Almost every fight for freedom and independence has a moment that those fighting for these rights use for support and inspiration. In India, one of these moments was The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. This was when the true fight for the independence of India began over two hundred years ago.
This company controlled vast amounts of the land in India. Their primary purpose was to obtain materials that could be brought back to England and sold on the open market. Some things the British harvested from this area included cotton, silk, tea, and indigo.
The wealthy shareholders of the company had obtained a Royal Charter from the Crown over this part of the world. They ruled much of India without any outside influences telling them what to do. One of the measures they took to ensure they maintained control was the development of a private army.
Most of the army was derived by local soldiers from the immediate areas where the Company owned land. Most of these men were either Hindu or Muslim. There were some soldiers from England, but that only made up about twenty percent of the force.
This action made the local soldiers feel threatened as they became segregated from each other. The Company took away the rights to land gentry that many of the soldiers felt they deserved. Then the introduction of Christianity became a worry as missionaries starting appearing in their ranks.
These circumstances formed part of the foundation for a massive uprising of the local soldiers against the British company. The locals overthrew the company and forced significant changes in how things were done. They also showed other nationals that they could fight for their own rights and freedoms. This is why the sepoy mutiny of 1857 is referred to as the The First War of Independence for India.
This company controlled vast amounts of the land in India. Their primary purpose was to obtain materials that could be brought back to England and sold on the open market. Some things the British harvested from this area included cotton, silk, tea, and indigo.
The wealthy shareholders of the company had obtained a Royal Charter from the Crown over this part of the world. They ruled much of India without any outside influences telling them what to do. One of the measures they took to ensure they maintained control was the development of a private army.
Most of the army was derived by local soldiers from the immediate areas where the Company owned land. Most of these men were either Hindu or Muslim. There were some soldiers from England, but that only made up about twenty percent of the force.
This action made the local soldiers feel threatened as they became segregated from each other. The Company took away the rights to land gentry that many of the soldiers felt they deserved. Then the introduction of Christianity became a worry as missionaries starting appearing in their ranks.
These circumstances formed part of the foundation for a massive uprising of the local soldiers against the British company. The locals overthrew the company and forced significant changes in how things were done. They also showed other nationals that they could fight for their own rights and freedoms. This is why the sepoy mutiny of 1857 is referred to as the The First War of Independence for India.
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