War · 1857–1858
Indian Rebellion of 1857
Meerut, north-east of Delhi (India)
On 10 May 1857 Indian soldiers (sepoys) of the British East India Company's army mutinied at Meerut; rebels quickly reached Delhi, where the 81-year-old Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar was declared Emperor of Hindustan, and the revolt spread through other regiments and civilian uprisings across the upper Gangetic plain and central India. British forces stormed Delhi in September 1857 and defeated the last major rebel army at Gwalior on 20 June 1858.
Why it mattered
The rebellion led to the dissolution of the East India Company and, under the Government of India Act 1858, to direct rule of India by the British Crown; the last Mughal emperor was exiled and the dynasty ended.
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