In 1857, Indian soldiers of the East India Company turned against their British officers. The rising began at Meerut on 10 May 1857. Soon Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi and Bihar were fighting too. The British crushed it by 1858. But after it, the Company lost India to the British Crown.
29 Mar 1857
Mangal Pandey
Barrackpore, near Calcutta
10 May 1857
Revolt begins
Meerut
2 Aug 1858
Act of 1858
Company rule ends
1862
Zafar dies
In exile at Rangoon
How the revolt began
Barrackpore, then Meerut, then Delhi, in six weeks.
A sepoy was an Indian soldier in the Company's army. In 1857 there were many more sepoys than British soldiers. So when the sepoys rose, British rule was in real danger. Indians call the rising the First War of Independence. The British called it the Sepoy Mutiny.
1857: THE FIRST WEEKS
- 29 Mar 1857Mangal Pandey at Barrackpore
A sepoy of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry attacks his British officers. He is hanged on 8 April.
- 9 May 185785 sepoys jailed at Meerut
They had refused the new cartridges. They are sent to jail in chains.
- 10 May 1857Meerut rises
Their comrades free them, kill officers and march through the night to Delhi.
- 11 May 1857Delhi taken
The sepoys declare the old Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar their emperor.
- June 1857Kanpur, Lucknow and Jhansi rise
The revolt spreads across north and central India.
QUICK FACT
Exam answer: the revolt began at Meerut on 10 May 1857. Mangal Pandey's act at Barrackpore came earlier, on 29 March. But it was one man's act, not the general rising.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PSSSB Patwari 2023 Where did the Revolt of 1857 start?
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Answer: C — Meerut
Sepoys of the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry rose at Meerut on 10 May 1857 and reached Delhi the next day. The same question came in PSSSB Jail Warder 2024 and PSSSB Senior Assistant 2025.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PSSSB Excise Inspector 2023 Who among the following was the first martyr of the Revolt of 1857?
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Answer: C — Mangal Pandey
Mangal Pandey attacked his officers at Barrackpore on 29 March 1857. He was hanged on 8 April 1857, about a month before Meerut.
Why people were angry
Many old causes, and one spark.
The anger had been growing for years. Kings lost their states. Farmers paid heavy land tax. Soldiers felt cheated. Many people feared for their religion. Then a new rifle gave all this anger a spark.
| Kind of cause | What made people angry |
|---|---|
| Political | The Doctrine of Lapse took states like Satara, Jhansi and Nagpur. Awadh was taken in 1856. |
| Economic | Heavy land revenue ruined farmers and old landlords. Indian handmade cloth lost its market. |
| Social and religious | People feared the British wanted to change their religion. Missionaries and new laws, like widow remarriage (1856), added to this fear. |
| Military | Sepoys got less pay than British soldiers and could not rise to high ranks. A law of 1856 said they could be sent overseas. Many Hindus believed crossing the sea broke caste. |
| The spark | The greased cartridges of the new Enfield rifle. |
KEY TERM
The greased cartridges
In early 1857 a story spread among the sepoys. It said the grease on the new cartridges was cow fat and pig fat. The cow is sacred to Hindus, and Muslims may not eat pork. So both Hindu and Muslim sepoys felt the British were attacking their religion. The cartridge was not the only cause. It was the spark.
Bite the cartridge→Rumour: cow and pig fat→Hindus and Muslims both angry→Sepoys refuse, then rise
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PPSC Veterinary Officer 2024 Which province was annexed by Lord Dalhousie in 1856, that was widely resented and created an atmosphere of rebellion?
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Answer: C — Awadh
Dalhousie took Awadh (Oudh) in 1856, saying it was misruled. Jhansi had been taken earlier, in 1853, under the Doctrine of Lapse.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PPSC DDSWO 2026 The Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by ______
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Answer: D — Dalhousie
Lord Dalhousie was Governor-General from 1848 to 1856. Wellesley is linked with the Subsidiary Alliance, a different policy.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PPSC OHE 2016 Which one of the following was one of the main causes of the Sepoy Mutiny or the Indian Rebellion of 1857?
