Central India Campaign (1858)
Encyclopedia
The Central India Campaign was one of the last series of actions in the Indian rebellion of 1857
, (also known as the First Indian War of Independence or Indian Mutiny). A small British and Indian Army (from the Bombay Presidency) overcame a disunited collection of states in a single rapid campaign, although determined rebels continued a guerilla campaign for another year.
The area known to the British at the time as Central India is now occupied by parts of Madhya Pradesh
and Rajasthan
states. In 1857, it was administered as the Central India Agency
and consisted of six large and almost 150 small states, nominally under Maratha
or Mogul
princes, but actually controlled to a greater or lesser degree by Residents or Commissioners appointed by the British East India Company
. Opposition to British control centred on Jhansi
, where the Rani Lakshmi Bai, widow of the last prince, opposed the British annexation of the state under the notorious doctrine of lapse
.
The loyalty of the Indian soldiers (sepoys) of the East India Company
's Bengal Army
had been under increasing strain over the previous decade, and on May 10, 1857, the sepoys at Meerut, north of Delhi
, broke into open rebellion. News of this outbreak spread rapidly, and most other units of the Bengal Army also rebelled.
Nine regiments of Bengal Native Infantry and three of cavalry were stationed in Central India. There was also a large Gwalior Contingent, raised largely from Oudh (or Awadh) and similar in organisation to the irregular units of the Bengal Army, but in the service of the Maharajah Jayajirao Scindia
of Gwalior, who remained allied to the British. Almost all these units rose up against their officers during June and July. There were very few British units to oppose them, and Central India fell entirely out of British control.
At Jhansi, British officers, civilians and dependents took shelter in the fort on June 5. They emerged three days later and were murdered by the rebellious sepoys and irregulars. Rani Lakshmi Bai denied any complicity in this act but was nevertheless blamed by the British.
Over the next few months, most of the former Company regiments marched to take part in the Siege of Delhi, where they were eventually defeated. The Gwalior Contingent remained largely inactive until October, when they were led to defeat at Cawnpore
by Tantya Tope. These defeats deprived the rebels of a substantial body of trained and experienced troops, and made the subsequent British campaign easier. Meanwhile, most of the now independent princes began raising levies and warring with each other, or demanding ransoms from each other on threat of force. The Nawab of Banda, who induced several units of sepoys to join his service on the promise of loot, appears to have been particularly rapacious.
One Mogul prince, Firuz Shah, attempted to lead an army into the Bombay Presidency to the south, but was defeated by a small force under the acting Commissioner for Central India, Sir Henry Durand
. Durand then overawed the Holkar Tukojirao II (the ruler of Indore
in southern Central India), into surrender.
The Central India Field Force, under Sir Hugh Rose took the field around Indore in late December, 1857. The force consisted of two small brigades only. About half the troops were Indian units from the Bombay Presidency army, which had not been affected to the same extent by the tensions which led the Bengal Army to rebel. Rose would initially be opposed only by the various armed retainers and levied forces of the Rajahs, whose equipment and efficiency were sometimes in doubt. Much of the rebel attention was focused to the north of the region, where Tantya Tope and other leaders were attempting to aid the rebels in Awadh, making Rose's campaign from the south comparatively easy.
Rose's first mission was to relieve the town of Saugor, where a small European garrison was besieged. He accomplished this on February 5 after some hard-fought battles against Afghan
and Pakhtun mercenaries at Rathgar
. Thousands of local villagers welcomed him as a liberator, freeing them from rebel occupation. . His force had then to wait at Saugor for several weeks while transport and supplies were collected.
They then advanced towards Jhansi. The rebels attempted to stand before the city but they were decisively defeated at Madanpur
and fled, demoralised, into the city. Rose ignored instructions from the Commander in Chief to detach forces to assist two "loyal" Rajahs, and laid siege to Jhansi on March 24. On March 31, Tantya Tope led an army in an attempt to relieve the city. Even though he attacked at the most opportune moment, his scratch force was no match for Rose's troops, and he was defeated at the Battle of the Betwa the next day and forced to retreat. At the height of the hottest and driest part of the year, the rebels set fire to the forests to delay British pursuit, but the blaze disrupted their own army. They eventually retreated to Kalpi
, abandoning all their guns.
