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The first rebellion

STEEPED IN HISTORY The Vellore Fort

Delhi, whose views are said to be the nation's, has begun drawing up plans for a great commemoration next year of the Rebellion of 1857 that the British like to call the Sepoy Mutiny and some Indian historians like to call `The First War of Independence'. But it's not too late for the Government of Tamil Nadu to challenge that view and plan a celebration of its own of what might be called the first major military revolt against the British in India and which might, as extravagantly as in the instance mentioned above, also be called `The First War of Indian Independence'.

The first scent of that almost forgotten revolt was when, two hundred years ago, on June 17, 1806, Mustafa Beg, a sepoy with the Madras Infantry in Vellore Fort, told his commander that a revolt was imminent and that plans had begun to be hatched for it in May. His allegation was investigated by a committee of Indian subedars who decided that not only was the report false but that the tattletale was insane. Mustafa Beg was imprisoned, but managed to escape in the confusion that followed when the greater part of the 1500-strong Indian garrison at Vellore revolted at 3 a.m. on July10, 1806 and killed over a hundred of the 350 European soldiers on garrison duty with them before taking over the Fort. By 10 a.m., British and Madras Cavalry from Arcot 20 miles away charged through the gates of the fort that had been left open by the celebrating sepoys — and a massacre followed. Over 350 of the rebels were killed and as many injured before Col. Rollo Gillespie, who led the charge, secured the fort again. Mustafa Beg, who had meanwhile escaped from prison, later reported for duty and received a monetary reward and a subedar's pension.

The revolt of 1806 might not have been as effective or as widespread as the 1857 one, but it was the disaffection of the 1/1,2/1,2/3 and 2/4 Madras Infantry, the regiment from which the Indian Army grew, that initiated a British rethinking of recruitment in the South and the beginning of recruitment in the North, particularly in Bengal, Bihar and what became the United Provinces. But the British demonstrated in 1857 that they had learnt little from the revolt in Vellore when it came to dealing with the Bengal Army they had nurtured after the events in the South. The Vellore Rebellion had been sparked by orders to the sepoys to remove caste-marks, earrings and beards and to wear newly designed turbans with leather embellishments. It was similar affronts to tradition that led to the Bengal Army revolting in 1857.

Several other revolts of the Madras Army followed during this 50-year period as the British began to expand their influence in India. That expansion policy had in fact begun in the 1760s, after the defeat in the Carnatic of the French — who had first moved from trade to playing a role in local politics. It was as successors to this role that the British first met opposition within their own ranks. Mohammed Yusuf Khan, described by the British military leadership itself as "the bravest and ablest of all the native soldiers that ever served the English in India", was perhaps responsible more than anyone else for the English victory in the Carnatic, his guerrilla tactics preventing the French from establishing secure supply lines. Rewarded with the overlordship of the districts of Madurai and Tirunelveli by the British, he was pushed into revolt in 1763 when the English went back on their word. For nearly a year he was besieged in Madurai, winning many a skirmish and never really in danger. But then he was betrayed from within — and then once again betrayed by the British who had promised him a fair trial in Madras. Instead, he was handed over on October 15,1764 to his rival, Nawab Mohammad Ali of Wallajah, who promptly hanged him.

Just as Yusuf Khan needs to be remembered, so does the Vellore Revolt of 200 years ago. In no sepoy revolt till then had so many Indian soldiers lost their lives.

S. MUTHIAH

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