Siege of Delhi (1857)

Long ago, many soldiers in India were unhappy.

Some soldiers marched to the big city of Delhi.

The city became a place of great fighting. Many people lived there in the city walls.

Later, more soldiers came to take the city back. They had to stay in tents for a long time.

It was a very big and hard event. It changed how India was ruled.

In 1857, many Indian soldiers began to rebel. These soldiers were called sepoys. They worked for the East India Company. The sepoys were unhappy with new rules. One big problem was a new rifle. The grease on the rifle parts felt wrong to them. This led to a large revolt in a place called Meerut.

The sepoys marched to the city of Delhi. They wanted an old king to lead them. His name was Bahadur Shah II. He was the Mughal Emperor.

Fighting broke out in the city. The rebels took control of many parts of Delhi. The British leaders had to bring more troops to the city. They arrived in June 1857.

The British troops set up camps on a high ridge. This was called the Delhi ridge. They had to stay in tents during the hot summer. The siege lasted for a long time. It was a very important part of the rebellion. Eventually, the British took the city back. This event changed how India was ruled.

The Siege of Delhi was a major part of the Indian Rebellion in 1857. This conflict was a struggle against the rule of the East India Company. The rebellion began when many Indian soldiers, called sepoys, rose up against their British officers. These soldiers were part of the Bengal Army. They wanted a leader to rally around for their cause. They chose to seek the support of the Mughal Empire. This was an old empire that had ruled much of India for a long time.

The trouble started because of a new rifle called the Pattern 1853 Enfield. The cartridges for this rifle had to be bitten open to load them. Many soldiers believed the grease on these cartridges contained cow and pig fat. This was a big problem for Hindu and Muslim soldiers. On May 9, 1857, eighty-five men at Meerut refused the cartridges. They were punished and put in irons. The next day, other soldiers rebelled and released them. These soldiers then marched toward the city of Delhi.

When the rebels arrived in Delhi, things became very chaotic. The city was the home of the 82-year-old Emperor, Bahadur Shah II. The rebels asked him to lead them. Although he was uneasy, the Emperor gave them his public support. The rebels took control of many areas in the city. Some British officials and their families tried to flee to the Flagstaff Tower. Others had to escape toward a place called Karnal. The city became a place of great disorder and fighting.

To take the city back, the British had to organize a large force. General George Anson began moving troops from Ambala to Karnal in May 1857. He later died of cholera. After that, Major General Henry Barnard took command. The combined forces moved toward Delhi in June. They fought a battle at Badli-ki-Serai to push the rebels back. The British troops then captured the high ridge north of the city. They set fire to the infantry barracks during this time.

The fighting continued for a long time around the Delhi ridge. This ridge was made of hard rock and sat near the Yamuna River. The British soldiers had to live in tents during the hot summer and the monsoon rains. One important spot on the ridge was called Hindu Rao's house. It was defended by the 60th Rifles and Gurkhas. The siege was a very difficult and decisive event. It changed how the British ruled the land after the rebellion ended.

The Siege of Delhi was a decisive conflict during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. This rebellion was a widespread uprising against the authority of the British East India Company. The Company had raised many Indian soldiers known as sepoys for its Bengal Army. These sepoys served in the Bengal Presidency, a vast region stretching from Assam to the borders of Delhi. To find a central symbol for their cause, the rebels sought to reinstate the Mughal Empire. This empire had ruled much of the Indian subcontinent for several centuries.

The spark for the rebellion came from a specific piece of military equipment. The British introduced the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle to the Bengal Army. Soldiers had to bite open the cartridges to load the rifle. Many sepoys believed these cartridges were greased with a mixture of cow and pig fat. This was a major issue because it defiled both Hindu and Muslim religious beliefs. On May 9, 1857, eighty-five men of the 3rd Bengal Cavalry at Meerut refused the cartridges. They were court-martialed and paraded in irons. The next day, other regiments rebelled, released the men, and marched toward Delhi.

When the rebels reached Delhi, they found a city in transition. Delhi was the capital of the Mughal Empire, though its power had faded over the last century. The 82-year-old Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, lived there. The East India Company had previously informed him that his title would end with his death. When the rebel sowars, or cavalry troopers, arrived, they called on the Emperor to lead them. Bahadur Shah II gave his public support to the rebellion, though he seemed dismayed by the disorder. This decision gave the uprising a national character that it previously lacked.

The capture of the city was marked by sudden and intense violence. Rebels from Meerut entered through the Rajghat Gate and joined local mobs. Some Company officials and civilians attempted to flee to the Flagstaff Tower. Others tried to escape toward Karnal, located several miles to the west. During the chaos, nine officers from the Ordnance Corps attempted to defend the magazine. The magazine was a building that held artillery, firearms, and ammunition. To prevent the rebels from seizing the supplies, the officers blew up the magazine. This action killed many onlookers and damaged nearby buildings.

Managing the city became a chaotic task for the rebels. The Emperor nominated his eldest son, Mirza Mughal, to be the commander-in-chief. However, Mirza Mughal had very little military experience. The various regiments also struggled to cooperate because they refused to follow anyone except their own officers. Outside the city walls, the situation was equally unstable. Gujjar herders began levying tolls on traffic, making it difficult to feed the population. Meanwhile, the British used the telegraph to learn about the uprising much faster than the rebels could spread news.

The British response to the siege was delayed by several logistical problems. They lacked sufficient transport and supplies because transport units had been disbanded to save money. Additionally, many senior British officers were considered too old to act decisively. General George Anson began moving troops from Ambala to Karnal in May, but he died of cholera on May 27. His successor, Major General Henry Barnard, eventually led a combined force toward Delhi. In June, they fought the Battle of Badli-ki-Serai to push the disorganized rebel forces away from the city.

The British forces eventually established a position on the high ridge north of Delhi. This ridge was made of hard rock and ran near the Yamuna River. One important fortified post on this ridge was called Hindu Rao's house. It was defended by the 60th Rifles and Gurkhas of the 8th Local Battalion. The British soldiers had to live in tents during the intense summer heat and the monsoon rains. The siege was a major military setback for the rebels. Their defeat at Delhi deprived the rebellion of a central rallying point and coordination.