India's first war of independance 1857: Defence of the fort at Futtegurh, Indian Mutiny, 1857-1859 (c1895). 150 British, of whom only one quarter could bear arms, were besieged at Futtegurh. Some of the women, including the widow of a sergeant who had been killed, fought side-by-side with the soldiers. 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