Vellore Revolt of 1806, Tamil Nadu - earliest but short rebellion against the British company

 India's Republic day being round the corner (January 26, 2025), it is great to remember how our forefathers faced the hardship to free India from the  oppressive British rule.

The Vellore Mutiny, a major act of defiance - July 10, 1806,  marked the first ever large-scale and violent mutiny by Indian  soldiers  against the East India Company.  It was one of the earliest sign of a great but short rebellion  in the 19th century before  before the famous Rebellion of 1857 that shook the EIC at its roots. 

The Vellore Revolt of 1806 stands as a poignant chapter in India's lasting freedom struggle against British oppression, marking the first large-scale and violent uprising by Indian soldiers against the British East India Company. 

Occurring on July 10, 1806, at the Vellore Fort ( a huge fort covering 135 acres of land in the center of the city) in Tamil Nadu, the rebellion predating the Indian Rebellion of 1857 by more than half a century,  lasted merely a day, but  its impact on the English company's  Madras army was heavy. The  revolt resulted in significant casualties and showcased the growing discontent  and apathy among the Indian population under British company's rule.

Vellore Mutiny, Tamil Nadu.indiatoday.com

1806 first large scale revolt, Vellore, limewire.com

Vellore Fort, Vellore city, Tamil Nadu trawell.in

Above image Vellore Fort. After the death  of Tipu Sultan (1799), The East India Company government restored the Mysore kingdom to the Wodeyar dynasty.  Tipu’s sons  were allowed to stay  in two palaces, Hyder Mahal and Tipu Mahal, specially built  within the Vellore Fort. In Pettai, close to the fort.  the family of Tipu Sultan and  about 3,000 Mysorean were  settled there. After a long period of quiet atmosphere the armed insurgency suddenly erupted primarily for the English company's interference in the religious freedom. However, there had been an undercurrent of rage  against the English for their autocratic behavior...........

The revolt  was triggered by a series of measures that deeply offended the religious sentiments and cultural identity of Indian soldiers.   In November 1805, new dress regulations were introduced under Sir John Cradock, Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army, and appr.oved by Lord William Bentinck, the Governor of Madras. 

The regulations required soldiers to wear a turban resembling a European hat, prohibited Hindus from wearing caste marks, and forbade Muslim soldiers from growing beards. These changes were seen as an affront to their religious beliefs and as a step towards forcibly converting them to Christianity.  Adding to their grievances, a Hindu and a Muslim Sepoy who resisted these changes were publicly flogged, dismissed from service, and humiliated, further inflaming tensions.

postal stamp. Vellore Mutiny, Vellore, Tamil nadu, .indiapicks.com

Vellore Fort, the venue where the revolt erupted, housed a mix of British and Indian forces, along with the imprisoned family of Tipu Sultan following his death in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War at Seringapatam, Karnataka. The discontent reached a boiling point when, in the early hours of July 10, 1806, the Sepoys launched a surprise attack and  killed European sentries, officers, and over 100 men of the 69th Regiment, raised the flag of the Mysore Sultanate, and declared Tipu Sultan’s second son, Fateh Hyder, as their king.

The British response was swift. Sir Rollo Gillespie, leading reinforcements from Arcot, arrived with the 19th Light Dragoons, galloper guns, and Madras cavalry. Despite the chaos, Gillespie managed to enter the fort and restore control. The gates were blasted open, and a ferocious counterattack ensued, resulting in the death of nearly 350 rebels and the wounding of 350 more. About 100 captured Sepoys were summarily executed, sparking outrage even within British ranks. Subsequently, six mutineers were blown apart by cannons, five shot by firing squads, eight hanged, and others transported. The three Madras battalions involved were disbanded, and several British officials, including Cradock and Bentinck, were recalled.   The only surviving eyewitness account of the actual outbreak of the mutiny is that of Amelia Farrer, Lady Fancourt (the wife of St. John Fancourt, the commander of the fort. Her manuscript account, written two weeks after the massacre, describes how she and her children survived as her husband died.

The Vellore Revolt was not merely a military insurrection but a reflection of the widespread resentment against British exploitation, cultural insensitivity, and autocratic rule. The brutal crackdown following the revolt further alienated the Indian population, leaving a deep sense of injustice. The rebellion underscored the growing resistance to foreign domination and the determination of Indians to challenge British authority, setting the stage for future uprisings in the struggle for independence.  The empire was established soon after the Vellore Mutiny and Lord Minto came to India as Governor General in 1807.

Tit-bits:

Protest against the English company. youtube.com

Above image: In the deeper par of southern India (in south Tamil     Nadu) many local chieftains and others registered their protest against the English company in the 18th century. The East India Company  collected the revenue across the regions on behalf of the Nawab of Arcot  to clear the ruler's  loans  and annual  subsidiary Alliance  fees due to the company for their military support, etc.