it was that finely balanced. Indians in battles against the British had always been incredibly hopeless though - many decisive British victories from 1754 - 1860 were fought at odds like 10 to 1. Also, many of the Hindu maharajahs of princely states were really semi-autonomous, they didn't even have to pay taxes, they led good lives and only had to put up with a British "political officer" who made sure that they didn't fight their princely neighbours etc. or strike up dialogues with other European powers (that's it) - for those rulers it was "better the devil you know" rather than throw their weight behind a resurgent Islamic Empire ruling from Delhi who were going to do God knows what with their territories - the Sikhs felt the same way. And the Gurkhas were not even Indian - they didn't care, and they were happy with the pay, treatment and with the equipment from their British paymasters who offered guaranteed long term employment. As professional mercenaries, the rebels would have always seemed a dubious prospect as a future employer.
The native soldiers who mutinied were led by what was known as "Native Officers" (Subedar, Risaldar etc.). These officers had command over a small group of men who were mainly from same area and religion etc.
These officers never could get the "big picture" (the latest jargon) of waging a war. Planning large military operations, troop movements and even maintaining a supply line was not their skill.
The British Generals were smart here. They knew which soldiers (Sikhs/Gorkhas) remained loyal to them and could bring in a large number of troops from Karnal etc.
And simply put the British officials knew the Indian society and it's differences better than Indians themselves .
British will pay for their karma... Karma is a bitch...
Outnumbered and out-gunned the Brits attacked a walled city. Incredibly brave, and stupid. This, in large part, is how the empire was won.
Their casualty rate was roughly 30%
Well done a great talk as always. One of the reasons why the majority of sepoys did not join the mutiny was religion. The mutiny was seen as largely a Muslim affair and other religious groups would have none of it. India has a long memory and many had suffered under Muslim rule before the British arrived. I am looking forward to the Cawnpore episode covering the infamous Bibigar Massacre.
Thanks for contributing. My understanding is that the initial rising in the Sepoy Army was from Hindus, as I suggested in my first episode.
@@TheHistoryChap hey!! You should look into 1st siege of bharatpur and 2nd siege of bharatpur, it's quiet interesting i think.
@@TheHistoryChap Certainly Hindus played a substantial part in the revolt. But British soldiers and historians blame the Muslims who had been calling for Jihad years before the mutiny. The 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry which trigged the mutiny were Muslim.
@@TheHistoryChap Did some more research. 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry was Muslim and the soldiers were Sowars not sepoys. All 11 Muslim Cavalry Regiments of the Bengal Army mutinied and were disbanded. The 20th Native Infantry Regt, the second unit to Mutiny at Meerut was also Muslim raised by the Vizier of Oude.
this is objectively wrong. it was most definitely NOT seen a Muslim affair. neither from the perspective of the Sepoys, nor the other powers that joined.
Dam good work putting down those damned rebels!!😊
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
The country belonged to those dammed rebels😊😊
@@hardeepsingh-sg2kz yes and England belongs to the English but seeing as no one seems to think they should have to respect that anymore so guess it's all just a free for all worldwide
The first Canadian to win the VC William Hall, a black sailor, won it working artillery during the attack on the grand Mosque. He and a ships cabin boy worked the gun under heavy and relentless sniper fire, where other crews retreated. They eventually blew a hole large enough for the infantry to charge into and clear the mosque. His story was forgotten for a while, an old book my mother got for my birthday on Canadians and military decorations didn't even mention him, Old wrongs are being righted and one of our new APB's is named after him.
Guess whose story I intend to tell later in this series?
Can't wait to hear that story get the History Chap treatment
I read about him, a free man that sided with the British against the upstart British of the 13 colonies, upon the treasonous British with French and Dutch assistance victory. The brave honorary Brit fled to Canada with thousands of other sensible free black peoples they fled to the safety of the British Empire
@@TheHistoryChap
Can you make a video about British taking over of Sokoto caliphate.
Huzzah!
Bravo Sir! Thank you for narrating another riveting example of daring, guts, and military skill and old fashioned determination to win. Brilliant video on the subject. Aces Sir! God bless you and I look forward to your next offering. 👊👍c
Next one coming later this week.
You mean, Old fashioned determination to be a virus in another civilization and subjugate the native and destroy their culture and economy...
@@TheRforravi that's war and conquest.
