Mutiny of the Bengal Army

von By One Who Has Served Under Charles

308 Seiten, Taschenbuch

Kurzbeschreibung des Verlags

This is a contemporary account of the events of 1857, written anonymously by Colonel George Bruce Malleson and published during the early stages of the Indian Rebellion. Known as the "Red Pamphlet", it presents a strongly argued explanation of the causes of the uprising, placing considerable blame on the political policies of Lord Dalhousie, particularly the annexation of Oudh. Malleson argues that British political expansion and administrative interference had progressively undermined the confidence and loyalty of the Bengal Army. The annexation of Oudh in 1856 was, in his view, a particularly damaging development. Oudh provided a large proportion of the Bengal Army's recruits, and the removal of its ruling dynasty and disruption of traditional authority served to alienate many of the soldiers upon whom British rule depended. The book also examines the growing unease within the Bengal Native Infantry, where concerns over caste, religion and military discipline increasingly combined to erode trust between the sepoys and their British commanders. Malleson considers the fears of both Hindu and Muslim soldiers, particularly their belief that British policies threatened established religious and social practices. Alongside these political and religious concerns, Malleson is critical of the administrative and military failures that preceded the outbreak. He portrays the rebellion not simply as a sudden military mutiny, but as the culmination of growing resentment, weakened discipline and a serious failure by the authorities to understand the feelings of the native soldiery. Written during the rebellion itself, the work naturally reflects the attitudes and prejudices of its time and should be read as a contemporary interpretation rather than an impartial history. Nevertheless, its immediacy makes it a fascinating and important source for understanding how the causes of the Indian Rebellion were perceived by British observers in 1857. The "Red Pamphlet" remains an intriguing account of the collapse of loyalty within the Bengal Army and the political, military and social tensions that helped bring about one of the most significant uprisings in the history of British India.

• Reihe: No Series Linked
• Themen: Geschichte und Archäologie Geschichte Militärgeschichte
• ISBN: 9781845742423
• Sprache: Englisch
• Erscheinungsdatum: 21.02.2005
• Größe: 216 x 140 mm
• Verlag: Naval & Military Press