The Revolt of 1857 (also called the First War of Indian Independence or the Sepoy Mutiny) was the first widespread and organized armed uprising against British rule in India. The revolt had many courageous leaders across different regions of India.
The Revolt of 1857 had both immediate and long-term causes: the immediate trigger was the introduction of the Enfield rifle cartridge (greased with cow and pig fat, offending both Hindus and Muslims). Long-term causes included the Doctrine of Lapse, heavy taxation, and cultural interference.
| Leader | Centre of Revolt | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Mangal Pandey | Barrackpore, Bengal | First to rebel (29 March 1857); hanged by British |
| Bahadur Shah Zafar | Delhi | Last Mughal Emperor; declared leader; exiled to Rangoon (Burma) |
| Rani Lakshmi Bai | Jhansi | Fought bravely; died in battle at Gwalior (June 1858) |
| Nana Sahib (Dhondu Pant) | Kanpur (Cawnpore) | Led massacre at Kanpur; escaped; fate unknown |
| Tantia Tope (Ramchandra Panduranga) | Kanpur/Gwalior | Rani Lakshmi Bai's trusted commander; captured & hanged (April 1859) |
| Begum Hazrat Mahal | Lucknow | Nawab's wife; led resistance; eventually fled to Nepal |
| Kunwar Singh | Arrah, Bihar | 80-year-old Rajput landlord; remarkable military leader |
| Khan Bahadur Khan | Bareilly | Declared himself Nawab; eventually hanged |
**Mangal Pandey** is considered the first martyr. He attacked British officers at Barrackpore on 29 March 1857 and was hanged on 8 April 1857, weeks before the revolt officially spread on 10 May 1857 at Meerut.
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