Don't act as if Indians weren't killing each other before
Though part of "bengal presidency" many of these regions weren't bengal region. Bengal region is the land consisting of Bangladesh and west bengal while there was awadh region or oudh, rohilkhand, bihar, bhojpur,etc.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. You are right that the Bengal Presidency was growing way beyond Bengal. That in itself was adding to internal differences in the Bengal army.
Thank you Chris, I was looking forward to part 2!
More to come.
Luckily East India Co and those colonizing India had to run out long before I was born
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
I served in 1st Bn The Light Infantry and they through previous county Light Infantry Regiment inherited part of the Union Flag that was recaptured from the battle of Lucknow, found throw down a well along with bodies of British men , women and children.
Thank you for sharing
I called it the revolt of 1857
There are so many different names for it. Type in any of them into Google and you will get some sort of answer.
I've recently have watched "55 Days in Peking" and I was wandering whether you have any plans to talk about the Boxer Uprising and the involvement of England in it?
I recommend The Boxer Rebellion by Diana Preston. A wonderful compilation of that summer of 1900 in China. I just finished rereading that book again.
@@cynthiaalver Thanks, I will try to get it ❤
Yes, later this year. Please subscribe or sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss (www.thehistorychap.com)
That was an outstanding presentation. It provided information that I did not obtain from Churchill's coverage of that subject.
Thanks for watching
This is known as First War of Independence in India. Although it didn't end the british empire but it was the start of end of british empire in India.
Thanks for watching my video
@@TheHistoryChap Welcome, Can you please make a video on Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
More like revolt of 1857 which sought to reclaim Delhi from the English who forcefully occupied it
Thanks for sharing your perspective.
You begged for the British, then cried after
The Indian Mutiny was always the way it was known.
I’ve seen Victorian memorial tablets with the words Sepoy Mutiny and also Sepoy rebellion.
I just discovered this history channel, and it's the very topics I want to hear! Best part, a Brit with a good voic is narrating
Very kind of you, thanks
@@TheHistoryChap You're welcome, and it's true. It's a fascinating part of history. I've had trouble finding info on the mutiny. Thanks again 😊
Excellent video 📹
DELETE DELHI
Waiting
Not looking forward to thr next video, ..wonder what's going to happen.
Thanks for watching
Another great eye opening series, never knew this,look forward to the next one 👍
Just released:
ua-cam.com/video/MJyRJlcSxQ8/v-deo.html
Looking forward to more! I spent an hour or thereabouts wandering around the graveyard where Nicholson's buried in Delhi a few years ago.
Thanks for sharing the visit.
Nicholson is buried in a cemetery called Nicholson cemetery in an area called Kashmere Gate in north Delhi I studied in a school called st Xaviers which abutted the cemetery and a couple of our teachers had the misfortune of being buried there !
Another superb episode sir. Looking forward to more.
Certainly more on the way!
A great summary, but one question. A lot of pictures feature the Foreign Service helmet (adopted in the 1870's) rather than the Kepi style cap covered by the Havelock cap and neck cover which was standard headgear in the 1857 - 58 period. Am I being picky?
As an aside, the Havelock is now usually associated with the French Foreign Legion without acknowledgement of its British origins.
Thanks for taking the time to post
No cooperations in between Indian rebels and no uniformity and no commanders to guide the Indian rebels
. Even though rebels army big but what use.. No discipline in Indian rebels because every kings who were having small military forces. Every kings were become commandantto their rebel army and no single command to the whole rebel militay. The rebels did not think about telegram messeges which will inform to British Army Commandant. After receiving Delhi telegram messeges , British army became alert
To bring and assemble the British military from various places to arrive Delhi and brought the big cannon from Ambala and Brtish army faced the rebel army which were came from various places and also the princess, the small state kings with minimum vepan and due to shortage of vepan Indian Rebel army defeated.If telegram and Train didn't introduce by British army, the situations may be changed in that period of 1857 Indian rebel war.
Thank you for taking the time to write such an in-depth comment.
Hi Chris, very well narrated and editted, look forward to the next episode. Good luck from Spain!!
Thank you. Cawnpore Massacre released yesterday.
I first time I heard about the siege of Delhi was from Martin Carthy a Folk guitarists so learning the history behind the song has been very interesting.
Thanks for taking the time to share.
