2016-12-22 Thu

“For real men serve their country with random acts of kindness, not vicious acts of violence. And real soldiers have one duty, and one duty only; they have a duty to mutiny!”
Joss Sheldon, 'Involution & Evolution': A rhyming anti-war novel

History is always written from the winner’s point of view, but sometimes there are many secrets that are hidden or ignored in the face of other events. Such a hidden event in Indian history which preceded the revolt of 1857 by half a century was the Mutiny of Vellore.

Vellore mutiny was the revolt of Indian soldiers against the British East India Company in 1806. It was a short-lived event but it took place on a larger-scale creating a stage for the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. This revolt was the result of the spontaneous outflow of the sepoys feelings who served under the Company.

This revolt was caused due to various attributes; these sepoys were forced to serve the company’s army. The new weapons, methods, uniforms, strict discipline and practices appeared difficult for the soldiers who were well-settled in their old ways. Lord William Bentinck, the Governor of Madras at that time gave permission to introduce a new turban which resembled the European hat. Wearing of cast marks and earrings were also prohibited. They were even asked to shave and trim their mustache.

All these things lead to the revolt of 1806 and the treatment of British didn’t help the situation because they treated Indian Sepoys with racial discrimination and inferiority. The rebellion was even more instigated by the sons of the deceased Tipu Sultan, who nursed many grudges against the British and helped the sepoys in their uprising.

On 10th July 1801 Indian soldiers killed many commanding officers of the company’s army in one day. But this revolt was crushed by Colonel Gillespi in which nearly 800 Indian soldiers had died and 600 soldiers were imprisoned in Vellore and Tiruchi. Some rebels were shot dead by the British and some were hanged, eventually, the mutiny was brought to an end.

A mutiny becomes a comparative perspective when Rebellion, Repression, and Reinvention are combined. To remember this first Mutiny which took place in Vellore, Tamilnadu India post had issued a commemorative stamp of 500 paise which was printed in security printing press, Hyderabad on 10th July 2006.