The Last Mughal

The spark that ignited the flame was a small incident relating to the introduction of a new model of rifle, the Enfield P-53. The new rifle used paper cartridges that were pre-greased. Before being inserted into the barrel, it was necessary for the sepoy to bite the end of the cartridge in order to release the powder. Rumours began to spread that t

Among the many problems with this so-called civilizing mission was that, well-intentioned as it may have been, it was often deliberately shadowed by a “Christianizing mission,” the principal goal of which was, in the words of Sir Charles Trevelyan, Governor of Madras, “nothing short of the conversion of the natives to Christianity.”

Ala-uddin Shah was reportedly anxious to meet them and in due course sent ‘sixe greate ellifants with many trumpets, drums and streamers’ to convey the English to his court.

They had also, two years previously, felt no compunction about murdering an objectionable Dutch commander and imprisoning his colleagues.