Great series, it was definitely the Indian mutiny, never mind that a few present day Indians get all upset about it, in 1857 India my have been a generic name for the sub continent, but there was no such thing as India the country. That's something else we gave them. Their callous butchery of women & children, had to be avenged, unfortunately this vengeance probably went too far as well, although having said that they had to make this a lesson, that rebellion would never be tolerated as to prevent this happening again, by their standards of those times were far more severe, even on our own people, rebellion meant death.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
It was fight for independence for Hindus and jihad for muslims....many innocent British civilians were killed consciously by Jihadis......
@Sahitya oh arent you the wise one? Or smart alec?
There was never a unified India until the area was reduced by modern rapid 19th century transportation, the railway, otherwise it took days & sometimes weeks to cross the vast distancees as the roads were rudimentary at best.
Same for communication, 19th century telagraph meant news & info could pass very rapidly, the whole process making in what it is today, never mind going back millenia, what difference does that make?
It was British western modern technology of the 19th century that only began to create the country you have today.
We even gave you a common language, English.
Stop being so butt hurt because it was Britain itself that helped make your country what it has become today, not some long dead empire from 4 millenia ago. Similarly Britain became a country because at the beginning it was occupied by Rome, for nearly 400 years, several centuries after their departure we had established a kingdom. But their occupation basically made us one country as they had more advanced technology of their day.
I am really enjoying this series. I know very little about these events and I'm learning a lot. Great job!
Thanks for watching my video
Wonderful narration ! William Dalrymple's The Last Mughal brought me here :) Even though we studied about 1857 in high school History, there are so many details and events which we are not aware of.
Thanks for watching my video & your feedback.
Great video today thanks for what you do and I'm looking forward to the next one 😊😊
Very kind of you. Thanks
1857 sepoy revolt is considered "First war of Independence" but unfortunately, neither it was "First" nor a "War" nor for the "Independence".
Many Hindus did not like the idea of having Mughal emperor on their head again.
West Sutlej Sikhs hate Bihari bengali British Raj soldiers who they fought against in Anglo Sikh wars. While Eastern sutluj sikh empires were under british rule who had disputes with Hindu kings on their borders so Sikhs overwhelming oppose Bahadurshah led 1857 revolt where bihari bengali soldiers revolted who were once used against Punjab.
Neither there was any unification feeling in India nor nationalism.
Rani Jhansi wanted her kingdom back, sepoys wanted better pay and work environment while many zamindars/ big landlords were pissed being marginalized and taxed heavily.
Every one wanted their own individual goals to settle 😅
Thanks for your feedback.
Interesting video, but it wasn't just the Sikh's and Gurkha's who supported us, a large proportion of the population also did, and many Sepoys stayed loyal, if it been a war of independence it could 17:21 😅😅 not have been won, but a mutiny could be beaten.
You mention John Nicholson as a psychopath, and portray him as a vicious killer, but you don't mention that he was so loved and revered by the natives of his province that they diefied him and worshipped him( the cult of the Nickelseyns)
Nowhere in his records does Robert's mention drunken 'rape and pillage' by the British force, he clearly states that in order to prevent this all liquor stores were destroyed when captured. He does mention the rage and fury of the attacking force to avenge the massacres the mutineers had perpetrated, but no revenge attacks ! I I cannot find Roberts's quote about Hobson, ordering the Princes to strip before executing them, and their escape/rescue would have been disastrous.
Altogether an enjoyable video, 8 out of 10
Thanks for watching my video & for taking the time to comment.
Thanks for the videos
Take care 🙂
Thanks for your support.
Actually the vellore mutiny on 10july1806 was the first mutiny / rebellion .lasted one day.maj gen sir hugh robert rollo gillespie led the counterattack.
Thank you for sharing.
Rivetting stuff! Detailed, objective, exciting, and perfectly paced. You've done excellent work here. I'm hooked and binge watching through to the end. Had only planned to watch the first one!
Thanks. Informative as always, and questions that are covered before I can ask!
Thanks for watching
Liked the video, but I did detect some political correctness therein. The most surprising aspect of the siege was that a numerically inferior force of 10,000 (of which only 3000 was British) besieged and successfully stormed a solid fortification held by 40,000+ .... which is quite mind blowing. I think think you were treading lightly by not really dwelling upon this, lest you're accused of imperialistic triumphalism - but " imperialistic triumphalism " or not, that's the history.
You are welcome to your opinion. 😃
I’ve been looking forward to this video! Thank you for your excellent content and knowledge!
