Indian sepoys in Vellore mutiny against the…

Indian sepoys in Vellore mutiny against the East India Company, for the first time, on July 10, 1806.

The immediate causes of the mutiny revolve mainly around resentment felt towards changes in the sepoy dress code, introduced in November 1805.

Hindus are prohibited from wearing religious marks on their foreheads and Muslims are required to shave their beards and trim their mustaches.

In addition, General Sir John Craddock Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army, has ordered the wearing of a round hat resembling that associated at the time with both Europeans in general and with Indian converts to Christianity.

The new headdress includes a leather cockade and is intended to replace the existing turban.

These measures offend the sensibilities of both Hindu and Muslim sepoys and run contrary to an earlier warning by a military board that sepoy uniform changes should be "given every consideration which a subject of that delicate and important nature required".

These changes, intended to improve the "soldierly appearance" of the men, have created strong resentment among the Indian soldiers.

In May 1806 some sepoys who protested the new rules had been sent to Fort Saint George (Madras then, now Chennai).

Two of them—a Hindu and a Muslim—had been given ninety lashes each and dismissed from the army.

Nineteen sepoys had been punished with fifty lashes each and forced to seek pardon from the East India Company.

In addition to these military grievances, the rebellion has also been instigated by the sons of the defeated Tipu Sultan, confined at Vellore since 1799.

Tipu's wives and sons, together with numerous retainers, are pensioners of the East India Company and live in a palace within the large complex comprising the Vellore Fort.

One of Tipu Sultan's daughters was to be married on July 9, 1806, and the plotters of the uprising had gathered at the fort under the pretext of attending the wedding.

The objectives of the civilian conspirators remain obscure but by seizing and holding the fort they may have hoped to encourage a general rising through the territory of the former Mysore Sultanate.

However, Tippu's sons are reluctant to take charge after the mutiny arises.