Religion and retribution in the Indian rebellion of 1857

Crispin Bates, Marina D Carter

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

In this paper we assess the religious motivations of Muslim rebels in the Indian uprising of 1857, taking into account the subject position of the various actors and the time frame within which both motivations and responses are imagined. What might seem to be a powerful causative reason in the minds of elite groups engaged in attempting to restore control may in fact be a mixture of factors amongst the subaltern elements involved in any insurgency. Religious motivation also functioned as a powerful rationale for arbitrary and violent methods of suppression, just as well as it could serve as a rallying cry for insurrectionists. Both sides used religion as a legitimation for their activities, when their motives and objectives may be said to have lain entirely elsewhere. Religion may also be invoked as a legitimation retrospectively and long after the events themselves. A further difficulty lies in the historical period considered, since the rhetoric of religion was commonly the form in which otherwise mundane and secular issues would be discussed. For both sides even if religion was not a prime motivation it could simply be the language in which resistance was discussed.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)51-68
Number of pages18
JournalLeidschrift
Volume24
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2009

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