ASIN: B00E4LJZE8
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Pages: 399
In 1857 the Indian troops of the Bengal Army rose against their colonial masters. They were quickly joined by tens of thousands of discontented civilians in what was to become the bloodiest insurrection in the history of the British Empire.But what were the real causes of the Indian Mutiny? Historians have usually explained it as part of a general protest against British rule in India. But in this ground-breaking study, the leading military historian Saul David identifies the specific complaints of the soldiers as the real cause of the revolt. All armies have grievances relating to conditions of service, particularly pay, career prospects and relations with officers. What set a colonial force like the Bengal Army apart is that it was a volunteer mercenary force officered by men of a different race and religion. Its loyalty to its paymasters, therefore, was entirely dependent on the ...
