Indian Mutiny

Revolt of Indian soldiers (sepoys) against the British in India from 1857 to 1858. The uprising was confined to the north, from Bengal to the Punjab, and central India. It led to the end of rule by the British East India Company and its replacement by direct British crown administration.

The majority of support for the mutiny came from the army and recently dethroned princes, but in some areas it developed into a peasant uprising and general revolt. It included the seizure of Delhi by the rebels, its siege and recapture by the British, and the defence of Lucknow by a British garrison. One of the rebel leaders was Nana Sahib. See also India: history 1526–1858, the Indian Mutiny.