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Answer: D — Greased cartridges
The cartridges of the new Enfield rifle were believed to carry cow and pig fat. Low pay was a real grievance too, but the cartridges were the immediate cause.
Centres and their leaders
The most-asked part of this topic.
The revolt had no single commander. Each centre rose under its own leader. Exams love to ask which leader fought where.
| Centre | Indian leader | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Bahadur Shah Zafar; army led by General Bakht Khan | Zafar was the symbol. Bakht Khan brought troops from Bareilly. |
| Kanpur | Nana Sahib, with Tantia Tope | Nana Sahib was the adopted son of the last Peshwa, Baji Rao II. The British stopped his pension. |
| Jhansi | Rani Lakshmibai | Her state was taken under the Doctrine of Lapse. She died fighting near Gwalior in June 1858. |
| Lucknow (Awadh) | Begum Hazrat Mahal | She fought in the name of her young son, Birjis Qadr. |
| Arrah (Bihar) | Kunwar Singh | A landlord of Jagdishpur, nearly 80 years old. |
| Bareilly | Khan Bahadur Khan | Ruled Bareilly for the rebels for about a year. |
| Faizabad | Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah | A religious leader who became a strong commander in Awadh. |
Faces of 1857
Rani Lakshmibai
died June 1858 · Jhansi
- Jhansi was taken under the Doctrine of Lapse (1853)
- Defeated by Sir Hugh Rose; died fighting near Gwalior
Unknown artist, Central India, c. 1860 · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Nana Sahib
fate unknown after 1859 · Kanpur
- Adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II
- Angry because the British stopped his pension; fled to Nepal
Illustrated London News, 1857 · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Tantia Tope
hanged April 1859 · Kanpur, then Central India
- Nana Sahib's general
- Fought on after the main revolt; hanged at Shivpuri
Kunwar Singh
died April 1858 · Arrah, Bihar
- Zamindar of Jagdishpur
- Led the revolt at nearly 80 years of age
Engraving from The Indian Empire, c. 1858 · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Begum Hazrat Mahal
died 1879, Kathmandu · Lucknow (Awadh)
- Wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah
- Later escaped to Nepal
REMEMBER
Delhi–Zafar, Kanpur–Nana, Jhansi–Rani, Lucknow–Begum, Bihar–Kunwar. Five centres, five names. Then add the two generals: Bakht Khan at Delhi and Tantia Tope with Nana Sahib.
Delhi
John Nicholson
Led the storming of Delhi in September 1857. He was fatally wounded in the fight.
Kanpur
Henry Havelock
Took Kanpur back from Nana Sahib in July 1857.
Lucknow
Sir Colin Campbell
Relieved the Lucknow Residency in November 1857.
Jhansi, Gwalior
Sir Hugh Rose
Took Jhansi (April 1858) and defeated Rani Lakshmibai.
British commanders, also asked in exams.
Places of 1857, in old photographs
Kashmiri Gate, Delhi. British engineers blew it open on 14 Sept 1857 to retake Delhi.
Lala Deen Dayal, 1890s · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
The Residency, Lucknow. The British were besieged here from June to November 1857.
Felice Beato, 1858 · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Secundra Bagh, Lucknow. Stormed by Campbell's troops, including the 4th Punjab Regiment, on 16 Nov 1857.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PPSC A2 2022 Consider the following pairs: 1. Lakshmi Bai — Begum of Awadh 2. Hazrat Mahal — Rani of Jhansi 3. Zeenat Mahal — Wife of Bahadur Shah Zafar 4. Jhalkari Bai — A woman soldier in the army camp of Bahadur Shah Zafar. Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
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Answer: C — 3 only
Pairs 1 and 2 are swapped: Lakshmibai was Rani of Jhansi and Hazrat Mahal was Begum of Awadh. Jhalkari Bai fought in Rani Lakshmibai's army at Jhansi, not Zafar's. Zeenat Mahal was Zafar's wife and went into exile with him.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · Punjab Police SI 2023 Which of the following rulers of Nepal sent his army to help the East India Company in the revolt of 1857?
