Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-05-19
HISTORY'S
MYSTERIES
The Cause of the Sepoy Mutiny

A7HAT was the cause of the Sepoy
w mutiny? Why did the natives
suddenly rise against the English and.
without word of warning. try to
sweep them out Of India? Where they
predisposed to believe the widest
stories and to rush into action in Il
paruxysm OF terror or was the whole
affair a plot fostered and fed by one
of Englands hereditary enemies In
Europe?
These are questions Which even the
passage OF more than half century
has failed TO answer and the cause Of
the Sepoy rebellion remains today. us
II was the time ii occurred. one of
the most perplexing of historic rid
! dies.
Ii is true that the annexation policy
of Lord Dalhousie, though dictated by
a clear insight into world affairs, WAS
most distasteful. to the native mind.
The spread of education. the appear,
ance OF steam engines and telephone
wires throughout India. and the
changes which constant British occu-
patton would effect undoubtedly had n
deep effect upon the Indian mind. But
would these alone tend to mutlny and
murder, Authorities on the subject
are inclined to doubt that they would.
The Bengal Sepoys. mostly I1indus
OF high caste. regarded reforms along
Western lines rs attacks on their own
nationality and attempts to undermine
a civilization which had withstood the
ravages of centuries. They realized
what annexation meant and they be-
lieyeR that 1t was their duty to see
that India was held aloof. The numer-
GUS dethroned princes were the first
to learn and take advantage OF this
spirit of dissatisfaction. They had
heard of the Crimean war and they
had been told that Russia was the
eternal enemy of England Moreover,
they had little to lose by revolt and
much to gain.
But the movement, as undoubtedly
planned by the native leaders. WAS TO
be of far more peaceful nature than
the one which finally broke loose and.
for time, threatened to shatter British
influence on the peninsula. 1t WINS to
be battle OF wits. rather than of one
of open hostility--a diplomatic strug-
gle. instead of hand-to-hand fight.
Then. In this critical state OF affairs.
of which the British government had
no official knowledge. a rnmor ran
through the environments of the Bengal
army that the cartridges of the army
had been creased with the fat OF pigs,
considered unclean by both Moham-
medans and Hindus. No assurance
could quiet the minds of the Sepoys
Fires occurred within the native lines !;
officers were insulted by their men :,
confidence vanished and only the shell
Of discipline remained In addition,
the breaking Of the 0ng-threatened
storm found many Of the regiments
denuded Of their best officers. The
administration Of the great empire in
which Dalhousie laid the cornerstone,
required larger STAFF than the civil
service could supply, with the result
that the army was drawn upon for
some OF its ablest minds.
The annexation OF Ondh probably
added the last torch To tile rapidly
growing fire, despite the fact that the
former government OF this province
had been distinctly distasteful to the
Hindu element The enemies of Great
Britain. however. spread the word
that the government in London had
decided TO apply equally stringent
measures throughout all India and.
when the introduction Of the creased
cartridges had melted the native army
to revolt, when the advocates of mu
tiny saw nothing before them but
destruction--either of their lives or
their traditions-they fell an easy
prey to the specions arguments Of
those who were strongly opposed to
an extension Of British dominion.
All that dangerous class OF religious
fanatics and deyotees which abounds
In India. all the political intriguers. all
who had something to gain by fight
ing the Invaders, swelled the ranks
Of the enemy and gave spirit and di-
rectIon 10 their measures. They cry
throughout the country became The
English rule is at an end--let us
plunder and enjoy ourselves
But. back Of all this. it appears that
there must have been some dominat-
Ing influence, some mind that directed
the movements of the natives in their
wel-panned revolt. some spirit of
deen-seated hatred that worked up TO
the climax Of the Sepoy revolt. Who
was responsible for this? What coun-
try fostered the rebellion and fed fuel
to the flames whenever they appeared
TO be on the point of dying down?
The influence Is clear that 1t was Rus
sia-hut the evidence Is lacking and
the real cause Of the Sepoy mutiny
Ia listed among the unsolyed riddles
Of the last century.
IN no tho wheatpr Syndicate