The 1857 Indian Rebellion, often referred to as the First War of Indian Independence, first broke out in the city of Meerut. Located in present-day Uttar Pradesh, Meerut was a key military garrison of the British East India Company. The immediate cause of the rebellion was the introduction of the new Enfield rifle, which required soldiers to bite off the ends of cartridges greased with animal fat, an action deeply offensive to both Hindu and Muslim religious practices. Hindus were offended by the use of cow fat, while Muslims objected to pig fat, leading to widespread anger among the sepoys (Indian soldiers) serving in the British army.

On May 10, 1857, the sepoys in Meerut revolted against their British officers. They freed their imprisoned comrades, who had been punished for refusing to use the new cartridges, and attacked British officers and civilians. This mutiny quickly spread to other parts of northern and central India, including Delhi, where the sepoys marched and declared Bahadur Shah II, the last Mughal emperor, as their leader.

Meerut’s uprising marked the beginning of a widespread and violent rebellion against British rule, which would eventually spread across much of India, challenging British dominance and altering the course of Indian history.

The 1857 Indian Rebellion, often referred to as the First War of Indian Independence, first broke out in the city of Meerut. Located in present-day Uttar Pradesh, Meerut was a key military garrison of the British East India Company. The immediate cause of the rebellion was the introduction of the new Enfield rifle, which required soldiers to bite off the ends of cartridges greased with animal fat, an action deeply offensive to both Hindu and Muslim religious practices. Hindus were offended by the use of cow fat, while Muslims objected to pig fat, leading to widespread anger among the sepoys (Indian soldiers) serving in the British army.

On May 10, 1857, the sepoys in Meerut revolted against their British officers. They freed their imprisoned comrades, who had been punished for refusing to use the new cartridges, and attacked British officers and civilians. This mutiny quickly spread to other parts of northern and central India, including Delhi, where the sepoys marched and declared Bahadur Shah II, the last Mughal emperor, as their leader.

Meerut’s uprising marked the beginning of a widespread and violent rebellion against British rule, which would eventually spread across much of India, challenging British dominance and altering the course of Indian history.

The 1857 Indian Rebellion, often referred to as the First War of Indian Independence, first broke out in the city of Meerut. Located in present-day Uttar Pradesh, Meerut was a key military garrison of the British East India Company. The immediate cause of the rebellion was the introduction of the new Enfield rifle, which required soldiers to bite off the ends of cartridges greased with animal fat, an action deeply offensive to both Hindu and Muslim religious practices. Hindus were offended by the use of cow fat, while Muslims objected to pig fat, leading to widespread anger among the sepoys (Indian soldiers) serving in the British army.

On May 10, 1857, the sepoys in Meerut revolted against their British officers. They freed their imprisoned comrades, who had been punished for refusing to use the new cartridges, and attacked British officers and civilians. This mutiny quickly spread to other parts of northern and central India, including Delhi, where the sepoys marched and declared Bahadur Shah II, the last Mughal emperor, as their leader.

Meerut’s uprising marked the beginning of a widespread and violent rebellion against British rule, which would eventually spread across much of India, challenging British dominance and altering the course of Indian history.