What was the Sepoy Rebellion

The Rebelion of Sepoy was a popular armed revolution that took place in India, between 1857 and 1859, against British domination and exploitation in its territory. This rebellion, which began violently, posed a considerable threat to British power throughout the region, and its end meant great political changes for India.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, England adopted a colonialist and imperialist policy, dominating the different regions of Africa and Asia. The British aimed to exploit the mineral resources and labor of these regions, in addition to expanding the consumer market for their industrialized producst. Several peoples or groups did not accept the abusive system and left for the reaction against the dominant forces.

The British forced the young people to participate in the Indian Army of the British East India Company. These young soldiers, who came to be known as Sepoys, had as main function to guarantee the protection of the British commerical activity in India. As the working conditions of sepoys were terrible, it brought as a consequence the development of the conflict and the Sepoys took up arms to fight against the British troops. The central and northern regions of India were the most affected by the armed conflict. In 1857 the Sepoys conquered and dominated the provinces of the central region and several important cities of northern India. The revolt ended only in 1859, when the British increased military power in the region and repressed the rebels.