Battle of Badli-ki-Serai
Who Fought
History & Significance
The Battle of Badli-ki-Serai was fought early in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 as it has since been termed in Indian histories of the events. A British and Gurkha force defeated a force of sepoys who had rebelled against the British East India Company. The British victory enabled them to besiege and ultimately capture Delhi.
Tension between the East India Company and the sepoys (Indian soldiers) of its Bengal Army had been growing for several years, and increased rapidly during 1857. The rebellion finally broke out when the Company attempted to introduce a new Enfield rifle. The cartridges for this were believed by the sepoys to be greased with beef and pork fat. A Hindu soldier who bit the cartridge open to load the rifle would lose caste, and a Muslim soldier would be defiled. The sepoys believed that the company was attempting to force them to become Christians.
The first revolt occurred on 10 May at Meerut, 60 miles (97 km) north-west of Delhi, initiated by the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry, composed mainly of Indian Muslims. After killing many of their British officers and some civilians, three regiments of Bengal infantry and cavalry marched to Delhi. When the first of them arrived on 11 May, they called on the three Bengal infantry regiments there to join them, and for the Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II to lead them. By the end of the day, Delhi was in rebel hands, and news of the rebellion was spreading rapidly over northern India.
Most of the units of the British Army in India, and the "European" units of the Bengal Army, were in the "hill stations" in the foothills of the Himalayas. At Simla, the Commander in Chief, General Anson, began collecting a force to recapture Delhi. Although aged, Anson nevertheless acted swiftly, but was handicapped by lack of transport and supplies. He succeeded in collecting a force at Ambala on 17 May, and they began advancing to Karnal, where most of the British civilians who had escaped from Delhi were taking shelter. On the way, his men indiscriminately hanged or blew from the guns, many suspected rebels or sympathisers.
Another small British force was advancing from Meerut to meet Anson. It was commanded by Major-General W. Hewitt, whose health had been broken by his age and many years' service in India. He eventually had to hand over command to Brigadier Archdale Wilson.
On 30 May, some Indian forces from Delhi attacked Wilson's force at the Hindon river. Wilson's infantry, the 60th Rifles, made good use of their Enfield rifles to drive the Indians from the field and capture five light guns. The rebels tried another attack the next day and were again driven back, though they lost no more of their artillery.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Badli-ki-Serai lies on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.
- East India Company: 51 killed; 131 wounded
- Mughal Empire: Approx. 1,000; 13 guns
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