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Answer: D — Jung Bahadur Rana
Jung Bahadur Rana, the real ruler of Nepal, led Gorkha troops into India. They helped Campbell retake Lucknow in March 1858. Later, Begum Hazrat Mahal and Nana Sahib fled into Nepal.
Why the revolt failed
Brave leaders, but no common plan.
- No single leader or plan. Each centre fought its own war. Rani Lakshmibai, Nana Sahib and Kunwar Singh never fought under one command.
- Large parts of India did not join. Bengal and the south stayed mostly quiet. Punjab was largely kept quiet by the British.
- Most princes helped the British. Rulers of Hyderabad, Gwalior, Patiala and others sided with them. Lord Canning is said to have called them "breakwaters to the storm".
- The British had better tools. The telegraph, railways and modern rifles moved news and troops fast.
- The rebels had little money or weapons, and no clear plan for a new government.
PUNJAB IN 1857
The British had taken Punjab only in 1849. Sepoys from Awadh and Bihar had helped them conquer it, so many Sikhs had little love for those sepoys. The Chief Commissioner, John Lawrence, quickly disarmed doubtful regiments. The Phulkian rulers (Patiala, Nabha, Jind) and Kapurthala sent help to the British. Punjabi troops helped retake Delhi and Lucknow.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PPSC OHE 2016 The English East India Company annexed Punjab in -------
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Answer: C — 1849
Dalhousie annexed Punjab on 29 March 1849, after the Second Anglo-Sikh War. So in 1857 British rule in Punjab was only eight years old.
1857 in Rajasthan (asked in RSMSSB papers)Tap to open
- The revolt in Rajasthan began at the Nasirabad cantonment (near Ajmer) on 28 May 1857.
- Kota saw the biggest rising, on 15 October 1857. Its leaders were Lala Jaidayal and Mehrab Khan. They killed the British agent, Major Burton.
- At Auwa (Pali), Thakur Kushal Singh defeated the joint army of the British and Jodhpur.
- Maharaja Sardar Singh of Bikaner personally led his army to help the British.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · RSMSSB 2022 From which place did the 1857 revolt in Rajasthan begin?
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Answer: A — Nasirabad
Sepoys of the Bengal Native Infantry rose at Nasirabad on 28 May 1857. Neemuch followed on 3 June.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · RSMSSB 2022 Which ruler of Bikaner gave military help to the British to suppress the revolt of 1857?
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Answer: A — Sardar Singh
Maharaja Sardar Singh led his own army out of Bikaner to help the British. Ganga Singh ruled much later, from 1887.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · RSMSSB 2020 Who led the 1857 revolt in the Kota state of Rajasthan?
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Answer: C — Lala Jaidayal and Mehrab Khan
The Kota state army and townspeople rose on 15 October 1857 under Lala Jaidayal and Mehrab Khan. Both were later hanged.
What changed after 1857
The Company goes; the Crown comes.
FROM REVOLT TO CROWN RULE
- 1857–58: the revoltThe British win, but the rising shocks them.
- Company rule ends2 Aug 1858: Government of India ActIndia passes from the East India Company to the British Crown.
- Secretary of State for IndiaA British minister in London now runs Indian affairs, with a Council of 15. The Board of Control and Court of Directors end.
- ViceroyThe Governor-General now also has the title Viceroy. Lord Canning is the first.
- Read at Allahabad1 Nov 1858: Queen Victoria's ProclamationNo more annexations. Princes' rights will be respected. People's religions will not be touched.
| Other changes | What happened |
|---|---|
| Mughal rule ended | Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled to Rangoon. The line that began with Babur in 1526 was over. |
| Army changed | Fewer Indian soldiers for each British soldier. Big guns (artillery) stayed with British troops. Units were mixed by caste and region. |
| Divide and rule | Hindus and Muslims had fought side by side in 1857. After it, the British worked to keep them apart. |
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PPSC OHE 2016 Where was the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar exiled by the British?
