The Uprising of 1857

Most studies of the 1857 Uprising look at the causes, the course of events, and the consequences. This edited volume takes a different approach. It goes before 1857 and focuses on the first half of the 19th century to look for the presence of long-term structural factors (if any) behind the momentous events of 1857. Several contributors have studied the late 19th century in order to understand the impact of the Uprising on Indian society and mentality. Spatially too the contributors to this volume go beyond India to locate 1857 within the emerging trend of global history. The essayists do not fall within any single school. The heterogeneous outlook of the contributors is indeed a strength of this volume as it widens the methodological traits and empirical base of essays. Hence, the 1857 Uprising (itself a neutral term) is considered by some contributors as a Sepoy Rebellion and for others it was an Indian Mutiny. Another contribution of this edited volume is a comprehensive bibliography that will help scholars in further research.

Kaushik Roy is an associate researcher at the Centre for the Study of Civil War at the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo. He is also a lecturer in the department of history at Presidency College in Kolkata.