India 1857 Musings

 

I found an interesting print of the war in India 1857.  A coloured lithograph from 'The Campaign in India 1857-58' and called "Mutinous Sepoys".  Points of interest include:

Two figures on the left wearing what looks like pale blue Company undress uniforms.  Are these artillery men or even dismounted cavalry men?

The red and green triangular flags in the background.  I have also seen images of these, often decorated, used as unit flags.

The red and green tack of the mounted soldier. Note too, he has been reading Captain Nolan and has ditched his unsuitable and restrictive Company uniform, kit and tack.  The poorly balanced and blunt British sword has been replaced with a sharp tulwar.  I recently read that for some units this had already been done officially as part of the learning from the Anglo-Sikh Wars.

One of the artillery men still wears his blue uniform coat.

The old Jemadar on his charpoy seems now in command.

As you can see it shows sepoys in a pre prepared position.  Presumably they are awaiting a British attack or besieging a British position.

It was enough revisit my paused Indian project above and below. 

 

A good result all round as I have invested a fair bit in it.  Model cities are time consuming projects.

Some Irregular Miniatures sepoys above and below. I nearly did them 6 to a base but 4 seems to suffice.

Note the flag.  I needed some good Indian flags for the Bengal sepoys so I made some. They show Hindu deities.  Accurate?  Maybe, close enough I'd say.  Some units continued with their original HEIC Colours.   We will see them too.

 

I thought I'd do a bit more.  First, HM 5th Northumberland Regiment.  Figures from Dixon.

Madras Presidency 1st Regiment below. Dixon again.  Everyone does this one.  It's the blue caps.

The flags are from Adrian's Walls made by "Nevermore".  A talented guy, generous too, he used to offer them free.  Anyhow, they are a good buy, but you will need to scan and resize.  The reason being a slight discrepancy in flag sizes. Easy enough and something I do anyhow.  Then again, it may not bother you.

I have some ideas for rules for the period. Or at least the crucial command and control bit.  

It is a tricky conflict to get a handle on. W H Russell who had covered the Crimean War arrived for the second part of it.  He noted an irrationality on the part of some of his British interviewees.  This shows up in some of our sources.  

The Bengal Sepoys, Russell was told, were all cowards who ran and fanatics who would fight to the death.  His informants found no contradiction in this.

They were not "one of the manly races of India" yet their key role in fighting the Sikh War seems to have fuelled their decision to try to expel the British.  

They had apparently acted without reason.  However, we find their wages had been cut by half in spending power. Their privileged access to the Courts unilaterally curtailed. Their independent Princely State annexed. That might have had anyone reaching for their tulwar.

The wider Indian politics were complex too as befits a multi nation/confessional Sub Continent.  India is a big place and was bigger again back then.

Reading through the whole affair is a bit like trying to cut up water.  Some believe one thing, others another.

 

That said Amarpal Singh has now turned his attention to it. His newest book is called The Siege of Delhi.  As he is the scholar who clarified what much of what actually happened in the Anglo-Sikh Wars we might expect great things. Let us hope so. I'll likely do a review.  

I've already read Hibbert, Russell, Dalrymple and Murray and more on the subject.

Also, I picked up a copy of Saul David's The Indian Mutiny for the price of a glass beer.  More reading ahead.

Meantime I'll paint more units.  

I hope to bring you more as we go.  Next time though we are back to the Crimean War.