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Read Ebook: The History of the Indian Revolt and of the Expeditions to Persia China and Japan 1856-7-8 by Dodd George
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THE HISTORY OF THE INDIAN REVOLT AND OF THE EXPEDITIONS TO PERSIA, CHINA, AND JAPAN 1856-7-8 WITH Maps, Plans, and Wood Engravings
LONDON W. AND R. CHAMBERS 47 PATERNOSTER ROW AND HIGH STREET EDINBURGH 1859
PREFACE
In the present volume is given a narrative of the chief events connected with one of the most formidable military Revolts on record. These events--from the first display of insubordination in the beginning of 1857, to the issue of the Royal Proclamation in the later weeks of 1858--form a series full of the romance as well as the wretchedness of war: irrespective of the causes that may have led to them, or the reforms which they suggested. The sudden rising of trained native soldiers in mutiny; the slaughter of officers who to the last moment had trusted them; the sufferings of gently-nurtured women and children, while hurrying wildly over burning sands and through thick jungles; and the heroism displayed amid unspeakable miseries--all tended to give an extraordinary character to this outbreak. Nor is it less interesting to trace the operations by which the difficulties were met. The task was nothing less than that of suppressing insurgency among a native population of nearly two hundred million souls by a small number of British soldiers and civilians, most of whom were at vast distances from the chief region of disaffection, and were grievously deficient in means of transport.
A chronicle of these events reveals also the striking differences between various parts of India. While Behar, Oude, Rohilcund, the Doab, Bundelcund, Malwah, and Rajpootana were rent with anarchy and plunged in misery, the rest of India was comparatively untouched. Most important, too, is it to trace the influence of nation, caste, and creed. Why the Hindoos of the Brahmin and Rajpoot castes rebelled, while those of the lower castes remained faithful; why the Sikhs and Mussulmans of the Punjaub shewed so little sympathy with the insurgents; why the Hindoos of Bengal were so timidly quiet, and those of Hindostan so boldly violent; why the native armies of Madras and Bombay were so tranquil, when that of Bengal was so turbulent?--were questions which it behoved the government to solve, as clues to the character of the governed, and to the changes of discipline needed. It was a time that brought into strong relief the peculiarities of the five chief classes of Europeans in India--Queen's soldiers, Company's soldiers, Company's 'covenanted' servants, 'uncovenanted' servants, and residents independent of the Company; and it shewed how nobly these classes forgot their differences when the honour of the British name and the safety of India were imperiled.
The history of home affairs during, and in relation to, that period of struggle, has its own points of interest--shewing in what manner, amid the stormy conflicts of party, the nation responded to the call for military aid to India, for pecuniary aid to individual sufferers, and for a great change in the government of that country.
Although the minor results of the Revolt may be visible to a much later date, it is considered that the month of November 1858 would furnish a convenient limit to the present narrative. The government of India had by that time been changed; the change had been publicly proclaimed throughout the length and breadth of that empire; the British army in the east had been so largely augmented as to render the prospects of the insurgents hopeless; the rebel leaders were gradually tendering their submission, under the terms of the Royal Proclamation; the skilled mutinous sepoys had in great proportion been stricken down by battle and privation; the military operations had become little more than a chasing of lawless marauders; and the armed men still at large were mostly dupes of designing leaders, or ruffians whose watchwords were pay and plunder rather than nationality or patriotism.
The remarkable Expeditions to Persia, China, and Japan are briefly noticed towards the close of the volume--on account of the links which connected them with the affairs of India, and of the aspect which they gave to the influence of England in the east.
G. D.
Contents
INTRODUCTION.
PAGE INDIA IN 1856: A RETROSPECT, 1 NOTES.--DISTANCES--ORTHOGRAPHY--VOCABULARY, 12, 13
THE ANGLO-INDIAN ARMY AT THE TIME OF THE OUTBREAK, 14 NOTE, 31
SYMPTOMS: CHUPATTIES AND CARTRIDGES, 32
MEERUT, AND THE REBEL-FLIGHT TO DELHI, 48
DELHI, THE CENTRE OF INDIAN NATIONALITY, 59
THE EVENTFUL ESCAPES FROM DELHI, 69
LUCKNOW AND THE COURT OF OUDE, 82
SPREAD OF DISAFFECTION IN MAY, 97 NOTES.--INDIAN RAILWAYS--'HEADMAN' OF A VILLAGE, 119
TREACHERY AND ATROCITIES AT CAWNPORE, 121 NOTE.--NENA SAHIB'S PROCLAMATIONS, 145
BENGAL AND THE LOWER GANGES: JUNE, 147 NOTES.--THE OUDE ROYAL FAMILY--CASTES AND CREEDS IN THE INDIAN 161, 162 ARMY,
OUDE, ROHILCUND, AND THE DOAB: JUNE, 163
CENTRAL REGIONS OF INDIA: JUNE, 176
EVENTS IN THE PUNJAUB AND SINDE, 191 NOTES.--MILITARY DIVISIONS OF INDIA--ARMIES OF INDIA AT THE 208 COMMENCEMENT OF THE MUTINY,
PREPARATIONS: CALCUTTA AND LONDON, 210 NOTE, 227
THE SIEGE OF DELHI: JUNE AND JULY, 230
HAVELOCK'S CAMPAIGN: ALLAHABAD TO LUCKNOW, 247
THE DINAPOOR MUTINY, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES, 264
MINOR MUTINIES: JULY AND AUGUST, 277 NOTE.--THE BRITISH AT THE MILITARY STATIONS, 293
THE SIEGE OF DELHI: FINAL OPERATIONS, 295
THE STORY OF THE LUCKNOW RESIDENCY, 316 NOTE.--BRIGADIER INGLIS'S DISPATCH, 336
MINOR CONFLICTS: SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, 338
THE RESCUE AT LUCKNOW, BY SIR COLIN CAMPBELL, 359 NOTE.--CAVANAGH'S ADVENTURE, 371
CLOSING EVENTS OF THE YEAR, 374 NOTES.--PROPOSED RE-ORGANISATION OF THE INDIAN ARMY--PROPOSED 386, 387 INQUIRY INTO THE CAUSES OF THE MUTINY,
A SECOND YEAR OF REBELLION, 388
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN FEBRUARY, 398 NOTES.--SIR COLIN CAMPBELL'S ARMY OF OUDE--MOHAMMEDAN REBEL 409, 410 LEADERS,
FINAL CONQUEST OF LUCKNOW: MARCH, 412 NOTE.--LUCKNOW PROCLAMATIONS, 427
MINOR EVENTS IN MARCH, 429 NOTES.--'COVENANTED' AND 'UNCOVENANTED' SERVICE--COLLECTORS AND 443 COLLECTORATES,
DISCUSSIONS ON REBEL PUNISHMENTS, 446 NOTES, 455-461
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN APRIL, 462 NOTE.--NATIVE POLICE OF INDIA, 480
PROGRESS OF EVENTS IN MAY, 482 NOTE.--TRANSPORT OF TROOPS TO INDIA, 501
ROSE'S VICTORIES AT CALPEE AND GWALIOR, 504
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