Jhansi was stormed on April 5. There were a number of atrocities committed by the attackers, and much looting and indiscipline. 5,000 defenders and civilians died. (British casualties were 343). Rani Lakshmi Bai escaped, probably while Rose's cavalry were busy looting.
Rose was once again forced to pause while discipline and order was restored, but advanced on May 5 towards Kalpi
. Once again, the rebels attempted to fight in front of the city, and once again the British won a decisive although largely bloodless victory, at Kunch on May 6. This led to demoralisation and mutual recrimination among the rebels, but their morale recovered when the Nawab of Banda reinforced them with his troops. On May 16, they fought desperately to save the city, but were again defeated. Although there were few British battle casualties, many of Rose's soldiers were struck down by sunstroke.
, Rose thought the campaign was over and applied to go on sick leave. The rebel leaders managed to rally some of their forces, and agreed on a plan to capture Gwalior from its ruler, Maharajah Sindia, who had continued to side with the British. On June 1, the rebel army attacked Sindia's retainers at Morar
, a large military cantonment a few miles east of Gwalior. A charge by the rebels' cavalry captured Sindia's artillery, following which most of Sindia's troops either deserted or defected. Sindia and a few adherents fled to the British garrison at Agra
.
The rebels captured Gwalior, but there was no looting, other than from Sindia's treasury to pay the rebel troops. The rebels now wasted time celebrating and proclaiming the renewed rebellion. Rose had offered to remain in the field until his replacement arrived, and on June 12, he recaptured Morar, in spite of the great heat and humidity. Rani Lakshmi Bai was killed in a cavalry action near Kotah-ke-Serai on June 17. Over the next two days, most rebels abandoned Gwalior while the British recaptured the city, although there was some desperate resistance before the fort fell.
. Other leaders joined him, among them Rao Sahib, Man Singh, and Firuz Shah (who had been fighting in Rohilkhand
). Eventually in April 1859, Tantya Tope was betrayed by Man Singh, and hanged.
In many cases, the defenders of cities and fortresses fought well at first but were demoralised when relieving forces were defeated, and then abandoned easily defended positions without fighting.
By contrast, Durand, Rose, and their principal subordinates had acted quickly and decisively. Many of their forces came from the Bombay Army, which was not disaffected to the same degree as the Bengal Army.
was awarded to the bulk of regiments of the British Indian Army vide Gazette of India No 4 of 1864, to the Hyderabad Contingent vide 1014 of 1866 and 178 of 1878 and to the Merwara and Deoli Regiments vide 78 of 1887 and 1146 of 1912. The honour is repugnant
.
Units awarded this honour were:
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 Indian War of Independence or Indian Mutiny). A small British and Indian Army (from the Bombay Presidency) overcame a disunited collection of states in a single rapid campaign, although determined rebels continued a guerilla campaign for another year.
Outbreak of the Rebellion
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
and Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
states. In 1857, it was administered as the Central India Agency
Central India Agency
The Central India Agency was a political office of the British Indian Empire, which covered the northern half of present-day Madhya Pradesh state. The Central India Agency was made up entirely of princely states, which were under native rulers...
and consisted of six large and almost 150 small states, nominally under Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
or Mogul
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
princes, but actually controlled to a greater or lesser degree by Residents or Commissioners appointed by the British East India Company
British 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...
. Opposition to British control centred on Jhansi
Jhansi
Jhansi Hindi:झाँसी, , Marathi: झाशी, is a historical city of India. Jhansi is the administrative headquarters of Jhansi District and Jhansi Division. The original walled city grew up around its stone fort, which crowns a neighboring rock. This district is on the bank of river Betwa.The National...
