Henry Hardinge
Also called: Lord Hardinge · Topic: Europeans in India and the Rise of Company Rule · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Rebels and the Raj"
Meaning
Henry Hardinge (Lord Hardinge) was Governor-General of India from 1844 to 1848. He led the Company during the First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–46). He also tried to modernise the equipment of the Company's army. That process of modernising later brought in the Enfield rifle, whose greased cartridges sepoys refused to use in 1857.
Example
After Hardinge's time, the Enfield rifle came into the Company's army in the 1850s. Its cartridges were said to be greased with cow and pig fat, and soldiers had to bite them open. This hurt both Hindu and Muslim sepoys' religious feelings and became an immediate spark of the 1857 Rebellion.
Don't confuse with
- Lord Hardinge II (Charles Hardinge): he was his grandson and Viceroy from 1910 to 1916. During his time the capital was moved from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911.
Related concepts
- Divide and rule
- Dastak
- Black Hole of Calcutta
- Siraj-ud-daulah
- Robert Clive
- Battle of Plassey
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- Battle of Buxar 1764
- Treaty of Allahabad 1765