Getting The Sepoys Right

In 1857 huge numbers of Honourable East India Company (HEIC) Sepoys revolted against British rule, killed or drove off their British officers and set about establishing native rule.  This event has been generally known as the Indian Mutiny.  Latterly, it has attracted the appellation of the First War of Independence.  Neither the reasons for this seismic event or what to call it need detain us here.  I want to talk about Sepoys.

Sepoys were Indian recruits trained in British methods and using British equipment.  The Sepoy was usually from a moderately well-off background and might well come from a military family.  Soldiering in India was a respectable profession and the HEIC had its pick of physically suitable recruits.   

The anonymous Diary of a Sepoy makes clear a battalion of Sepoys fought just like any other British battalion.  That is to say a couple of volleys or so and then in with the bayonet.  As the author, somewhat smugly, tells us that was usually enough for any native enemies.  That the Diary is now assumed to be a fake written for propaganda purposes does not devalue its military evidence.  If it’s true, as seems likely, that the authors were British officers we can absolutely trust their description of how a British Sepoy battalion fought in India.

Mostly the Sepoys revolted by battalions rather than as individuals.  Consequently, all of their British commissioned officers being dead or fled, the most senior officer available to them was the elderly Subedar Major who was likely to be nearing the end of his service or those whose length of service had entitled them to the rank of Subedar (junior officer).  More actively the Havildar Major (Sergeant Major) could be expected to be in his prime.  There was no officer structure above this level unless the battalion attached itself to a native prince and recognised his/her authority.  

In the absence of any such higher authority the battalion itself decided how and when it would fight.  This meant they fought as a single battalion, rather than as part of a Brigade or Division.  In general engagements the disadvantages of this are obvious.  At it’s simplest if no appropriate Indian royal happened to be about there was no one to rally the battalion if it was discomforted.

That said the Sepoys lost none of their previous military skills.  Their shooting was as good  as it had been and their charge as fierce.  Their morale was generally good and sometimes as Russell tells us they fought to the last.  If the Havildar Major ordered a volley or a charge he was obeyed.

Let me add something important, Sepoy regular artillery nearly always outshot its British counterparts.   

 

Three fires to two was a common comment from British officers and the Sepoys were more accurate too.  It had been the same in the Sikh Wars.

All that said the Sepoys were not destined to prevail. There was often no chain of command when they fought.  Their armament was quickly revealed to be inadequate against the Minie Rifle equipped British.  The Sepoys knew this and attempted to counter it, once by rolling bales of cotton in front of them to cover their advance into Musket range. There was rarely a strategic plan and often no tactical one to direct their actions.

It seems to me that it's worth attempting to reflect the foregoing in gaming the period.  It would certainly give us more interesting games than simply saying Sepoys -2 for shooting, Melee and Morale.