Thanks for watching
I hate to say this to my fellow Indian citizens, but in fact the 'First War of Independence' was nothing of the sort. 'The' Mutiny was actually a series of more or less independent mutinies, not one. A case of many (often very deeply felt) grievances simmering and bubbling over decades, boiling over sequentially once the first mutiny took place in Meerut. Every Mutiny leader, without exception, fought for her/is own local or personal issues, joining together with others when it was convenient to do so. There was in fact not ONE Mutiny leader in 1857 who enunciated a cogent, coherent cause and vision for a united India. The only 'pan India' causes were the greased bullets and heavy handed CofE priests being sent out to civilize - Christianize the natives, who were beginning to be attached to every regiment; these you will agree are flimsy grounds for building a Nation. Bahadur Shah Zafar the only 'pan India' figure of sorts was at best a reluctant leader, virtually press-ganged into the role by the first mutineers who arrived from Meerut. However, even those who fought in his name were actually fighting for the India of a hundred years previously - a grouping of basically independent States, competing and fighting with one another, but with the Mughal emperor as its titular head. Large parts of India - the South and the East for example - never joined the Mutiny. In my home city of Kolkata (earlier Calcutta), that had moved way ahead of North India in education and science, the prospective return of the Mughal Emperor was greeted with some consternation; and this was a place where the first stirrings of anti-Britishness had occured several decades before 1857. (My ancestor was a city notable, and held several meetings in our family home in Kolkata-Calcutta with other notables to jaw over what to do if the Muntiny arrived in the city). Had the Mutiny succeeded, the India we would have had even now would very probably been a collection of Balkanized, squabbling States. Sorry, but true.
Thank you for taking the time to post your in-depth comment and analysis.
I'm surprised that you did not speak of the cause of the rebellion. I have heard two causes aside from a basic desire to reassert the Mogul Empire, not a very likely motivator alone. One cause was that initially, British soldiers had served alone, and the locals came to rely on the money families made from supplying the soldiers and officers with surrogate wives, who many reports say were "quite delightful," in many ways. The British wives back in England learned of this arrangement eventually and insisted on accompanying their men to India. This deprived many Indian families of a steady income and was highly resented. Second, and very importantly, the rumor was spread that the British were lubricating their ordinance, bullets, and cannon balls with pig grease. This, according to "Mr. Kipling's Army" was the final spark that set off the revolt. The force behind this was a religious resentment of the Christian presence in India. This is why so many women and children, and the general attack on Christians was made. Summarizing it as a kind of Indian Fight for Independence is a cheap dodge and not worthy of a historian who wants to report the truth.
At 24 seconds into this video I mention that this is the second in my series and that you might want to watch the first video to find out how and when it started. Here's the link ua-cam.com/video/oWiHjXCm8dI/v-deo.html
Th British left them with several things they should be grateful , ) A united India which previously divided into several states each with its own Prince 2) The English language the common language of the world 3) a working government Civil Service 4) A democrat government of the people. 4) law and order. 5) An end to barbaric customs such as t a widow throwing herself on the burning bonfire of her dead husband. I should imagine the people of Uganda wish e Brits were still in charge
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Unbelievable both Field Marshals Gough and Roberts served dueing this war
Thanks for watching my video
Indias biggest enemy will always be herself, when a foreigner comes we are always eager to ally with them to seek revenge on our own neighbours to avenge past attrocities. It was true for persians, true for alexander, true for Delhi sultunate, true for mughals and it was true for the cold war too. Nothing is learned by us.
Thanks for sharing your perspective.
It's no breavery of any British soldier or officers but Madras and Bombey regiments went with the British was the main reason behind India failed to ger her freedom in 1857 .
Thanks for sharing your perspective.
Appreciate you covering this, alot of people are oblivious to the cawnpore massacre.
Cawnpore Massacre released last night.
The saxon shall learn to hate...
I'll garden later!
New History Chap!
Always a good reason to put off gardening :)
I love these videos. Entertaining and I believe educational. I say believe because I am not well versed in the history of India or of the British administration in India.
Even so, I believe it is clear that India benefited then and even more so now from British involvement in the subcontinent
Thank you for taking the time to watch my video
Could have mentioned the BEEF FACTOR as well.
Thanks for taking the time to comment - did do in my opening video in this series.
ДЯКУЮ!!!!!
Thanks for taking the time to comment
Another mutiny by Royal Indian navy in 1926 forced Britain give Independence, Britain did nothing give freedom Indians took it by by might INA was the eye opener.
