Vellore Mutiny constitutes the first instance of an outbreak against the rules imposed by the British on the Indian sepoys predates the first sepoy mutiny of 1857

1. Vellore Mutiny – Precursor movement to the first
sepoy mutiny of 1857

2. The Vellore Mutiny on July 10, 1806
forms the first instance of violent
mutiny by the Indian sepoys on a
large scale which predates the
Indian rebellion of 1857 set against
the tyrannical regime of the East
India Company (EIC).

3. Causes
The immediate causes of the mutiny involved:
•Resentment towards changes in the sepoy dress
code that was introduced in November 1805
•Hindus were prohibited from wearing religious
marks on their foreheads while attending duties
•Muslims were insisted to shave off their beards
and have their moustaches trimmed

4. It so happened on the midnight of July 10, 1806, a crowd of sepoys
gathered around which was led by one of Tipu Sultan's son.
Though the defiance was very brief and lasted only one full day but it
was very brutal.
The sepoys seized the Vellore Fort and killed/wounded around 200
British troops.
After massacring the Europeans, they hoisted the Flag of the Mysore
Sultanate.
The mutiny was subdued by cavalry and artillery from Arcot. Later many
of the defiant sepoys were executed and some of them were court-
martialed.

6. The revolt took place in the South Indian city of Vellore
following non sensible orders issued by Sir John Cradock
and Lord Howdon, the commander-in- Chief in Madras to
regulate the dress code of the Sepoys which included the
change of turbans to look more like the British helmets.
In addition, the Hindu Brahmin Sepoys were ordered to
put caste marks on their foreheads and the Muslims were
commanded to get rid of their beards. These measures
offended the sensibilities of both Muslim and Hindu
Sepoys as well who raged a may-hem.
The sepoys feared that they might be "Christianized"
which ignited a feeling of rebellion.

7. General Sir John Craddock

8. Besides this, the disrespect shown to the sons of Tipu Sultan, who was defeated
in 1799, led to an outburst of rage which eventually boiled over and led to the
revolt on 10 July 1806. Tipu’s two sons—Shahzada Abdul Khaliq Sultan Sahib and
Shahzada Muiz ud-din Mohammed Sultan Sahib (who was reportedly Tipu’s
favourite son and his intended heir) had been surrendered to Lord Cornwallis in
1792.
The hostages were aged 10 and 9, respectively had grown as captives of the
British and had obviously developed a sense of contempt against them.

9. The new regulations in the dress code were actually intended to
improve the soldierly appearance garnered strong resentment
among Indian soldiers. In May 1806 soldiers who protested the
new rules were sent to Fort Saint George (formerly known as
Madras, and Chennai now). Out of two soldiers- one Muslim and
Hindu were given 90 lashes each and sacked from their army jobs.
Nineteen sepoys were punished with 50 lashes and forced to seek
pardon from the East India Company(EIC).
This excited such a large furore among the sepoys. The mutiny was
also instigated by the sons of defeated Tipu Sultan was stationed in
the Vellore fort. One of the daughters of Tipu Sultan was supposed
to be married on 9th July 1806 the conspirators gathered near the
Vellore fort under the pretext of attending the wedding with an
intent to seize the fort hoping to encourage a general rising
through the territory of the Mysore sultanate. However, Tipu
sutlan’s sons later declined to take charge after the mutiny arose.

10. A couple of hours after midnight, about 500 Indian
soldiers broke into the Vellore fort where the
unsuspecting British and Madras infantry were
stationed.
They murdered 115 men from the British infantry who
were sleeping in their barracks and 14 from the Madras
infantry.
Among those who were killed in the attack were the
commander of the fort, Colonel St John Fancourt,
Colonel Me Kerras and Major Armstrong.

11. Vellore Fort

12. Although the mutiny was subdued by the next
morning, it sent down shudders of fear down
the spine of British overlords.
This is still considered as one of the first sign of
the British losing an empire.
The mutiny has drawn parallel with the Revolt
of 1857 but the latter was a rather large revolt
which continued for days subsequently .

14. Aftermath
At 3 a.m. on July 10, 1806, the rebels started firing on
the white officers’ quarters. Within a short while, they
occupied the fort but there was no focus on how and
what is to be done next, he said.
An expedition led by Colonel Gillespie reached the
stronghold, bombarded and recaptured it. This
concluded with killing of 113 Europeans and 350
rebels. Five hundred rebels were taken prisoners, and
the sons of Tipu Sultan were sent to Calcutta.

15. Pillar at Hazrath Makkaan Junction commemorating the Vellore sepoy
Mutiny

16. The Vellore Mutiny, not unlike the revolt of 1857, was a result of
the hurt and anger that was gradually rising up against the British
and the rules that they had imposed upon Indians.
However, what many do not believe is that about half a century
before the revolt of 1857, Vellore witnessed a violent even though
brief, mutiny against the British empire.
This attack that came to be known as the Vellore Mutiny that was
carried out on the midnight of 10 July 1806.
Hence Vellore mutiny in 1806 can be considered as the precursor
movement to the first sepoy revolt of 1857

17. Why freedom is important?
Slavery should not paralyze the social
development of an ethnic race. The clanking of
fetters and the rattling of chains in the prison, and
the heads of human bodies hanging on the
threshold of freedom for whose sake blood of the
countless martyrs through the centuries was spilt
speak itself about the enslaving colonial rule. One
should never become a tool to enslave those who
are fighting for their own justice, freedom and
equality.

18. “Disobedience is the true
foundation of liberty. The obedient
must be slaves.”
― Henry David Thoreau

21. References
1. https://www.thebetterindia.com/149577/history-british-
first-vellore-mutiny-1806
2. Wikipedia
3. The Hindu: A glimpse into the Vellore mutiny by Serena
Josephine dated 4th August 2016