In 1857, several massacres took place at Cawnpore (Kanpur), a city in northern India, 48 miles from Lucknow. British and Indian soldiers were responsible for the torture and killing of soldiers and civilians.
The Siege of Cawnpore
On 5 June 1857, two Indian regiments at Cawnpore rebelled. For three weeks, they held British soldiers, sepoys and civilians under siege. Men from the 32nd Regiment were part of this Cawnpore defence force.
The Bibighar Massacre
On 24 June 1857, the rebel leader, Nana Saheb, offered the British safe passage by boat if they surrendered.
During the evacuation, the rebels launched an ambush. They captured around 200 women and children, and took them to a villa in Cawnpore called the Bibighar.
On 15 July 1857, the captives were executed. Some of the sepoys refused to harm them, deliberately shooting over their heads. Yet, by the next day, most of the women and children were dead. Their bodies were taken out of the Bibighar, stripped, and thrown down a well.
Remember Cawnpore
In response, the British soldiers tortured and hanged thousands of Indians, including many innocent civilians.
“Remember Cawnpore!” became a war-cry for British troops who wanted revenge on the rebels.
Headline Image Courtesy of the National Army Museum, London