Empire: World History – Episode 323

India’s Greatest Rebellion: The Rebels March On Delhi (Part 2)

Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: William Dalrymple & Anita Anand

Overview

This gripping episode covers the dramatic 24 hours following the eruption of the Indian Mutiny (also known as the First War of Independence) in Delhi in May 1857. Dalrymple and Anand detail how rebel sepoys, together with freed prisoners and local supporters, swept into Delhi after the uprising at Meerut, igniting a sequence of violence, upheaval, and indecision at the very heart of the Mughal Empire. The fate of British rule in India hangs by a thread as the elderly Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar faces the ultimate decision – to back the mutineers or the collapsing British regime, setting in motion events that will shape the subcontinent’s destiny.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Night the Rebellion Reached Delhi

[01:04–04:14]

• The rebellion begins at Meerut where British officers ignore warnings and attend dinner instead of preparing for revolt.
  • "The idiotic commanders just ignored it and went off to their regimental dinner." – William Dalrymple [02:11]
• Sepoys attack and release imprisoned comrades and common criminals before heading to Delhi, setting fire to government buildings and attacking British families.

2. Emperor Zafar’s Paralysis in the Eye of the Storm

[04:14–08:08]

• Zafar, in his 80s and famed for his indecision, is thrust into chaos as the rebels converge upon the Red Fort.
• Reports of violence, panic among civilians, and servants fleeing reach the Emperor, who orders the city and palace gates closed and contemplates breaking the bridge to hinder further inflow.
  • "Early morning bathers are now running away, sort of naked or half naked, in panic..." – Anita Anand [05:14]
• The rebels approach the palace in defiance of Mughal court ritual, demanding audience.

3. The Religious Spark and Social Chaos

[08:08–13:42]

• The immediate cause of the mutiny emphasized by the rebels is religious—the belief that cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat, which was abhorrent to Hindu and Muslim soldiers.
  • "They’re convinced that this is part of a wider conspiracy to take away their caste, destroy their faith, and convert them all to Christianity." – William Dalrymple [08:52]
• Early violence targets Indian converts to Christianity, such as Dr. Chiman Lal, not just British officers.
• The uprising exposes Delhi’s religious and social complexity; Mrs. Aldwell, an Anglo-Indian, saves herself by reciting the Muslim profession of faith, while Britons like 'Abdullah Beg' (a British convert to Islam) join the rebels.

4. The Fractured City – Class and Identity

[13:42–17:21]

• The rebellion is not universally supported within Delhi; stark class divides appear between enthusiastic lower-middle class insurgents and upper-class “toffs” (Hindu and Muslim elites) who resent the disruption.
  • "The elite and the respected gentry of the city were appalled at the actions..." – Abdul Latif, as quoted by Anita Anand [15:05]
• Poet Ghalib laments the social order’s collapse and the rabble overrunning the city:
  • "Noblemen and great scholars have now fallen from power... nameless men... now have prestige and unlimited riches." – William Dalrymple quoting Ghalib [16:01]

5. The British Administration Unravels

[17:21–21:44]

• The British Resident Simon Fraser, Rev. Jennings, and others take refuge in vain—the palace guards refuse to protect them, and Fraser is mortally wounded in an attack by palace staff.

• Captain Douglas and Rev. Jennings are also murdered, along with Jennings’ two daughters, highlighting the total collapse of British authority in Delhi.

• Theo Metcalfe, a low-ranking Briton with premonitions of disaster, survives due to a head injury that leaves him unconscious and unnoticed in the chaos.

  "He actually wakes up in darkness, which, you know, has saved his life... the only senior official left alive by mid-morning." – William Dalrymple [19:56]

6. Voices from the Street – The Liberation and Tragedy

[23:00–25:23]

• Editor Mohammed Baka of the Delhi Urdu Akbar sees the uprising as liberation, claiming divine retribution upon British arrogance.
  • "God has given the Christians such a body blow that within a short time this carnage has utterly destroyed them." – Mohammed Baka, as cited by Dalrymple [24:02]
• Poet Azad, Baka’s son, writes his first famous ghazal, summarizing the revolt as a moment of reversal and divine justice.
  • "All their wisdom couldn’t save them. Their schemes became useless. Their knowledge and science availed them nothing." – Azad’s poem, read by Anita Anand [25:04]

7. The Sepoys’ Ultimatum and Zafar’s Fateful Choice

[25:43–30:37]

