Battle of Badli-ki-Serai facts for kids

The Battle of Badli-ki-Serai was an important fight during the Indian rebellion of 1857. This rebellion is also known as the First War of Indian Independence in India. In this battle, British and Gurkha soldiers fought against Indian soldiers called sepoys. These sepoys had rebelled against the British East India Company. The British won, which allowed them to surround and eventually capture the city of Delhi.

Quick facts for kids Battle of Badli-ki-Serai
Part of the Indian rebellion of 1857
Date 8 June 1857 Location Near Delhi, India Result Company victory
Belligerents
East India Company Kingdom of Nepal	Mughal Empire
Commanders and leaders
Henry W. Barnard	Mirza Mughal (absent) Mirza Khizr Sultan
Strength
2,000 infantry 500 cavalry 22 guns	approx. 9,000 infantry approx. 400 cavalry 30 guns
Casualties and losses
51 killed 131 wounded	approx. 1000 13 guns

Why the Rebellion Started

For several years, there had been growing tension between the East India Company and its Indian soldiers, known as sepoys. This tension quickly grew worse in 1857. The rebellion finally began when the Company introduced a new Enfield rifle.

The cartridges for this new rifle were believed to be greased with beef and pork fat. This was a big problem for the sepoys. A Hindu soldier who bit the cartridge open to load the rifle would lose his caste (social standing). A Muslim soldier would be considered unclean. The sepoys thought the Company was trying to force them to become Christians.

The first major revolt happened on May 10 in Meerut, about 60 miles (97 km) north-west of Delhi. It was started by the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry. After fighting their British officers, three regiments of Indian soldiers marched to Delhi. When they arrived on May 11, they asked the soldiers already in Delhi to join them. They also asked the Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, to lead them. By the end of that day, Delhi was controlled by the rebels. News of the rebellion quickly spread across northern India.

British Actions

Most of the British Army units in India were in "hill stations" in the Himalayan mountains. At Simla, the Commander in Chief, General Anson, began gathering a force to take back Delhi. Even though he was old, Anson acted quickly. However, he faced problems with getting enough transport and supplies.

He managed to gather a force at Ambala by May 17. They then started moving towards Karnal, where many British civilians who had escaped from Delhi were staying.

Another small British force was moving from Meerut to meet Anson's troops. This force was led by Major-General W. Hewitt. However, his health was poor, so he had to hand over command to Brigadier Archdale Wilson.

On May 30, some Indian forces from Delhi attacked Wilson's troops near the Hindon river. Wilson's soldiers, the 60th Rifles, used their Enfield rifles well. They pushed the Indian forces back and captured five small cannons. The rebels tried another attack the next day but were again forced to retreat.

The Battle of Badli-ki-Serai

Indian Muslim irregular cavalry of Skinner's Horse

General Anson died of cholera at Karnal on May 27. He was replaced by Major-General Sir Henry Barnard, who had recently fought in the Crimean War. Barnard's force joined with Wilson's troops at Alipur (north-west of Delhi) on June 1. The combined British force then moved along the Grand Trunk road towards Delhi.

The rebel sepoy regiments had set up defenses at Badli-ki-Serai to stop the British advance. Historians estimate their strength was about 9,000 soldiers with thirty cannons.

The rebels' right side, where most of their cannons were, was in a serai (a walled area) and a village. Their left side had a battery protected by sandbags. Both sides were also supposedly protected by marshy ground. However, on the left, there was a mile-long gap between the swamp and the Western Jumna canal, which was not defended. The right side was also open to attack.

When the British attacked this position early on June 8, they suffered many casualties from the rebel cannons. These cannons were heavier than most of the British guns and were well-used. Barnard sent his cavalry, led by Colonel James Hope Grant, to go around the rebel left side. He also sent a group of infantry under Colonel Graves to go around the rebel right side.

As these forces began to threaten the enemy's sides and rear, Barnard ordered his other group under Colonel Showers to charge. This group included a Gurkha regiment. They used bayonets to capture the enemy cannons. There was fierce fighting for the village and the serai. However, the rebels fled to avoid being surrounded, leaving behind thirteen cannons.

The sepoys retreated to Delhi in a disorganized way. Some citizens thought the British would follow quickly and capture the city before new defenses could be set up. However, the British soldiers were too tired from the heat and the fighting. They decided to occupy Delhi Ridge, which was north of the city. This led to a difficult siege that lasted three and a half months. Eventually, the city was attacked and the rebels were defeated.

What Happened After the Battle

The battle showed how weak the rebels were. Their biggest problem was that they did not have good leaders. Bahadur Shah had named his son Mirza Mughal as the commander of his army. However, the sepoys did not respect him or the King. Mirza Mughal was busy managing Delhi and did not want to lead an attack on Meerut or fight Barnard. He was not even at the battle.

The sepoy officers had only gained their ranks based on how long they had served, not because they were skilled generals. At Badli-ki-Serai, they did not place any forces to protect against attacks from the sides. They also did not keep any soldiers in reserve. The sepoys refused to use the Enfield rifle (and they didn't have enough ammunition for it anyway). Instead, they had to use the Brown Bess, which was much less accurate than the Enfield rifle.