If they mutinied in 1926 why did it take another 21 years for Britain to grant India and Pakistan independence?
That's a ridiculous nationalistic claim ,and you know it.
The naval mutiny had a very small impact on the British administration. Britain was broke after ww2 so it had to leave india.
Once again full of good stories, even though some were tragic. Nice mentions of Frederick Roberts.
Roberts will appear in future videos.
Was Subadar Major a post 1857 development in the British Indian Army?
Not that I am aware of.
It's a very over from old Indian posts like Jamadar, Naik, Subedar etc. But don't get confused by "Major", as these were all NCOs (one advantage of British not letting Indians become commissioned officers was leaderless rebels promoting dismally here)... Also those ranks still exists for NCOs of today's Indian Army.
Absolutely fascinating! Great production.
Excellent
Thanks for watching
What an intriguing and eye-opening explanation. We were taught about this event in our textbooks as the Sepoy Revolt, and some historians refer to it as the First Freedom Struggle. However, as a software engineer with a passion for history, I believe that the East India Company's victory in this rebellion set the stage for positive transformation in India. The rebellion ultimately led to the end of Mughal rule in India, paving the way for a unified and independent country where Hindus could live in peace and harmony. While the rebellion undoubtedly was a time of great upheaval and suffering, it also marked the dawn of a new era for India. I understand that this may be a controversial opinion, but I believe it is crucial to recognize the multifaceted and complex nature of this historical event.
Furthermore, I would like to emphasize that the failure of the Sepoy Revolt ultimately proved to be a blessing in disguise, a felix culpa. While the rebellion itself was a tragic event, it ultimately led to the dismantling of the Mughal Empire, which had become increasingly oppressive and inefficient. This paved the way for India's eventual independence from British rule, which in turn laid the foundation for the establishment of a democratic system of government. Under Mughal rule, democracy would have been virtually impossible to achieve.
Thank you for taking the time to add this perspective to Indian history. I hadn’t seen it in that light before.
Sikh only alone helped britisher to recover power
How about the Ghurkas? And the fact that they troops in Madras & Bombay armies didn't riseup?
Where i first heard the term 'forlorn hope' Brilliant as per!
Many thanks.
@6:10 - That "junior officer, Frederick Roberts" went on to win a V.C. for his actions on 2 January 1858 at Khudaganj (later during the Mutiny) and eventually become Field Marshal Lord 'Bobs' Roberts of Kandahar...
@12:23 - The 75th Foot were not merged with the Gordon Highlanders (the 92nd) until the reforms of 1881. During the Indian Mutiny they were the 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot. Originally raised in October 1787, in Stirling, by Colonel Robert Abercromby as the 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot the regiment was formed for service in India with the forces of the East India Company. Although the EIC was charged with the regiment’s upkeep while in India, it was still a British Army unit. Peviously serving in India from 1788 to 1807 it had fought in the Third & Fourth Mysore Wars and the Second Maratha War.
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
His name was bahadur Shah means brave King.
Thank you for commenting.
Pun in Punjab is pronounced as in 'pun' not 'poon'
Thanks for your help.
Did the young officer named Roberts go on to become Field marshal Lord Roberts of Kandahar?
I have a copy of his book "My 41 years in India" fascinating reading.
He did indeed.
This is fascinating. Perhaps consider the story of Baird Smith. A canal engineer who saved many British lives and the total destruction of a masque in old Delhi. Buried in Madras. A Victorian hero !!
Thanks for the suggestion. I will add to my (ever-growing) list.
The King's Royal Rifle Corps Association still celebrates the Siege with an annual Delhi Day Lunch in September in London. If you once wore the badge come and meet old comrades.
Thanks for taking the time to share
A decade even hadn't passed when the Sikhs were fighting against the Brits and at the moment they were against the armies of Bihar,Awadh and Bengal region. However as you stated that that the Sikhs had a low opinion of major Hindu soldiers rallying as a cause of not joining them seems not that accurate to me.
BTW, nice video
Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment
Thank you for making wonderful informative videos about history.
My pleasure
loved this story , i think i`ve watched all your history story`s and have loved them all .... many thanks .. Simon
Thanks for your support.
The thing I've wondered about was, did any crews on the indiamen mutiny?? Be fascinating to know
Great question.
Very informative thanks for showing your respect over our Indian history.
Thanks for watching.
I love Indian 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
Thank you for sharing your passion for India.
