Sepoys Revolt in Meerut: India Challenges British Rule
Indian soldiers in the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry at Meerut mutinied on May 10, 1857, though the tensions had been building since April when new Enfield rifle cartridges arrived. The cartridges were greased with what soldiers believed was cow and pig fat, offensive to both Hindu and Muslim troops who had to bite them open. When 85 soldiers refused the cartridges on April 10, they were court-martialed and sentenced to ten years hard labor. Their comrades freed them on May 10, killed British officers, and marched to Delhi. The rebellion spread across northern India over the next year. The British response was savage, including strapping rebels to cannons. The East India Company was dissolved and direct Crown rule imposed in 1858.
April 10, 1857
169 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on April 10
He arrived in Constantinople with a head full of Greek philosophy and zero patience for compromise. Within months, he was preaching that Mary was merely the mot…
Halley's Comet passed within 5.1 million kilometers of Earth on April 10, 837 AD, its closest recorded approach and one of the most spectacular astronomical eve…
Louis III and Carloman II ascended the throne as joint kings of the Western Franks, inheriting a fractured realm following the death of their father, Louis the …
J. Sterling Morton convinced his fellow Nebraskans to plant over a million trees on this day, transforming the state’s treeless, wind-swept plains. This grassro…
He arrived with twelve thousand disciples, marching through Nanjing's dust to meet an emperor who wanted peace more than war. Deshin Shekpa didn't just preach; …
Swiss mercenaries didn't just take his sword; they took the man himself for forty thousand ducats, dumping him right into French hands at Novara. Ludovico Sforz…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.