Remembering India’s First War of Independence

-- Manaal Mujtaba Momin, Grade 9, New Gulf Indian School, Mahboula

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

India’s first war of independence, also known as Indian Mutiny or Sepoy Mutiny took place in the year 1857. It was a widespread and significant attempt by the Indians to gain independence from British rule. However, it was unsuccessful, though it played a significant role in uniting Indians.

This uprising against the rule of the British East India Company took place between May 1857 to July 1859 in India. At that time the British East India Company functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown.

Many historians refer to the revolution of 1857 as the first war for independence because it was the first uprising in which there was an armed revolution at the national level to make India an independent and free nation. The revolutionaries wanted to declare the last Mughal King Bahadur Shah Zafar as the Emperor of India.

Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs came together and participated in this major uprising; they challenged the greatest imperial power in the world and laid the foundation for the Indian independence struggle.

The first martyr of this significant revolution was Mangal Pandey, an Indian soldier in the army of the East India Company. The revolt of 1857 was the result of several factors that accumulated over time.

Most significantly the newly introduced carbines (guns, ammunition) which were said to be coated with the fat of pigs and cows, caused great discontent and anger among the native Indian soldiers. However, more recent studies have suggested that there were several other reasons too that created anger among general Indians. A variety of social, religious, political and economic factors played a role and led to the start of this revolution.

The British usually refer to the revolution of 1857 as the Indian Mutiny or the Sepoy Mutiny. It is widely acknowledged to be the first-ever united revolution against the majestic British Empire in Indian History.

This revolt was also a remarkable event in Indian history because it united the Hindus and Muslims as they fought together for a common cause. This extraordinary unity, naturally made them realise that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the two largest religious communities, were divided along communal lines.

This significant revolution united all Indians and, in a way, laid the foundation for the long and arduous freedom struggle that followed subsequently. It also taught us several very important lessons.

The most important lesson that our generation can learn from this important historical event is that unity has great power and when a nation is united, it can overcome any challenge.