Mounted rebel Sepoys charging through the streets of Delhi, Indian Mutiny, May 1857

Mounted rebel Sepoys charging through the streets of Delhi during the Indian Mutiny, May 1857 (c1895). The Indian Mutiny was an uprising against British rule in India which began in 1857. The mutiny had many underlying causes, but was sparked by the introduction of cartridges which were greased with animal fat. This outraged both Muslim and Hindu soldiers (sepoys), who made up the majority of the Indian army at the time. Although the mutiny was defeated in 1859, it led to the administration of India passing from the East India Company to the Crown