The Greased Cartridge: The Heroes and Villains of 1857-58

by E. Jaiwant Paul

'In most accounts of the revolt, the greased cartridge has been referred to as the spark and tinder that lit the flames of rebellion. ...The greased cartridge ? what was it all about? The army so far had been quipped with the smooth-barrelled musket, which had a protracted loading procedure and was not accurate over long ranges. The new Enfield rifles, which were now being issued, had grooved or rifled barrels. This made them more accurate and gave them a longer range. The powder and bullet for the new rifle were put together in a paper cartridge. To load the rifle, the end of the cartridge containing the powder had to be bitten off so that the charge would ignite. The cartridge was then rammed down the muzzle of the rifle.... The grease used was tallow, probably containing both cow and pig fat. To ?the cow reverencing Hindu and the pig paranoid Muslims? having to bite this was repellent, defiling and deadly to their religious prospects.?

The Revolt of 1857-58 was the biggest and bloodiest conflict against any European colonial power during the nineteenth century. This book is essentially about the heroes ? Tatya Tope, Nana Saheb, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur ? and not to forget, a few villains. Though the revolt failed in its objective, even in failure it served a grand purpose. It was a source of inspiration for the national liberation movement, which later achieved what the revolt could not.

166 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

E. Jaiwant Paul is a man of varied interests, having authored five other books: By My Sword and Shield: Traditional Weapons of the Indian Warrior, Baji Rao: The Warrior Peshwa, Har Dayal: The Great Revolutionary, Rani of Jhansi: Lakshmi Bai, and Unforgettable Maharajas.

A hardcore corporate, he initially worked for Hindustan Lever and was later a director of Brook Bond India for several years. Thereafter, he headed the National Mineral Water Company in Muscat. Apart from collecting weapons, he is a keen cricketer and tennis player.

His lifelong interest in arms and armour springs from the fact that his father as well as his grandfather served in the Princely States, where swords and daggers were part of everyday attire. He lives in Delhi and serves as a director of a few companies.

Reviews

[Robert Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

There have been many books written and movies made about the sepoy rebellion in India, almost all from the British perspective and showing the rebels as vicious, irrational monsters. Some were. Others were not. The same could be said about the British troops. British were the good guys? Think about it. India isn't the only country the British pushed to rebellion. Think about the United States, Ireland, and Kenya. This book looks at the rebellion from the rebel side. Bad news: it is as biased as the British accounts. Good news, it takes the same events from a different angle. It doesn't excuse the atrocities committed by the rebels, but points out that the British behavior was just as bad and possibly worse. The quality of the writing is decent, although not great, and is often repetitive. In spite of some faults, and knowing some readers will be irritated by the viewpoints of the author, it is a book I can recommend.

[Jignesh Shah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average quality book. Has some original material

Book is average quality. Language is good but not much original content. Most of the information is repeated from other books