Vellore mutiny

Vellore Mutiny constitutes the first instance of an outbreak against the rules imposed by the British on the Indian sepoys predates the first sepoy mutiny of 1857

1. Vellore Mutiny – Precursor movement to the first sepoy mutiny of 1857

2. The Vellore Mutiny on July 10, 1806 forms the first instance of violent mutiny by the Indian sepoys on a large scale which predates the Indian rebellion of 1857 set against the tyrannical regime of the East India Company ( EIC).

3. Causes The immediate causes of the mutiny involved: Resentment towards changes in the sepoy dress code that was introduced in November 1805 Hindus were prohibited from wearing religious marks on their foreheads while attending duties Muslims were insisted to shave off their beards and have their moustaches trimmed

4. It so happened on the midnight of July 10, 1806, a crowd of sepoys gathered around which was led by one of Tipu Sultan's son. Though the defiance was very brief and lasted only one full day but it was very brutal. The sepoys seized the Vellore Fort and killed/wounded around 200 British troops. After massacring the Europeans, they hoisted the Flag of the Mysore Sultanate. The mutiny was subdued by cavalry and artillery from Arcot . Later many of the defiant sepoys were executed and some of them were court- martialed .

5. The revolt took place in the South Indian city of Vellore following non sensible orders issued by Sir John Cradock and Lord Howdon , the commander-in- Chief in Madras to regulate the dress code of the Sepoys which included the change of turbans to look more like the British helmets. In addition, the Hindu Brahmin Sepoys were ordered to put caste marks on their foreheads and the Muslims were commanded to get rid of their beards. These measures offended the sensibilities of both Muslim and Hindu Sepoys as well who raged a may-hem. The sepoys feared that they might be "Christianized" which ignited a feeling of rebellion.

6. General Sir John Craddock

7. Besides this, the disrespect shown to the sons of Tipu Sultan, who was defeated in 1799, led to an outburst of rage which eventually boiled over and led to the revolt on 10 July 1806. Tipu’s two sons— Shahzada Abdul Khaliq Sultan Sahib and Shahzada Muiz ud -din Mohammed Sultan Sahib (who was reportedly Tipu’s favourite son and his intended heir) had been surrendered to Lord Cornwallis in 1792. The hostages were aged 10 and 9, respectively had grown as captives of the British and had obviously developed a sense of contempt against them.

8. The new regulations in the dress code were actually intended to improve the soldierly appearance garnered strong resentment among Indian soldiers. In May 1806 soldiers who protested the new rules were sent to Fort Saint George (formerly known as Madras, and Chennai now). Out of two soldiers- one Muslim and Hindu were given 90 lashes each and sacked from their army jobs. Nineteen sepoys were punished with 50 lashes and forced to seek pardon from the East India Company(EIC). This excited such a large furore among the sepoys . The mutiny was also instigated by the sons of defeated Tipu Sultan was stationed in the Vellore fort. One of the daughters of Tipu Sultan was supposed to be married on 9 th July 1806 the conspirators gathered near the Vellore fort under the pretext of attending the wedding with an intent to seize the fort hoping to encourage a general rising through the territory of the Mysore sultanate. However, Tipu sutlan’s sons later declined to take charge after the mutiny arose.

9. A couple of hours after midnight, about 500 Indian soldiers broke into the Vellore fort where the unsuspecting British and Madras infantry were stationed. They murdered 115 men from the British infantry who were sleeping in their barracks and 14 from the Madras infantry. Among those who were killed in the attack were the commander of the fort, Colonel St John Fancourt , Colonel Me Kerras and Major Armstrong.

10. Vellore Fort

11. Although the mutiny was subdued by the next morning, it sent down shudders of fear down the spine of British overlords. This is still considered as one of the first sign of the British losing an empire. The mutiny has drawn parallel with the Revolt of 1857 but the latter was a rather large revolt which continued for days subsequently .

12. Aftermath At 3 a.m. on July 10, 1806, the rebels started firing on the white officers’ quarters. Within a short while, they occupied the fort but there was no focus on how and what is to be done next, he said. An expedition led by Colonel Gillespie reached the stronghold, bombarded and recaptured it. This concluded with killing of 113 Europeans and 350 rebels. Five hundred rebels were taken prisoners, and the sons of Tipu Sultan were sent to Calcutta.

13. Pillar at Hazrath Makkaan Junction commemorating the Vellore sepoy Mutiny

14. The Vellore Mutiny, not unlike the revolt of 1857, was a result of the hurt and anger that was gradually rising up against the British and the rules that they had imposed upon Indians. However, what many do not believe is that about half a century before the revolt of 1857, Vellore witnessed a violent even though brief, mutiny against the British empire. This attack that came to be known as the Vellore Mutiny that was carried out on the midnight of 10 July 1806. Hence Vellore mutiny in 1806 can be considered as the precursor movement to the first sepoy revolt of 1857

15. Why freedom is important? Slavery should not paralyze the social development of an ethnic race. The clanking of fetters and the rattling of chains in the prison, and the heads of human bodies hanging on the threshold of freedom for whose sake blood of the countless martyrs through the centuries was spilt speak itself about the enslaving colonial rule. One should never become a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality.

16. “Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.” ―  Henry David Thoreau

17. References 1. https://www.thebetterindia.com/149577/history-british-first-vellore-mutiny-1806 2. Wikipedia 3. The Hindu: A glimpse into the Vellore mutiny by Serena Josephine dated 4 th August 2016