Battle of Agra
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Agra was a comparatively minor but nevertheless decisive action during the Indian Rebellion of 1857
(also known as the First War of Indian Independence or the Indian Mutiny). Indian rebels attacked a column of British troops which had relieved a garrison at Agra
, but although they surprised the column, they were defeated and dispersed. This allowed the British
to establish communications across all of Northern India, and to concentrate troops for the vital Relief of Lucknow.
's army), a battery of artillery also manned by white troops, and the 44th and 67th Regiments of Bengal Native Infantry.
The loyalty of the sepoy
s (Indian soldiers) of the Bengal Army had been wavering for several years, as they feared that the actions and reforms of the East India Company were threatening Indian society and their own caste
and status. After increasing unrest during the early months of 1857, the sepoys at Meerut broke into rebellion on 10 May 1857. They subsequently moved to Delhi
, where they called on more sepoys to join them, and for the Emperor Bahadur Shah II
to lead a nation-wide rebellion.
News of the revolt spread fast. In Agra, the news prompted the local British commanders to disarm the two Bengal Native Infantry regiments on 31 May, thus forestalling any potential uprising, although the regiments had apparently made no hostile moves in the fortnight since news of the events at Delhi had reached them. Nevertheless, the news of the events at Delhi and the increasing unrest in the countryside prompted 6,000 refugees (British civilians and their families and servants) to converge on Agra and take shelter in the historic Agra Fort
. Although the fort was well provisioned, the sanitation and medical facilities were poor. After an uprising in the city in June, the British were blockaded in the Fort.
They endured a desultory siege for three months. Morale was poor, and the understrength Bengal Fusiliers were mainly raw and untrained troops. Delhi however, was too strong an attraction for the sepoys and other rebels. Many thousands of these moved to Delhi, where they were unable to dislodge a British force on the ridge to the north-west, but none of the rebel leaders there attempted to organise a force to clear the comparatively easy target of Agra.
ended with the storming of the city by the British. Within days, the victorious besiegers had organised columns which secured the countryside around the city. The strongest column consisted of 750 British soldiers, and 1,900 Sikh
and Punjabi soldiers, under Brigadier Edward Greathed (formerly the commanding officer of the 8th (King's) Regiment
). It moved out of the city on 24 September. Several officers were surprised that the column was able to move so promptly, given the exhausted and debauched state of many units after the siege and storming of the city.
Greathed's column moved along the Grand Trunk Road
, taking indiscriminate punitive measures against several Indian villages. Although Greathed intended to move directly to Cawnpore, which had been recaptured by the British in July (see Siege of Cawnpore
), he received several urgent requests for aid from Agra. Some of the rebels who had retreated from Delhi were said to have rallied at Muttra near Agra, and the garrison were alarmed at what seemed to be an imminent threat.
Greathed accordingly marched his troops and his large baggage train of elephants, camels and bullock carts 44 miles (70.8 km) to Agra in twenty-eight hours. On arrival, his force received a cool reception from the garrison. His battle-weary British troops in worn khaki
dress were mistaken at first for Afghan
tribesmen by some of the civilians. By contrast the soldiers of the garrison were still splendid in scarlet uniforms with pipeclayed white belts.
Round shot from 12 sepoy cannons raked the British bivouac area. Cavalry descended upon the British, musket balls filled the air and there was hand-to-hand combat between the British and their attackers. The veteran British, Sikhs and Punjabis nevertheless rallied, fell into their ranks, and returned the fire. The British cavalry outflanked the attackers on both flanks.
The rebels fled, but regrouped and tried to stand 4 miles (6.4 km) along the road to Gwalior. Grape shot from British cannon and a cavalry charge broke their line. The British cavalry then pursued those fleeing for miles.
and the Second Battle of Cawnpore
.)
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
(also known as the First War of Indian Independence or the Indian Mutiny). Indian rebels attacked a column of British troops which had relieved a garrison at Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
, but although they surprised the column, they were defeated and dispersed. This allowed the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to establish communications across all of Northern India, and to concentrate troops for the vital Relief of Lucknow.
Background
Before the rebellion broke out, Agra was an important centre of British administration and commerce. Stationed in the military cantonments nearby were the 3rd Bengal Fusiliers (a "European" regiment of infantry of the British East India CompanyBritish East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
's army), a battery of artillery also manned by white troops, and the 44th and 67th Regiments of Bengal Native Infantry.
The loyalty of the sepoy
Sepoy
A sepoy was formerly the designation given to an Indian soldier in the service of a European power. In the modern Indian Army, Pakistan Army and Bangladesh Army it remains in use for the rank of private soldier.-Etymology and Historical usage:...
s (Indian soldiers) of the Bengal Army had been wavering for several years, as they feared that the actions and reforms of the East India Company were threatening Indian society and their own caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
and status. After increasing unrest during the early months of 1857, the sepoys at Meerut broke into rebellion on 10 May 1857. They subsequently moved to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, where they called on more sepoys to join them, and for the Emperor Bahadur Shah II
Bahadur Shah II
His Royal Highness Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar , also known as Bahadur Shah or Bahadur Shah II was the last of the Mughal emperors in India, as well as the last ruler of the Timurid Dynasty.He was the son of Akbar Shah II and Lalbai, who was a Hindu Rajput...
to lead a nation-wide rebellion.
