Religion and Rebellion: India in 1858 he following passage was written in the Urdu language in 1858 by an Indian I Muslim, Maulvi Syed Kutb Shah Sahib. Maulvi Syed saw the Indian Revolt as a chance to drive the British out of India. In this letter to Hindu leaders, he urged Hindu-Muslim cooperation to accomplish that goal, arguing that the British were consciously defiling both religions in an attempt to T women, usually from the highest castes, actually did so. In 1829 the British abolished sati and issued another order that widows should be allowed to remarry. Another controversy to which the author re- fers is the "doctrine of lapse," a colonial ruling that if an Indian prince died without a male heir, direct control over his territory would go to the British. In 1856, the city of Lucknow and the rich province of Oudh had been taken over by the British through this device. The author's references to tainted bread may refer to the widespread suspicion that the British were forcing Indians under their control (such as sepoy soldiers and prisoners) into contact with forbidden animal fats as a step toward con- verting them to Christianity. force conversions to Christianity. One of the grievances Maulvi Syed mentions is British laws concerning widows. Islamic law en- courages the remarriage of widows, following the example of Muhammad, whose wife Khadijah was a widow. Among Hindus, however, patriarchal be liefs dictated that a wife's life was essentially over once her husband died. Thus the custom of sati encouraged widows to throw themselves on the fire when their husbands were cremated to dem- Source: Records of the Govemment of the Punjab and Its Depandencis, New Series, No. VI (Lahore: Punjab Printing Company, 1870), Pp. 173-175. onstrate their devotion and to allow them to be re- united in the next life. In fact, relatively few Hindu Maulvi Syed on British Christlans The English are people who overthrow all religions. You should understand well the object of destroying the religions of Hindustan [India]; they have for a long time been causing books to be written and crcu- lated throughout the country by the hands of their priests, and, exercising their authority, have brought out numbers of preachers to spread thetr own tenets.... Consider, then, what systematic con- trivances they have adopted to destroy our religions. For instance, first, whena woman be- came a widow they ordered her to make a sec- ond marriage. Secondly, the self-immolation of wives [sati] on the funeral pyres of their deceased husbands was an ancient religious custom; the English... enacted their own regulations prohibiting it. Thirdly, they told people it was their wish that they ... should adopt their falth, promising that if they did so they would be respected by Government; and further required them to attend churches, and hear the tenets preached there. Moreover, they decided and told the rajahs that such only as were born of their wives would inherit the government and property, and that adopted helrs would not be allowed to succeed, although, according to your [Hindu] Scriptures, ten different sorts of heirs are allowed to share in the inheritance. By this contrivance they will rob you of your governments and possessions, as they have already done with Nagpur and Lucknow. Consider now another of their design- ing plans: they resolved on compelling prisoners, with the forcible exercise of their authority, to eat their bread. Numbers died of starvation, but did not eat it, others ate it, and sacrificed their falth. They now per- celved that this expedient did not succeed well, and accordingly determined on hav- ing bones ground and mixed with flour and sugar, so that people might unsuspectingly eat them in this way. They had, moreover, bones and flesh broken small and mixed with rice, which they caused to be placed in the markets for sale, and tried, besides, every other possible plan to destroy our religions. They accordingly now ordered the Brahmins and others of their army to bite cartridges, in the making of which fat had been used. The Muslim soldiers percelved that by this expedient the religion of the Brahmans and Hindus only was in danger, but neverthe- less they also refused to bite them. On this the British resolved on ruining the falth of both, and [lashed to the cannons] all those sol- diers who persisted in their refusal [and blew them to pleces]. Seeing this excessive tyranny, the soldiery now, in self-preservation, began killing the English, and slew them wherever they were found, and are now considering means for slaying the few still allve here and there. It is now my firm conviction that if these English continue in Hindustan they will kill everyone in the country, and will utterly overthrow our religions; but there are some of my countrymen who have joined the English, and are fighting on their side.... Under these circumstances, I would ask, what course have you decided on to protect your lives and faith? Were your views and mine the same we might destroy them en- tirely with a very little trouble; and if we do so, we shall protect our religions and save the All you Hindus are hereby solemnly adjured, by your falth in Ganges; and all you Muslims, by your bellef in God and the Koran, as these English are the common enemy of both, to unite in considering their slaughter extremely expedient, for by this alone will the lives and faith of both be saved.... The slaughter of cows is regarded by the Hindus as a great insult to their religion. To pre- vent this a solemn compact and agreement has been entered into by all the Muslim chiefs of Hindustan, binding themselves, that if the Hin- dus will come forward to slay the English, the Muslims will from that very day put a stop to the slaughter of cows, and those of them who will not do so will be considered tohave abjured the Koran, and such of them as will eat beef will be regarded as though they had eaten pork.... The English are always deceitful. Once their ends are gained they will infringe their engagements, for deception has ever been habitual with them, and the treachery they have always practiced on the people of Hindustan is known to rich and poor. Do not therefore give heed to what they say. Be well assured you will never have such an oppor- tunity again. We all know that writing a let- ter is an advance halfway towards fellowship. I trust you will all write letters approving of what has been proposed herein. country....

