Latest / The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History / The Revolt of the Bengal Sepoys: 1857's Forgotten Front
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked about the Chittagong Armoury Raid and the 1857 Rebellion before, but I want to zero in on something specific today: the role of Bengal's sepoys in the rebellion of 1857. Most people think of Delhi or Kanpur, but the first sparks actually flew in Bengal. Luna: Wait, really? The first sparks in Bengal? I thought it started at Meerut. Lucas: That's the common story, yes. But the very first outbreak—before Meerut—happened at Berhampore in Bengal on February 26, 1857. The 19th Native Infantry refused to use the new Enfield rifles, which came with greased cartridges rumored to be coated in cow and pig fat. And then a month later, at Barrackpore, a sepoy named Mangal Pandey attacked his British officers. Lucas: Mangal Pandey's name is well-known in India today, but the details are fascinating. On March 29, 1857, he was at the Barrackpore parade ground, apparently under the influence of bhang, and he shouted at his comrades to rise up. He fired at Lieutenant Baugh, missed, but then struck him with a sword. He was subdued, court-martialed, and hanged on April 8. Luna: So he was acting alone? Or was there a conspiracy? Lucas: That's the big question. British records claim he was a lone fanatic, but Indian accounts suggest a wider plot. The 34th Native Infantry—Pandey's regiment—was disbanded as a collective punishment. And the British were extremely nervous because similar refusals were cropping up elsewhere. The chapati communication—flatbreads passed from village to village—was already spreading like wildfire across northern India. Luna: Chapati communication? That sounds almost mythical.