The central figure in this historic event was,

Nana Sahib Peshwa

He was the adopted son of Baji Rao Peshwa II. Baji Rao Peshwa was receiving a stipend from the East India Company following his defeat by the British. The Company introduced a new law that abolished the position of adopted heirs and restricted the inheritance to only blood descendants. Both the Rani of Jhansi and Nana Sahib were affected by this law.

Nana Sahib even sent an embassy to Britain, but he failed to convince the crown. In 1857, the mutiny broke out, and Nana Sahib declared his support for the British. He sent his personal guard to the magazine to protect the Company’s establishments and also dispatched volunteers to aid General Hugh Wheeler in Kanpur.

Kanpur

Kanpur held strategic importance as it was located along the Grand Trunk Road in the heart of India, facilitating the movement of troops. General Wheeler was stationed in Kanpur with his four regiments. He was well-regarded among the local population, fluent in the local language, and married to an Indian woman.

In the early days of the 1857 Mutiny, the situation in Kanpur was initially peaceful. General kept his troops busy with different campaigns because allowing them to remain idle together, while constantly receiving distressing news, was a potential danger in itself.

In 1857, who was the first to shoot a British officer?

Mangal Panday, a sepoy from Bengal native regiment fired the very first bullet on Sergeant-Major’s adjutant Lieutenant Henry Baugh, he missed and killed his horse. more over with him an Indian officer Jemadar Ishwari Prasad faced trial and hanged respectively on Mangal Pandy on 8 April 1857, and Parsad for not arresting and order to arresting on 21 April. those days it was common to hanged sepoy in military crimes. Aim of East India company  was to control sepoy with power and fear..

The Acquittal of Captain Cox

Captain Cox, in a drunken state, fired at his guards during the night. He was unarmed and detained in a room, but the magistrate declared him innocent the following morning. A rumor quickly spread among the 2nd Bengal Cavalry that action would be taken against the guards during the parade

Revolution takes years to form, but it only takes a spark to ignite it.

The Kanpur Mutiny

In the darkness of the night, the rebellion broke out. Initially, many soldiers preferred to leave the cantonment, but the British soldiers started shooting and shelling them in desperation. In the dark, there was no difference between friend and foe. Soldiers leaving may not have been rebels, but now they are.

There were approximately 1,000 English, including women, children and merchants. The general sought refuge in a two-story mud barracks south of the city, but this decision proved unwise. With only one well and residential buildings nearby, the besiegers were targeted by snipers. About 250 soldiers accompanied the general to protect the 1,000 people.

The general’s approach was correct in anticipating that, in case of mutiny, the soldiers would return to Delhi after looting the treasure and weapons. That’s why he took shelter in a two-story barracks instead of a secure magazine. However, he had no idea of a prolonged siege.

Most of the soldiers refrained from attacking the general. Taking as many arms and rupees as they could, without any leadership and lacking a clear plan of action, the rebels marched toward Delhi, where Bahadur Shah Zafar was re-crowned and assumed the title of Badshah-e-Hind.

Nana Sahib’s Treachery

Taking advantage of the chaos, Nana Sahib looted the Company’s treasury without facing any resistance. The treasury guards were not informed about the external mutiny or rebellion and Nana Sahib’s new position. Initially, Nana Sahib intended to meet with Bahadur Shah Zafar but managed to persuade a large number of sepoys traveling to Delhi on the Grand Trunk Road to turn back. He promised to double the sepoys’ pay and offered a gold reward. Nana Sahib dreamt of regaining the Maratha confederation.

Nana Sahib’s Declaration of War

Nana Sahib sent a declaration of war to General Wheeler, stating that he would launch an attack on June 6, 1857, at 10 am. Around 10:30, his army began assaulting the temporary establishments of General Wheeler. When news of Nana Sahib’s stance spread, the leaderless rebels gathered, numbering about 15,000 soldiers. Wheeler spread a rumor that explosives had been filed in trenches around the compound. The rebels attacked day and night, but Wheeler remained resolute. Deaths due to diseases, heat, and attacks continued to rise daily. The British piled the bodies outside the barracks during the day and placed them in a dry well at night, as the ground was hard and digging graves was difficult.

Prophecy About Company’s Rule

There was an evangelistic rumor in India that the Company’s rule would end after a hundred years. That is why the enthusiasm of the soldiers was very high. On June 23, 1857, the hundred years completed, to Battle of Plassey. As mention in autobiography Satyaram a loyal sepoy of East India Company;1

“Our learned men, told us that the Company’s rule would come to an end in 1857, since this was one hundred years after the Company’s first great battle”

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