Religion and Rebellion: India in 1858 he following passage was written in the Urdu language in 1858 by an Indian I Muslim, Maulvi Syed Kutb Shah Sahib. Maulvi Syed saw the Indian Revolt as a chance to drive the British out of India. In this letter to Hindu leaders, he urged Hindu-Muslim cooperation to accomplish that goal, arguing that the British were consciously defiling both religions in an attempt to T women, usually from the highest castes, actually did so. In 1829 the British abolished sati and issued another order that widows should be allowed to remarry. Another controversy to which the author re- fers is the "doctrine of lapse," a colonial ruling that if an Indian prince died without a male heir, direct control over his territory would go to the British. In 1856, the city of Lucknow and the rich province of Oudh had been taken over by the British through this device. The author's references to tainted bread may refer to the widespread suspicion that the British were forcing Indians under their control (such as sepoy soldiers and prisoners) into contact with forbidden animal fats as a step toward con- verting them to Christianity. force conversions to Christianity. One of the grievances Maulvi Syed mentions is British laws concerning widows. Islamic law en- courages the remarriage of widows, following the example of Muhammad, whose wife Khadijah was a widow. Among Hindus, however, patriarchal be liefs dictated that a wife's life was essentially over once her husband died. Thus the custom of sati encouraged widows to throw themselves on the fire when their husbands were cremated to dem- Source: Records of the Govemment of the Punjab and Its Depandencis, New Series, No. VI (Lahore: Punjab Printing Company, 1870), Pp. 173-175. onstrate their devotion and to allow them to be re- united in the next life. In fact, relatively few Hindu Maulvi Syed on British Christlans The English are people who overthrow all religions. You should understand well the object of destroying the religions of Hindustan [India]; they have for a long time been causing books to be written and crcu- lated throughout the country by the hands of their priests, and, exercising their authority, have brought out numbers of preachers to spread thetr own tenets.... Consider, then, what systematic con- trivances they have adopted to destroy our religions. For instance, first, whena woman be- came a widow they ordered her to make a sec- ond marriage. Secondly, the self-immolation of wives [sati] on the funeral pyres of their deceased husbands was an ancient religious custom; the English... enacted their own regulations prohibiting it. Thirdly, they told people it was their wish that they ... should adopt their falth, promising that if they did so they would be respected by Government; and further required them to attend churches, and hear the tenets preached there. Moreover, they decided and told the rajahs that such only as were born of their wives would inherit the government and property, and that adopted helrs would not be allowed to succeed, although, according to your [Hindu] Scriptures, ten different sorts of heirs are allowed to share in the inheritance. By this contrivance they will rob you of your governments and possessions, as they have already done with Nagpur and Lucknow. Consider now another of their design- ing plans: they resolved on compelling prisoners, with the forcible exercise of their authority, to eat their bread. Numbers died of starvation, but did not eat it, others ate it, and sacrificed their falth. They now per- celved that this expedient did not succeed well, and accordingly determined on hav- ing bones ground and mixed with flour and sugar, so that people might unsuspectingly eat them in this way. They had, moreover, bones and flesh broken small and mixed with rice, which they caused to be placed in the markets for sale, and tried, besides, every other possible plan to destroy our religions. They accordingly now ordered the Brahmins and others of their army to bite cartridges, in the making of which fat had been used. The Muslim soldiers percelved that by this expedient the religion of the Brahmans and Hindus only was in danger, but neverthe- less they also refused to bite them. On this the British resolved on ruining the falth of both, and [lashed to the cannons] all those sol- diers who persisted in their refusal [and blew them to pleces]. Seeing this excessive tyranny, the soldiery now, in self-preservation, began killing the English, and slew them wherever they were found, and are now considering means for slaying the few still allve here and there. It is now my firm conviction that if these English continue in Hindustan they will kill everyone in the country, and will utterly overthrow our religions; but there are some of my countrymen who have joined the English, and are fighting on their side.... Under these circumstances, I would ask, what course have you decided on to protect your lives and faith? Were your views and mine the same we might destroy them en- tirely with a very little trouble; and if we do so, we shall protect our religions and save the All you Hindus are hereby solemnly adjured, by your falth in Ganges; and all you Muslims, by your bellef in God and the Koran, as these English are the common enemy of both, to unite in considering their slaughter extremely expedient, for by this alone will the lives and faith of both be saved.... The slaughter of cows is regarded by the Hindus as a great insult to their religion. To pre- vent this a solemn compact and agreement has been entered into by all the Muslim chiefs of Hindustan, binding themselves, that if the Hin- dus will come forward to slay the English, the Muslims will from that very day put a stop to the slaughter of cows, and those of them who will not do so will be considered tohave abjured the Koran, and such of them as will eat beef will be regarded as though they had eaten pork.... The English are always deceitful. Once their ends are gained they will infringe their engagements, for deception has ever been habitual with them, and the treachery they have always practiced on the people of Hindustan is known to rich and poor. Do not therefore give heed to what they say. Be well assured you will never have such an oppor- tunity again. We all know that writing a let- ter is an advance halfway towards fellowship. I trust you will all write letters approving of what has been proposed herein. country....