The Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as The First War of Independence, was a major uprising against British rule in India. The pretext of the revolt was rising discontent between the Sepoys in service to the British East India Company and invasive British social reforms. The Sepoy’s rebellion began in Meerut and led to the seizing of Delhi, where they nominally restored the Mughal emperor. The Sepoys captured large parts of the North-Western Provinces until British operations suppressed the rebellion. Peace was declared in 1859.

What followed was a general clean-up of the Indian administration, and the East India Company was abolished. In its place came a more direct rule of India by the British government. At the same time, however, a policy of consultation with Indians started after the rebellion. Previously, only Europeans had been consulted, and there were no Indian members of The Legislative Council of 1853. This changed with the Council of 1861. At the same time, there was no longer widespread hope that a return to the traditional organisation of Indian society could happen. The influence of the British class system meant that a new middle class emerged; one that subscribed to Indian nationalism.