News of the revolt spread fast. In Agra, the news prompted the local British commanders to disarm the two Bengal Native Infantry regiments on 31 May, thus forestalling any potential uprising, although the regiments had apparently made no hostile moves in the fortnight since news of the events at Delhi had reached them. Nevertheless, the news of the events at Delhi and the increasing unrest in the countryside prompted 6,000 refugees (British civilians and their families and servants) to converge on Agra and take shelter in the historic Agra Fort
Agra Fort
Agra Fort, is a monument situated at Agra, is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal...
. Although the fort was well provisioned, the sanitation and medical facilities were poor. After an uprising in the city in June, the British were blockaded in the Fort.
They endured a desultory siege for three months. Morale was poor, and the understrength Bengal Fusiliers were mainly raw and untrained troops. Delhi however, was too strong an attraction for the sepoys and other rebels. Many thousands of these moved to Delhi, where they were unable to dislodge a British force on the ridge to the north-west, but none of the rebel leaders there attempted to organise a force to clear the comparatively easy target of Agra.
Relief
On 21 September, the Siege of DelhiSiege of Delhi
The Siege of Delhi was one of the decisive conflicts of the Indian rebellion of 1857.The rebellion against the authority of the British East India Company was widespread through much of Northern India, but essentially it was sparked by the mass uprising by the sepoys of the units of the Army which...
ended with the storming of the city by the British. Within days, the victorious besiegers had organised columns which secured the countryside around the city. The strongest column consisted of 750 British soldiers, and 1,900 Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
and Punjabi soldiers, under Brigadier Edward Greathed (formerly the commanding officer of the 8th (King's) Regiment
8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot
The 8th Regiment of Foot, also referred to diminutively as the 8th Foot and the King's, was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1685 and retitled the King's on 1 July 1881....
). It moved out of the city on 24 September. Several officers were surprised that the column was able to move so promptly, given the exhausted and debauched state of many units after the siege and storming of the city.
Greathed's column moved along the Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
, taking indiscriminate punitive measures against several Indian villages. Although Greathed intended to move directly to Cawnpore, which had been recaptured by the British in July (see Siege of Cawnpore
Siege of Cawnpore
The Siege of Cawnpore was a key episode in the Indian rebellion of 1857. The besieged British in Cawnpore were unprepared for an extended siege and surrendered to rebel Indian forces under Nana Sahib, in return for a safe passage to Allahabad. However, under ambiguous circumstances, their...
), he received several urgent requests for aid from Agra. Some of the rebels who had retreated from Delhi were said to have rallied at Muttra near Agra, and the garrison were alarmed at what seemed to be an imminent threat.
Greathed accordingly marched his troops and his large baggage train of elephants, camels and bullock carts 44 miles (70.8 km) to Agra in twenty-eight hours. On arrival, his force received a cool reception from the garrison. His battle-weary British troops in worn khaki
Khaki
This article is about the fabric. For the color, see Khaki . Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled "Khaki".Khaki is a type of fabric or the color of such fabric...
dress were mistaken at first for Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
tribesmen by some of the civilians. By contrast the soldiers of the garrison were still splendid in scarlet uniforms with pipeclayed white belts.
The battle
Having recovered from their earlier state of panic, the senior officers of the garrison now assured Greathed that the enemy had retreated across the Khara Naddi, a stream 9 miles (14.5 km) distant. Fatigued and without any apparent danger, the column retired to rest without posting sufficient pickets. Greathed himself went to take breakfast in the fort. Taking advantage of this lapse in security, the rebels launched a surprise attack.Round shot from 12 sepoy cannons raked the British bivouac area. Cavalry descended upon the British, musket balls filled the air and there was hand-to-hand combat between the British and their attackers. The veteran British, Sikhs and Punjabis nevertheless rallied, fell into their ranks, and returned the fire. The British cavalry outflanked the attackers on both flanks.
The rebels fled, but regrouped and tried to stand 4 miles (6.4 km) along the road to Gwalior. Grape shot from British cannon and a cavalry charge broke their line. The British cavalry then pursued those fleeing for miles.
Results
This small but fierce action broke organised opposition to the British between Delhi and Cawnpore. Most of the victory was due to the hardbitten British and Indian troops, who had been marching and fighting continuously for four months. They were very short of British officers, and Greathed himself was regarded disparagingly by many of his junior officers. (He nevertheless led a brigade at the Relief of LucknowSiege of Lucknow
The Siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defense of the Residency within the city of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief attempts had reached the city, the defenders and civilians were evacuated from the Residency, which was abandoned.Lucknow was the capital of...
and the Second Battle of Cawnpore
Second Battle of Cawnpore
The Second Battle of Cawnpore was a battle of Indian rebellion of 1857. It was decisive as it thwarted the rebels' last chance to regain the initiative and recapture the cities of Kanpur and Lucknow.-Background:...
.)