, where the Rani Lakshmi Bai, widow of the last prince, opposed the British annexation of the state under the notorious doctrine of lapse
Doctrine of lapse
The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy purportedly devised by Lord Dalhousie, who was the Governor General for the British in India between 1848 and 1856...
.
The loyalty of the Indian soldiers (sepoys) of the East India Company
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 Bengal Army
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
had been under increasing strain over the previous decade, and on May 10, 1857, the sepoys at Meerut, north of 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...
, broke into open rebellion. News of this outbreak spread rapidly, and most other units of the Bengal Army also rebelled.
Nine regiments of Bengal Native Infantry and three of cavalry were stationed in Central India. There was also a large Gwalior Contingent, raised largely from Oudh (or Awadh) and similar in organisation to the irregular units of the Bengal Army, but in the service of the Maharajah Jayajirao Scindia
Jayajirao Scindia
|Jayajirao Scindia of the Scindia dynasty was the ruling Maharajah of Gwalior from 1843 to 1886 under the British rule.-Early life:...
of Gwalior, who remained allied to the British. Almost all these units rose up against their officers during June and July. There were very few British units to oppose them, and Central India fell entirely out of British control.
At Jhansi, British officers, civilians and dependents took shelter in the fort on June 5. They emerged three days later and were murdered by the rebellious sepoys and irregulars. Rani Lakshmi Bai denied any complicity in this act but was nevertheless blamed by the British.
Over the next few months, most of the former Company regiments marched to take part in the Siege of Delhi, where they were eventually defeated. The Gwalior Contingent remained largely inactive until October, when they were led to defeat at 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:...
by Tantya Tope. These defeats deprived the rebels of a substantial body of trained and experienced troops, and made the subsequent British campaign easier. Meanwhile, most of the now independent princes began raising levies and warring with each other, or demanding ransoms from each other on threat of force. The Nawab of Banda, who induced several units of sepoys to join his service on the promise of loot, appears to have been particularly rapacious.
One Mogul prince, Firuz Shah, attempted to lead an army into the Bombay Presidency to the south, but was defeated by a small force under the acting Commissioner for Central India, Sir Henry Durand
Henry Durand
Henry Durand is credited having songwritten Bright College Years, the Yale University alma mater with Carl Wilhelm. Durand was born in Cincinnati, OH and prepared for Yale at the Hopkins School...
. Durand then overawed the Holkar Tukojirao II (the ruler of Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
in southern Central India), into surrender.
The Campaign to the fall of Kalpi
Rose's first mission was to relieve the town of Saugor, where a small European garrison was besieged. He accomplished this on February 5 after some hard-fought battles against 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...
and Pakhtun mercenaries at Rathgar
Rathgar
Rathgar is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, lying about 3 kilometres south of the city centre.-Amenities:Rathgar is largely a quiet suburb with good amenities, including primary and secondary schools, nursing homes, child-care and sports facilities, and good public transport to the city centre...
. Thousands of local villagers welcomed him as a liberator, freeing them from rebel occupation. . His force had then to wait at Saugor for several weeks while transport and supplies were collected.
Madanpur
Madanpur is a census town under Kalyani police station of Kalyani subdivision in Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Madanpur is located at . It has an average elevation of .-Demographics:...
and fled, demoralised, into the city. Rose ignored instructions from the Commander in Chief to detach forces to assist two "loyal" Rajahs, and laid siege to Jhansi on March 24. On March 31, Tantya Tope led an army in an attempt to relieve the city. Even though he attacked at the most opportune moment, his scratch force was no match for Rose's troops, and he was defeated at the Battle of the Betwa the next day and forced to retreat. At the height of the hottest and driest part of the year, the rebels set fire to the forests to delay British pursuit, but the blaze disrupted their own army. They eventually retreated to Kalpi
Kalpi
Kalpi is a city and a municipal board in Jalaun district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is on the right bank of the Yamuna.-History:...
, abandoning all their guns.
Jhansi was stormed on April 5. There were a number of atrocities committed by the attackers, and much looting and indiscipline. 5,000 defenders and civilians died. (British casualties were 343). Rani Lakshmi Bai escaped, probably while Rose's cavalry were busy looting.
