Lucknow and Oude in the Mutiny: A Narrative and Study (Photostat)

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This book explores the mutiny in Lucknow & Oude during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny. The mutiny arose from long-standing grievances among different sections of the Indian population. The infamous cartridge incident acted as a trigger, sparking mutiny within the Bengal army. However, the mutiny's extensive scope and intensity cannot be solely attributed to this event. It was influenced by a complex interplay of factors, including deep-rooted animosity towards British rule, annexation of native states, and the aspirations of various communities seeking power and historical restoration. Discontent extended across Hindu and Muslim communities, as well as among those affected by British conquests and land policies. Despite conflicting interests, many acknowledged the necessity of British rule to prevent internal conflicts. The mutiny represented the culmination of simmering discontent, further fueled by various provocations and circumstances.

THIS account of the part played by Lucknow and Oude in the Bengal mutiny is not meant to be anything more than what it is called a narrative and a study; and it has been written with the desire to show, in their true pro- portion and colour, some of the important points of that convulsion and contest; including its antecedents, its characteristics and its issues, as well as its actual incidents. Much of what I have recorded came within my own personal knowledge; but the book is not an account of my private experiences or reminiscences, except to the extent requisite to support or illustrate my various statements and views. And I entirely disclaim for it the title of History, which would demand a completeness of narrative, and a fullness of details in incidents and personal references that I have not attempted, and that would have tended to interfere with the clearness that I have aimed at in the narrative and the argument.

In order to show the relative share that Oude and Lucknow had in the conflict generally, I have included a brief sketch of the Mutiny as an introduction, dealing with its origin and development, as well as with its course.