Vellore Mutiny (May 10, 1806) was the first instance of a mutiny by the Indian sepoys against the British East India Company. It predates even the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 by nearly half a century. Taking place in the South Indian town of Vellore, the mutiny was rather brief but brutal as the mutineers broke into the Vellore fort and killed 130 British troops before they were subdued by reinforcements from nearby Arcot.

The reasons for the mutiny range from resentment against the changes brought in costumes and uniform, specifically the headgear and the shaving style. The sepoys were also prohibited from wearing ornaments or displaying any caste marks. The rebellion was also instigated by the second son of the defeated Tippu Sultan and other sons being imprisoned at the Vellore fort since 1799. The disenchantment slowly built up and burst on May 10 when they surrounded the fort and killed most of the British. Those who escaped managed to get help from nearby garrisons and quell the renegades. After the incident the incarcerated royals were transferred to Calcutta and the Governor of Madras, William Bentinck was recalled.

The British paid little heed to the grievances of the sepoys and suffered the loss of lives. However they learnt little from this incident, repeating their folly again in 1857, when similar circumstances of ignoring native sentiments nearly cost them the whole of India. It is also interesting to note that the mutineers in Vellore also planned to bring back the sons of Tippu Sultan to power just as the sepoys in 1857 attempted to bring back the mughal rule by making Bahadur Shah as Emperor of India.

External links

• More about Madras Army and Vellore mutiny
• Colonial British perspective on the Sepoy Mutiny at Vellore Fort
• Tamils dispute India mutiny date

British rule in India | Military of British India | Rebellions in Asia | Mutinies