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Answer: A — Rangoon
Zafar was exiled to Rangoon (now Yangon) in Burma and died there in 1862. His tomb is still there. The Andamans became a prison for later rebels.
FLASHCARDS
Leader → place
- Bahadur Shah Zafar
- Delhi (symbolic head); exiled to Rangoon
- Bakht Khan
- Commanded the rebel army at Delhi
- Nana Sahib
- Kanpur
- Tantia Tope
- Nana Sahib's general; hanged 1859
- Rani Lakshmibai
- Jhansi
- Begum Hazrat Mahal
- Lucknow (Awadh)
- Kunwar Singh
- Arrah / Jagdishpur, Bihar
- Khan Bahadur Khan
- Bareilly
- Mangal Pandey
- Barrackpore, 29 March 1857
Everything on one look
The spark, the centres, the failure and the result.
KEY FACTS
- Began at Meerut, 10 May 1857
- Mangal Pandey: Barrackpore, 29 March 1857
- Spark: greased cartridges of the Enfield rifle
- Awadh taken in 1856; Jhansi under Lapse in 1853
- Governor-General during the revolt: Lord Canning
- Act of 1858: Company rule ends
CENTRES AND LEADERS
- Delhi: Bahadur Shah Zafar, Bakht Khan
- Kanpur: Nana Sahib, Tantia Tope
- Jhansi: Rani Lakshmibai
- Lucknow: Begum Hazrat Mahal
- Bihar: Kunwar Singh
- British: Nicholson (Delhi), Campbell (Lucknow), Hugh Rose (Jhansi)
COMMON TRAPS
- Began at Meerut on 10 May. Barrackpore (29 March) was Mangal Pandey's single act.
- Awadh (1856) was taken for "misrule", not under the Doctrine of Lapse.
- Bahadur Shah Zafar was the symbol; Bakht Khan commanded at Delhi.
- Tantia Tope was Nana Sahib's general, not a separate ruler.
- Hazrat Mahal led at Lucknow, not Kanpur. Lakshmibai was Rani of Jhansi, not Begum of Awadh.
- Jhalkari Bai fought for Rani Lakshmibai, not for Zafar.
- Sir Hugh Rose, not Campbell, defeated Rani Lakshmibai.
- Zafar was exiled to Rangoon, not the Andamans.
- Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal helped the British, not the rebels.
- Revolt in Rajasthan began at Nasirabad (28 May), not Meerut.
QUICK BYTES
- Revolt began: Meerut, 10 May 1857
- First martyr: Mangal Pandey (Barrackpore)
- Spark: greased cartridges, Enfield rifle
- Doctrine of Lapse: Lord Dalhousie
- Awadh annexed: 1856 (misrule)
- Delhi: Bahadur Shah Zafar + Bakht Khan
- Kanpur: Nana Sahib + Tantia Tope
- Jhansi: Rani Lakshmibai
- Lucknow: Begum Hazrat Mahal
- Bihar: Kunwar Singh (Jagdishpur)
- Bareilly: Khan Bahadur Khan
- Governor-General in 1857: Lord Canning
- Nepal helped British: Jung Bahadur Rana
- Zafar exiled: Rangoon, died 1862
- Act of 1858: Crown rule; Secretary of State
- First Viceroy: Lord Canning
- Queen's Proclamation: 1 Nov 1858, Allahabad
- Rajasthan: began at Nasirabad, 28 May 1857
- "First War of Independence": Savarkar, 1909
CHECK YOURSELF
Who led the revolt at Kanpur, and who was his general?
Show answer
Nana Sahib, adopted son of the last Peshwa Baji Rao II, led at Kanpur. His general was Tantia Tope, who fought on until he was caught and hanged in April 1859.