Suppression of the Revolt

At a Glance

• What it is The British recovery of control, September 1857 to 1859
• Delhi Recaptured September 1857; Bahadur Shah exiled to Rangoon
• Others Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Gwalior recaptured; Tantia Tope captured in April 1859
• End British authority fully re-established by the end of 1859
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: The Revolt of 1857

Where Does It Fit?

This is the fifth topic of the category on the Revolt of 1857. The previous topic named the centres and leaders. This topic tells how the British defeated the rebels, centre by centre. The next topic explains why the revolt failed. Previous topic: Storm Centres and Leaders of the Revolt.

How Was Delhi Recaptured?

The British captured Delhi in September 1857 after prolonged and bitter fighting. The chapter dates the capture to 20 September; other accounts date the assault to 14 September and the city’s fall to 21 September, with the emperor taken on 20 September. John Nicholson, the leader of the siege, was badly wounded and later died of his injuries.

Bahadur Shah was taken prisoner. The royal princes were captured and shot at point-blank range on the spot by Lieutenant Hodson (spelled Hudson in the chapter). The emperor was exiled to Rangoon, where he died in 1862, and the great House of the Mughals was finally and completely extinguished. Terrible vengeance was wreaked on the inhabitants of Delhi. With the fall of Delhi, the focal point of the revolt disappeared.

How Were Kanpur and Lucknow Retaken?

Military operations for the recapture of Kanpur were closely associated with the recovery of Lucknow. British forces under Havelock retook Kanpur in July 1857, and Sir Colin Campbell, the new commander-in-chief, occupied Kanpur on 6 December 1857. At Lucknow, the early attempts of Sir Henry Havelock and Sir James Outram to recover the city failed. Campbell evacuated the Europeans from the Residency, with the help of Gorkha regiments, in November 1857. In March 1858 the city was finally recovered, but guerrilla activity continued till September of the same year.

Nana Saheb, defeated at Kanpur, escaped to Nepal in early 1859, never to be heard of again.

What Happened in Jhansi and Gwalior?

The Rani of Jhansi and Tantia Tope marched to Gwalior, where they were hailed by the soldiers, as told in Storm Centres and Leaders of the Revolt. Jhansi was recaptured by Sir Hugh Rose in April 1858. The Rani died on the battlefield in June 1858, and Gwalior was recaptured by the English in the same month. Tantia Tope escaped into the jungles of central India, but was captured while asleep in April 1859 and put to death.

What Happened to the Other Leaders?

The chapter also lists Rao Sahib, Nana Saheb’s brother, among those dead by 1859, but other sources record that he was captured and hanged at a later date. At Benaras, a rebellion was organised and mercilessly suppressed by Colonel Neill, who put to death all suspected rebels and even disorderly sepoys.

What Was the End?

By the end of 1859 British authority over India was fully re-established. The British government had to pour immense supplies of men, money and arms into the country, though the Indians later repaid the entire cost through their own suppression. Hostilities were formally declared over on 8 July 1859.

As an analytical point, the order of recapture shows the British strategy: Delhi first, because it was the symbol of the revolt; then the cities of Awadh and Rohilkhand; then central India, where the last leaders fled through jungle country. The causes that explain why the British won are examined in Why the Revolt Failed, and the changes that followed in Consequences and Significance of the Revolt.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Dates and names Delhi 1857, Lucknow March 1858, Tantia Tope 1859 and the fate of leaders are asked
• Link to failure The suppression leads to the question why the revolt failed
• Mains theme Brutality of repression is often used in answers

What Came Next?

The next topic explains why the revolt failed. Next topic: Why the Revolt Failed.

Key People and Terms

• Hodson The British officer who captured Bahadur Shah and shot the princes
• John Nicholson The leader of the British siege of Delhi
• Sir Colin Campbell The new commander-in-chief who relieved Lucknow
• Sir Hugh Rose The British general who retook Jhansi and Gwalior
• Colonel Neill The officer who suppressed the rising at Benaras
• Rangoon The place of exile of Bahadur Shah

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask how the revolt was suppressed and with what consequences. These points add depth.

• Symbolic centre first Delhi’s fall removed the focal point
• Brutality Vengeance on Delhi and Benaras
• Cost Indians repaid the cost of their own suppression