Sepoy grievances
Topic: The Revolt of 1857 · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Rebels and the Raj"
Meaning
These were the complaints that Indian sepoys had built up against the British before 1857. They had long complained of low pay and how hard it was to get leave. Their anger grew worse as British officers began to treat them with racial contempt. The greased cartridge issue then set it all off.
Example
In the 1820s, British officers wrestled, fenced and went hawking with their sepoys, and spoke to them in Hindustani. From the 1840s, officers acted superior and used abuse and violence instead. Trust turned into suspicion. In 1857 this hostility exploded in the rumour about Enfield cartridges greased with cow and pig fat.
Related concepts
- Annexation of Awadh
- Wajid Ali Shah
- Summary Settlement of 1856
- Taluqdar
- Hanwant Singh
- Nursery of the Bengal Army
- Bengal Army