Question

Account for the outbreak of the Vellore Revolt in 1806.

Answer 1

Instructions: The answer to this question can be broken into 3 main parts:

1. Mention the immediate causes of the revolt
2. Describe the outbreak of the revolt
3. Describe the suppression of the revolt

Solution:

• The immediate cause that led to the outbreak of the Vellore Revolt was the new military regulation under which the Indian soldiers were prohibited from wearing caste marks and earrings.
• The British asked the Indian soldiers to be clean-shaven and introduced new turbans with a cockade made of animal skin. This eventually led to the outbreak of the revolt of 1806.
• The Indian soldiers of the 1st and 23rd regiments started firing guns and increased the intensity of the revolt. This resulted in the death of multiple British officials, including Colonel Fancourt, Colonel MeKerras, Major Armstrong, Lt. Elly, and Lt. Popham.
• On receiving the information of the revolt, Colonel Gillespie reached the fort with a squadron of cavalry under Captain Young and brutally suppressed the revolt.
• Eight hundred soldiers lost their lives during the suppression, and six hundred were confined in Tiruchirappalli and Vellore.