Rose was once again forced to pause while discipline and order was restored, but advanced on May 5 towards Kalpi
Kalpi
Kalpi is a city and a municipal board in Jalaun district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is on the right bank of the Yamuna.-History:...
. Once again, the rebels attempted to fight in front of the city, and once again the British won a decisive although largely bloodless victory, at Kunch on May 6. This led to demoralisation and mutual recrimination among the rebels, but their morale recovered when the Nawab of Banda reinforced them with his troops. On May 16, they fought desperately to save the city, but were again defeated. Although there were few British battle casualties, many of Rose's soldiers were struck down by sunstroke.
The recapture of Gwalior
With the fall of KalpiKalpi
Kalpi is a city and a municipal board in Jalaun district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is on the right bank of the Yamuna.-History:...
, Rose thought the campaign was over and applied to go on sick leave. The rebel leaders managed to rally some of their forces, and agreed on a plan to capture Gwalior from its ruler, Maharajah Sindia, who had continued to side with the British. On June 1, the rebel army attacked Sindia's retainers at Morar
Morar
Morar is a small village on the west coast of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the wider district around the village....
, a large military cantonment a few miles east of Gwalior. A charge by the rebels' cavalry captured Sindia's artillery, following which most of Sindia's troops either deserted or defected. Sindia and a few adherents fled to the British 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...
.
The rebels captured Gwalior, but there was no looting, other than from Sindia's treasury to pay the rebel troops. The rebels now wasted time celebrating and proclaiming the renewed rebellion. Rose had offered to remain in the field until his replacement arrived, and on June 12, he recaptured Morar, in spite of the great heat and humidity. Rani Lakshmi Bai was killed in a cavalry action near Kotah-ke-Serai on June 17. Over the next two days, most rebels abandoned Gwalior while the British recaptured the city, although there was some desperate resistance before the fort fell.
Last actions
Most of the rebel leaders now surrendered or went into hiding, but Tantya Tope remained in the field. Aided by monsoon rains which delayed his pursuers, Tantya continued to dodge around Central IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Other leaders joined him, among them Rao Sahib, Man Singh, and Firuz Shah (who had been fighting in Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
). Eventually in April 1859, Tantya Tope was betrayed by Man Singh, and hanged.
Review
Indian historians criticise the conduct of the Indian princes, most of whom were self-interested or effete, and the lack of leadership among the sepoys. In the East India Company's Army, no Indian soldier could attain a rank greater than that equivalent to a subaltern or senior warrant officer. Most of the sepoys' officers were elderly men who had attained their rank through seniority while seeing little action and receiving no training as leaders. The rebellion therefore depended on charismatic leaders such as Tantya Tope and Rani Lakshmi Bai, who nevertheless were regarded with jealousy and animosity by many other princes.In many cases, the defenders of cities and fortresses fought well at first but were demoralised when relieving forces were defeated, and then abandoned easily defended positions without fighting.
By contrast, Durand, Rose, and their principal subordinates had acted quickly and decisively. Many of their forces came from the Bombay Army, which was not disaffected to the same degree as the Bengal Army.
Battle Honour
The battle honourBattle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
was awarded to the bulk of regiments of the British Indian Army vide Gazette of India No 4 of 1864, to the Hyderabad Contingent vide 1014 of 1866 and 178 of 1878 and to the Merwara and Deoli Regiments vide 78 of 1887 and 1146 of 1912. The honour is repugnant
Repugnant battle honours of the Indian Army
Some battle honours earned by Indian Army units, which are descended from erstwhile units of the British East India Company, and later the British Raj, have been declared as repugnant by the Government of India. Indian Army units do not inscribe these battle honours on their colours and do not...
.
Units awarded this honour were:
- 4th Hyderabad Cavalry - 8th King George's Own Light Cavalry8th King George's Own Light CavalryThe 8th King George's Own Light Cavalry was formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 26th King George's Own Light Cavalry and the 30th Lancers following a re-organisation of the Indian Cavalry Corps. Both regiments were regular cavalry units that had had long and distinguished records in the...
