Question

What did the Hindu and Muslim Sepoys in the Army believe about the cartridges?
a. That the cartridges had sheep and goat grease in them.
b. That the cartridges had cow and pig grease in them.
c. That the cartridges were made from human flesh.
d. That the cartridges were made from buffalo fat.

Answer 1

Hint: The sepoy mutiny which began on 10th May 1857 was a major uprising against the British rule in India. It was started by a group of soldiers in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It was widespread in Northern India because the mutiny had started in Meerut, a large number of Indian soldiers participated in it.

Complete answer:
(i) In march 1857 a sepoy called Mangal Pandey attacked British officers in Barrackpore, he was arrested and later executed in early April.
(ii) In Meerut, during April, the sepoys refused to use the Enfield cartridges, as a punishment the sepoys were sent to jail. This uncaring attitude of the British officials deeply offended and enraged the fellow soldiers, who on 10th May 1857 shot their British officers and marched to Delhi.
(iii) Bahadur Shah I was restored to the throne by the rebelling soldiers and he was forced to give his permission for the mutiny. By doing this their rebellion got legitimised as it had the ‘blessing’ of the Mughal ruler.
(iv) Mutineers seized Delhi, this led to a frenzy where British officials were struggling to take back control of the city.
(v) Mutineers started shooting their British officials and were responsible for massacres in Delhi, Kanpur and Lucknow. The British were extremely angered and wanted revenge as even British women and children were murdered by the Indian sepoys.

> The British government took strict and extreme measures against the rebelling soldiers, by the end of the rebellion hundreds of sepoys were killed, executed and hanged in frenzied revenge of the British, the government officially declared peace on 8th July 1859.

Thus, the correct option is (b).

Note: Sepoys had refused to use the Enfield rifles because to use the rifle the sepoys had to tear open the greased cartridges with their teeth. Rumours had spread that the cartilage was made of cow and pig fat, this offended sepoys as it would hurt both Hindu and Muslim sentiments.