The 1857 Indian Uprising and the British Empire

An analysis of the repercussions of the 1857 Indian uprising, tracing its ramifications across the British Empire.

Jill C. Bender (Author)

9781107135154, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 February 2016

214 pages, 2 b/w illus.
23.6 x 15.9 x 1.8 cm, 0.45 kg

'This innovative book recasts the 1857 uprising through the lens of new imperial and global history. Ranging across colonial contexts, it explores the imperial implications of 1857, taking the story of the uprising outwards beyond empire, and connecting together Britain, India and empire in fascinating ways.' Clare Anderson, University of Leicester

Situating the 1857 Indian uprising within an imperial context, Jill C. Bender traces its ramifications across the four different colonial sites of Ireland, New Zealand, Jamaica, and southern Africa. Bender argues that the 1857 uprising shaped colonial Britons' perceptions of their own empire, revealing the possibilities of an integrated empire that could provide the resources to generate and 'justify' British power. In response to the uprising, Britons throughout the Empire debated colonial responsibility, methods of counter-insurrection, military recruiting practices, and colonial governance. Even after the rebellion had been suppressed, the violence of 1857 continued to have a lasting effect. The fears generated by the uprising transformed how the British understood their relationship with the 'colonized' and shaped their own expectations of themselves as 'colonizer'. Placing the 1857 Indian uprising within an imperial context reminds us that British power was neither natural nor inevitable, but had to be constructed.

1. Introduction
2. A 'great body corporate': 1857 and the sinews of empire
3. 'A mutiny is a very catching thing': fears of widespread resistance
4. Defending an empire: 1857 and the Empire's 'martial races'
5. Rebels, race, and violence: mid-Victorian colonial conflicts
6. A legacy of violence
7. Conclusion
Select bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Asian history [HBJF], British & Irish history [HBJD1]