Imperialism: The Sepoy Mutiny

Also known as the Great Rebellion, the Sepoy Mutiny occurred in India in 1857 as Indian soldiers in the service of the British East India Company revolted against the violation of religious rights of the soldiers. When rumors circulated that the cartridges of the new Enfield rifles were grease with the fat of cows and pigs, and that they must be bitten of to operate the rifle deeply offended the Hindu and Muslim sepoys, who respectively hold the cow sacred and abstain from eating pork. The initial uprising began in the town of Meerut and quickly spread throughout central India, threatening the British East India companies holdings in the region. Under the leadership of men like Rani of Jhansi, the movement continued to grow until it was crushed by the British government in 1859. While this revolt did result in the end of the British East India Company, it ushered in a new era known as Raj, where the British government took complete control of India politics, establishing it as a royal colony.