The Sepoy Mutiny

With the imperialistic ideas of spreading Christianity and bettering civilization in the third world countries around the world, many native people felt that their old ways of living were being threatened and rebelled against European colonization. One of the best examples of this occurring was in India, with the Sepoy Rebellion/Mutiny. Sepoys were Hindu mercenaries and soldiers that were fighting in the British Army to take control of India, who suddenly had a change of heart and switched sides to fight against the British. This change of mind occurred because of conflicts between the British and the Hindu religion, mainly the use of animal fats and other sacred items to the Hindu's that were used in the British army. The sepoys, over 300,000 of them, would drop their allegiance to the British, and would fight for their home country in this major rebellion. The garrison at Delhi would establish Bahadur Shah as their leader, and would go to war against the British and the East India Trading Company. As large as the Sepoy army would be, they would eventually be defeated handily by the British soldiers and army. This loss would lead to Britain taking complete control over India and its peoples, until the 1947 when Gandhi would lead the charge to independence in India.