Sepoy Mutiny: Read Doc. A and B . Answer Questions.

Document A: Gardiner’s English History
Samuel Rawson Gardiner (1829-1902) was an English historian and a
professor of history at King’s College in London. He wrote several books on
English history. The excerpt below comes from a book he wrote for young
students.
The Indian Mutiny of 1857
The religion of the Hindus, who form a great part of the natives in India,
teaches many things which seem very strange to Englishmen. Among other
things they are taught that they will be defiled if they eat any part of a cow.
By this defilement they will meet with much contempt from their fellows,
and will suffer much after death in another world. The bulk of the army in
India was composed of Hindus.
It happened that an improved rifle had lately been invented for the use of
the soldiers, and that the cartridges used in this rifle needed to be greased
so they could be rammed down easily into the barrel. The men believed
that the grease was made of the fat of cows, though this was not really the
case. There was, therefore, much suspicion and angry feeling among the
native soldiers, and when ignorant men are suspicious and angry they are
likely to break out into deeds of unreasoning fury.
Source: Gardiner’s English History for Schools, an English textbook edited
for American students, 1881.Vocabulary
defiled: made dirty, spoiled, ruined
contempt: disrespect
cartridge: ammunition for a gun or rifle
fury: extreme anger

Document B: Sir Colin Campbell (Modified)
Sir Colin Campbell took charge of British forces during the uprising. In this
passage from his book on the uprising, he first discusses the Hindu sepoys.
These soldiers included members of various castes, and a sizable number of
them were Brahmins, the highest caste.
Any considerable offence offered to [the Brahmins] . . . might seriously
endanger the fidelity of the native troops; and there seems to be little
doubt that offence has been given. Injudicious attempts to convert sepoys
to Christianity have been made, and [the sepoys believed] that they were to
be converted by compulsion. . . .

At the same time it is impossible to dissociate the revolt and the [removal]
of the Muslim king of Oudh. The province of Oudh had always maintained its independence. . . . But at length the system of government became too bad to be tolerated; the court
was a mere hot bed of oppression, intrigue, and sensuality; and the British
took control of Oudh. It has never been disputed that this was a merciful change for the people of
Oudh; but the people are not always governed by reason. Prejudices –
religious, national and social – have paramount influence even in a civilized
country; this is even more true in a region sunk into barbarism.
Source: Sir Colin Campbell, Narrative of the Indian Revolt from Its Outbreak to
the Capture of Lucknow,1858.
Vocabulary
fidelity: loyalty, faithfulness
injudicious: unwise, lacking in judgment
compulsion: act of compelling or forcing
Oudh: Region in northern India
fanaticism: wild or extreme devotion or
enthusiasm, as with regard to religion or

Sepoy Rebellion Guiding Questions
Document A: Gardiner’s History
1) What kind of document is this? When was it written?
2) Who was the intended audience of this document?
3) What are the author’s main claims about what caused the Sepoy Rebellion?
4) Do you think this is a trustworthy document? Why or why not?

Document B: Colin Campbell
1) Who is Campbell? When was the document written?
2) What are Campbell’s two main claims about what caused the Sepoy Rebellion?
3) According to Campbell, why did the British take control of Oudh?
4) How does Campbell describe the residents of Oudh?