Inside a quaint building, a number of letters wait to take visitors back in time. Dating back to July 1806, these letters constitute whatever little is available of the memoirs of an historic event in India’s struggle for independence — the Sepoy Mutiny of July 10, 1806 that occurred inside Vellore Fort.
The museum maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is a storehouse of information, and provides a glimpse into the happenings, before and after, the Sepoy Mutiny. These letters serve as documentary evidence of the mutiny.
Among the collection of letters displayed inside Begum Mahal is the order that went on to instigate the mutiny — that of Colonel Agnew to the native soldiers regarding dress code.
As historian K.R.A. Narasiah puts it, “S.S. Furnell was the historian to document the mutiny in his ‘The Mutiny of Vellore’, only parts of it are available in the archives.”
The historian traced the events that led to the mutiny. Sometime in May 1806, Adjutant General Agnew (a confidant of Lord Clive) introduced new regulations and the men of the second battalion of the 4th regiment were ordered to wear the new type of turban. But 29 sepoys refused to wear the new outfit. The insubordinate sepoys were court-martialled, while two defiant havildars were subjected to 900 lashes. A similar anti-turban agitation rocked Wallajhabad in June.
At 3 a.m. on July 10, 1806, the rebels started firing on the white officers’ quarters. Within a short while, they occupied the fort but there was no focus on how and what is to be done next, he said.
An expedition headed by Colonel Gillespie reached the stronghold, bombarded and recaptured it. This ended with killing of 113 Europeans and 350 rebels. Five hundred rebels were taken prisoners, and the sons of Tipu Sultan were sent to Calcutta.
A letter from Col. Gillespie of the 19th regiment of Dragoons reporting the disturbance in the fort soon after suppressing the mutiny by 11 o’clock on July 10 finds place at the museum.
A key highlight is a government order on the reward of 2000 pagodas to Mustapha Beg for intimating about the mutiny to Col. Forbs. “Musthapha Beg (also spelt Baig), a soldier of the first regiment, on learning that a mutiny was going to take place, informed Col Forbs, in charge of the establishment,” Mr. Narasiah said.
At first, the English thought Beg was spreading rumours and tried to punish him. Later, when the mutiny did occur and was controlled, he was awarded a cash prize of 2000 pagodas and a G.O. was issued in the connection. Documents on punishment of ring leaders, list of troops killed and wounded on July 10, 1806 have been displayed. According to reports available, six convicted rebels were blown by large guns and five shot dead.
These executions were in the fort itself, he added. The order regarding withdrawal of uniform dress code following the mutiny and a letter to Governor of Madras William Bentick from Lt. Col. Harcourt, the pay master of the stipends at Vellore, communicating the circumstances on the day of mutiny find place behind the glass cabinets of this museum.