• By afternoon, the sepoys gather in the palace, demanding Zafar’s support.
• Displaying little respect for Mughal protocol, they insist the king must lead them or they are doomed:
  • "Unless you, O King, join us, we are all dead men." – Sepoy representative [28:02]
• Zafar, though resenting them as “ruffians” and expressing his own limitations, ultimately blesses the mutineers:
  • "I have neither Troops Magazine nor Treasury. I am not in a condition to join anyone." – Bahadur Shah Zafar [28:28]
• Under immense pressure, he gives his blessing by placing his hand on the rebels’ heads.
  • "He sits himself down in a chair and all the soldiers come forward one by one and bow their heads before him, asking him to place his hand on them. And the king does so, and each one withdraws. And this is a crucial moment. He’s given his blessing to the mutiny." – William Dalrymple [29:16]

8. The Arsenal Explodes – A Turning Point

[30:37–32:07]

• A colossal explosion shakes the city as Lt. Willoughby blows up the Delhi Arsenal to keep British arms out of rebel hands, killing most defenders and attackers but surviving himself, albeit deafened for life.
  • "He blows up the Arsenal, and with it, he blows up the people who are sort of besieging the Arsenal..." – Anita Anand [31:26]

9. Stories of Survival and Massacre

[32:07–37:53]

• British civilians attempt to hide or flee; survivor James Morley’s harrowing account details the slaughter of his partners’ family and the devastation as he sneaks back to his looted house.
  • "Tables had been split...jams and jellies were lying in heaps and there was an overpowering smell from the brandy and wine..." – James Morley, as read by William Dalrymple [35:54]
• Several notable escape attempts, such as the Titlers (early photographers) and editor Wagontreiber’s family, succeed due to quick thinking and connections to local elites.

10. The Race to Telegraph and British Countermoves

[42:18–47:20]

• The telegraph becomes a key tool; despite the operator's death, two crucial SOS messages are sent to British authorities in Punjab, warning of the uprising.
  • "We must leave office... All the bungalows are burned down by the sepoys of Meerut... Mr. C. Todd is dead." – Excerpt from telegraph [44:48]
• Commander-in-Chief Anson in Simla underreacts, failing to immediately dispatch reinforcements.
  • "He seems unable to grasp the importance of the situation..." – Dalrymple quoting an official [46:08]
• Sir John Lawrence in Lahore acts decisively, neutralizing possible rebellion among Punjabi troops and setting the stage for the British counter-attack.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Dalrymple: "The fate of India stands in the balance. Are the rebels going to succeed and get rid of the British or are the British going to retain their authority?" [01:26]
• Anand: "You've got to understand, you know, from his point of view, this is the world turned upside down..." [07:51]
• Dalrymple: "It’s clearly a religious thing. It isn’t just that they mind British rule, but what’s actually caused them to revolt is the threat to their religion." [12:00]
• Ghalib (via Dalrymple): "Noblemen and great scholars have now fallen from power. ... Nameless men ... now have prestige and unlimited riches." [16:01]
• Azad (via Anand): "All their wisdom couldn’t save them ... their knowledge and science availed them nothing..." [25:14]
• Dalrymple: "He sits himself down in a chair and all the soldiers come forward one by one and bow their heads before him ... this is a crucial moment. He’s given his blessing to the mutiny." [29:16]
• Anand: "So if you were sort of evoking the name of God and suddenly everything is shaking, you might think that the word of God has spoken." [30:56]
• Dalrymple: "What is the use of the electric telegraph if the news it brings is not acted on at once?" [46:08]
• Anand: "For Zafar and the Mughal dynasty and the rebels who want to get rid of the British... this is the moment of triumph. The Mughal dynasty is back on the throne." [49:10]

Important Timestamps

• 01:04: Start of the assault on Delhi and the chaos in Meerut.
• 07:51: Emperor Zafar’s response to the rebel approach.
• 13:42: Discussion on class and religious divides in the uprising.
• 19:30: Collapse of British civilian protection in Delhi; violence against Fraser and Jennings.
• 29:16: Zafar gives his blessing to the mutiny—turning point in the rebellion.
• 31:26: Explosion at the Delhi Arsenal.
• 35:54: James Morley’s escape and discovery of his murdered family.
• 42:18: Telegraph office: heroic SOS messages sent.
• 46:08: British leadership's slow (or decisive) response.

Tone and Takeaways

Dalrymple and Anand combine dramatic storytelling, biting wit, and scholarly insight to convey the high stakes and human stories at the heart of the Indian Mutiny’s Delhi episode. They underscore the rebellion’s mixed roots—religion, class, British colonial insensitivity—and its profound consequences. Through vivid primary sources, they resurrect the voices of forgotten survivors and victims, both British and Indian. By episode’s end, the city is transformed: the Mughal court is painted as at once indecisive and world-weary, the streets terrorized, and the lines of rebellion and repression unforgettably drawn.

Next Episode Tease:
What happens when the British regroup and the fate of Delhi—and perhaps all of British India—hangs on the decisions of a handful of men and the wavering, traumatized Mughal Emperor? Tune in for the crucial battle for Delhi in the next gripping installment.