- 3rd Bombay Cavalry - Poona Horse
- 1st Hyderabad Cavalry - Deccan Horse
- 1st Sindh Horse - Scinde Horse
- Madras Sappers and Miners
- Bombay Sappers and Miners
- 19th Madras Infantry - 3rd Battalion, the Madras RegimentMadras RegimentThe Madras Regiment is the oldest regiment in the Indian army formed in the 1750s. The regiment has been through many campaigns with both the British Indian Army and the Indian Army.- History :...
- 12th Bombay Infantry - 5th Battalion, The GrenadiersThe GrenadiersThe Grenadiers are an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, formerly part of the Bombay Army and later the pre-independence Indian Army, when the regiment was known as the 4th Bombay Grenadiers. It has distinguished itself during the two world wars and also since the Independence of India...
- 13th Bombay Infantry - The GrenadiersThe GrenadiersThe Grenadiers are an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, formerly part of the Bombay Army and later the pre-independence Indian Army, when the regiment was known as the 4th Bombay Grenadiers. It has distinguished itself during the two world wars and also since the Independence of India...
Regimental Centre - 10th Bombay Infantry - 3rd Battalion, Maratha Light InfantryMaratha Light InfantryThe Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was formed as the 103rd Maharattas in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment of the Army....
now 2nd Battalion, the Parachute RegimentParachute Regiment (India)-History:The first Indian airborne formation was the 50 Independent Parachute Brigade raised on 29 October 1941 with 151 British, 152 Indian, and 153 Gurkha Parachute Battalions and other support units....
. - 25th Bombay Infantry - 5th Battalion, Rajputana RiflesRajputana RiflesThe Rajputana Rifles is the most senior rifle regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally raised in 1921 as part of the British Indian Army, when six previously existing regiments were amalgamated together to form six battalions of the 6th Rajputana Rifles...
- 2nd Bengal Infantry - 1st Battalion, Rajput RegimentRajput RegimentThe Rajput Regiment is a regiment in the Indian Army that is composed primarily of the Rajput clans from India. The British designated the Rajputs as a martial race and subsequently employed large numbers of these warriors in the British Indian Army....
, now 4th Battalion, the Brigade of GuardsBrigade of GuardsThe Brigade of Guards is a historical elite unit of the British Army, which has existed sporadically since the 17th century....
. - 3rd Hyderabad Infantry - 2nd Battalion, Kumaon RegimentKumaon RegimentThe Kumaon Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world wars...
- 5th Hyderabad Infantry - 4th Battalion, Kumaon RegimentKumaon RegimentThe Kumaon Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world wars...
- 1st, 2nd Bombay Cavalry - 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Pakistan)
- 24th Bombay Infantry - 1st Battalion, 10th Baluch RegimentBaluch RegimentBaluch Regiment may refer to:*the 10th Baluch Regiment of the Indian Army *the successor Baloch Regiment of the Pakistan Army...
(Pakistan) - 50th Madras Infantry - Disbanded 1862
- 3rd Sindh Horse - Disbanded 1882
- 3rd Hyderabad Cavalry - Disbanded 1901
- 42nd Deoli Regiment42nd Deoli RegimentThe 42nd Deoli Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment traced their origins to 1857, when the Meena Battalion was raised during the Indian Mutiny. This battalion was the nucleus for the infantry of the Deoli Irregular Force which in May 1861, numbered eight...
- Disbanded 1921 - 44th Merwara Infantry44th Merwara InfantryThe 44th Merwara Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1824, when the Sylhet Light Infantry was raised. This first 44th eventually became the 44th Gurkhas and later 8th Gurkha Rifles....
- Disbanded 1921 - 1st Madras Infantry (1st Bn Madras Pioneers) - Disbanded 1933
- 1st, 2nd, 4th Batteries (Hyderabad Contingent) - Disbanded circa 1950