“Is it a military mutiny, or is it a national revolt? Is the conduct of the troops the consequence of a sudden impulse, or is it the result of an organized conspiracy?”
Mr Benjamin Disraeli, former Prime Minister, MP for Buckinghamshire in 1857, Parliamentary Speech on 27 July 1857
How should we remember 1857?
The rebellions of 1857 are often called the ‘Indian Mutiny’. This term was used from 1857 because the British felt betrayed by the Indian soldiers under the employment of the British East India Company. However, not everyone agrees with the label ‘mutiny’ because it ignores the civilian component of the rebel forces. Therefore, terms such as ‘rebellion’, ‘revolt’, and ‘uprising’ may be more appropriate.
Others refer to this period as a ‘War of Independence’ where Indian soldiers and civilians were reclaiming lands taken from them by the British East India Company.
A long contested title
It is important to understand that the title for 1857 has been debated since the violence started. There were Parliamentary meetings in 1857 in which politicians argued over whether to respond to this ‘military mutiny’ with military sanctions, or whether to respond to this ‘national rebellion’ with policies targeting civilians and the wider political scene.
It is also important to recognise that India was not a united country in 1857 and that the British were supported by groups of Indian soldiers including Sikh forces in the Punjab.
Taking these factors into consideration, we have chosen to use words such as uprising and rebellion, and we refer to those fighting against the British as rebels, not ‘mutineers’ or ‘freedom fighters’.
In the museum, we have a voting box where you can tell us whether 1857 should be known as a mutiny, rebellion, or war of independence. To let us know your thoughts online, fill in this poll.
(Headline Image: Granite Monument commemorating the soldiers and families of the 32nd who fought and died in 1857)