Sepoy Mutiny:                               

The Sepoy Mutiny started in 1857 and occurred in northern states of India. The biggest effect was seen in the cities if Merut and Lucknow. For about a year Indians rebelled against the East India Company. British men, women and children were killed, the army took horrible revenge.  This Mutiny is regarded as the first fight or struggle for Indian Independence.

One of the things that sparked off the Indian Sepoy Mutiny was the introduction of the new Enfield paper cartridge. The end of the cartridge had to be bitten off prior to its loading. The cartridges were allegedly greased with animal fat and hence were regarded by Muslims as unclean and Hindus as sacred. So they refused to use the riffles that required the use those cartridges. Mangal Pandey was the hero who started the Mutiny and the first hero of the struggle for Independence.

After the Mutiny an Act of Parliament took away the East India Company's territories and their soldiers and gave them to the Crown. A council was established with a principal Secretary of State and this took over full government. The title of Viceroy of India was used for the first time.