Bangalore Mutiny

Bangalore Mutiny
Part of N/A
Date:	1832
Location:	Bangalore, Tamil Nadu
Presidency:	Madras
Co-ordinates:	12.908001°N 77.641010°E
Result:	Mutiny prevented
Combatants
British Army	Civilians, mutinous sepoys, Pindaris
Commanders
n/a	Hyder Ali Khan
Strength
2 Regiments	c. 500
Casualties
None	6 executed

The Bangalore Mutiny was an 1832 plot discovered and stopped before it was carried out. Civilians and sepoys planned to kill British soldiers stationed at Bangalore. The regiments to be targetted were the 62nd Regiment of Foot and the 13th Light Dragoons.

More details can be found here in the 13th Light Dragoons and 62nd Foot articles.

Summary of Events

Discovery

Muslim civilians from Mysore and sepoys from Bangalore joined forces and planned to destroy the British military presence at Bangalore. Jemadar Emaun Khan, an officer of the 48th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry, revealed the existence of a plot to mutiny and murder all Europeans. The mutiny was timed to break out at midnight on the 28 October. The British Army at Bangalore took prompt measures to quell the impending action. All those named by Khan were immediately arrested including the ringleader, Hyder Ali Khan (a self-styled Nawab) and his associate Syfut Ali Shah (a fakir and member of a sect of religious mendicants). Syfut had promised those who joined the conspiracy rewards in this world and the next.

Inquiry

A court of inquiry was held from the 30th October to the 4th November. It was discovered that Hyder Ali Khan was well financed and had attracted the support of as many Sepoys and Native Officers as he could by entertaining them at his house. He also managed to enlist the support of a number of disbanded troopers and discharged Sepoys formerly in the service of the Rajah of Mysore. Several hundred Pindaris were prepared to join the mutiny when the signal of revolt was given and the Coorg Rajah's ambassador had promised to send 12,000 mounted and 7,000 foot soldiers once he received news that the mutiny had taken place.

By means of a ruse, a sympathetic Havildar of the 9th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry was stationed on the Mysore gate at Bangalore on the night of the 28th, his task being to admit the mutineers. Once in the arsenal, the guard contingent would be killed, magazines would be seized and arms distributed. Next the main guard was to be killed along with Major-General Hawker. A gun would be fired from the ramparts and a green flag displayed as the signal for the other parties of mutineers. The Native Horse Artillery would butcher the European gunners and train the guns on the barracks of the 62nd Foot and 13th Light Dragoons. The ropes tethering the dragoon's horses would be cut and the Pindarees would take the horses whilst the guns were fired on the barracks. The mutineers calculated that if enough grapeshot was fired into the barracks there would be little chance of those inside escaping.

The planned result would have seen Hyder Ali Khan install himself as King of Bangalore, with Seyd Tippoo, a prominent mutineer, his Prime Minister.

The plot seemed sufficiently well planned that if it had come to fruition it had a good chance of succeeding. Even if it had been suppressed, bloodshed would have been rife on both sides.

Court Martial

A court martial was held on the 19 December and four of the accused were sentenced to be blown from guns with two others to be shot. Several more were sentenced to death but these sentences were commuted to transportation for life. The executions duly took place at Bangalore on the 24 December in the presence of the Regiments. Rewards were given to the loyal native Officers and Sepoys who gave information.

External Links

Bangalore in A gazetteer of the territories under the government of the East-India company, 1857 Google Books
Account of the Court Martial in The Asiatic journal, 1833 Google Books