Battle of Badli-ki-Serai

Part of the Indian rebellion of 1857

Date	8 June 1857
Location	six miles west of Delhi, India
Result	Anglo-Nepalese victory

Belligerents

Great Britain

Kingdom of Nepal

Mughal Empire

Commanders and leaders

Sir Henry Barnard

Mirza Mughal (not present)

Strength

2,000 infantry
500 cavalry
22 guns

approx. 3000 infantry
approx. 400 cavalry
30 guns

Casualties and losses

51 killed
131 wounded

approx. 1000
13 guns

The Battle of Badli-ki-Serai was fought early in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, or First War of Indian Independence 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 allowed 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 Moslem 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. 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 Moghul King, 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.

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