Nicholson was awesome.
Might do a video all about him
Thanks, Chris, another brilliant telling, I am looking forward to the next episode, Cheers
Thanks for your kind words
Excellent as always ... I'm looking forward to next episode.
Thanks for your support
The casualty numbers are staggering. Also the simple decision to storm the city in such a brazen manner
Huge % of casualties - over 30% of British attacking force.
Such fascinating history that I am learning about for the first time. Thank you for sharing.
My pleasure.
1858 the Direct rule of the British Crown began after dissolution of the East India Company as a result of 1857 uprising. From 1858 queen Victoria was known as Empress of India just to be clear.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
On leaving school in 1949 my brother began working in the Paymaster General's Office in Whitehall. he found that they were still paying pensions to widows of Officers who had been serving in the East India Company and had been granted pensions when the EIC had been dissolved in 1858. Some of these men had been still alive in the 1920s and, either widowed or unmarried, had married young women purely to give them an income since they were unlikely to marry due to the carnage of young men in the Great War.
Thanks, excellent as always!! Really looking forward to the next episode.
Thanks . I’m glad you enjoyed it
The moghal empire was not a proud past for the 'indians', being as it was an islamic empire, while the majority of 'indians' were not islamic. See post-partition Pakistan/India.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Great video and so interesting, thanks for all your time and effort you put into these fascinating stories and stay well.
Thanks for your support.
Please please focus yourself onto the first world war,,please
Any part of it in particular?
Man thank you for your incredible videos!
Glad you like them!
So glad that I found this channel ⚔️ amazing contents ❤
Thanks for your support
Very nice video
Thank you.
I greatly enjoy your stories of the colonial era. I visit India often and have many friends there. They seem to hold Britain in great respect which I find odd given the current narrative. They are less keen on the Russians who bribe their corrupt politicians. Things I guess never change.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Don't worry about us Indians who are rapidly advancing in power and prosperity rather worry about your irrelevant small country which is an American vassal state 😂,and yaar we are pals with the Russians who helped us against you Brits in 1971 war . You have any problem with it?
Must be kidding. Any Indian knowing their history would see the arrogant British for what they are. Very evil episode of the British arrogance.
@@harshitthakural3262 Exactly. What did the British ever do for you, except hospitals, infrastructure, roads, railroads, ports, civil servce, judicial systems and banking...?
@@Lassisvulgaris we could have had our own meiji restoration under maratha empire but you b@stards had to butt in
I remember asking you to do a series on the Indian Mutiny and you are doing us proud, thanks.
Glad you are enjoying.
Nicely put together and Narrated. Thanks Chris.
My pleasure.
do you intend to bring to the channel the opium wars this year?
Yes, I’m intending to. Going where other historians dare not tread.
You tube
Thanks for taking the time to comment and raise my YT profile.
british never defeated mughal, it was marathas who destroyed mughals and liberated most of indian sub continent.
British defeated the Mughals at the Battle of Buxar
Think you need to study a bit more history.
The decline of the Mughal Empire following the 27-year Mughal-Maratha war (1680-1707) had led to rapid territorial gains for the Maratha Empire. Under Peshwa Baji Rao, Gujarat and Malwa came under Maratha control. Finally, in 1737, Baji Rao defeated the Mughals on the outskirts of Delhi, and brought much of the former Mughal territories south of Delhi under Maratha control. Baji Rao’s son, Balaji Baji Rao (popularly known as Nana Saheb), further increased the territory under Maratha control by invading Punjab in 1758.
Lol most of the historians agree that maratha was sold responsible for destroying Mughals. Britishers themselves admitted they took most of India from marathas.The empire, at its peak in 1758, stretched for a brief time from Tamil Nadu in the south, to Peshawar (modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) in the north, and Orissa & West Bengal up to the Hooghly River, in the east. Mughals were under maratha vassals when British came as a military power. Just google who defeated Mughal. You will get the answers.
@@TheHistoryChap Your version and narration of facts proves history belongs to winner.
@@syedrais7626 Yours belongs to the one who cant accept reality. You probably deny the Aryan invasion FACT too
18:05 One look at the bloody handprint and I know exactly where this is. I believe there's a well located somewhere nearby.
and here is the story:
ua-cam.com/video/MJyRJlcSxQ8/v-deo.html
@@TheHistoryChap Hail and well met, brother. Well done.
The rising took over a year to be pacified
It did indeed.