The Indian Rebellion, 1857-1859: A Military History in the Global Context

The Indian Rebellion, 1857–1859: A Military History in the Global Context focuses on the military dimension of this conflict, in which Indian rebels waged both conventional and unconventional warfare against the British. In the summer of 1857, British rule almost disintegrated in north India due to the rebellion of the Indians in the Bengal Army. The military mutiny was followed by large-scale peasant uprising. But by mid-1859, the Indian Rebellion collapsed with the military defeat of the rebels. This book is the first one based on archival sources, from both India and the United Kingdom, dealing with the military history of the mid-nineteenth-century Indian Rebellion. The volume wrestles with the questions of why and how the British won, ipso facto, and why and how the rebels lost. The book also situates the military experience of the mid-nineteenth century Indian subcontinent within a global context. Besides traditional themes like strategy, tactics, technology, command, and logistics, the topics introduced by ‘new’ military history, such as experiences of war, impact on society and the construction of identities, are addressed throughout. The Indian Rebellion, 1857–1859 is essential for students and researchers of military history, modern Indian history, and British Imperial history.