PM Modi hails outstanding courage of 1857 revolt heroes

New Delhi, May 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid homage to all those who were part of the events of 1857, that ignited a spirit of patriotism and contributed to the weakening of colonial rule, for their outstanding courage.

"On this day in 1857 began the historic First War of Independence, which ignited a spirit of patriotism among our fellow citizens and contributed to the weakening of colonial rule," Modi said in a tweet. "I pay homage to all those who were a part of the events of 1857 for their outstanding courage," he said.

It was a major uprising in India in 1857-58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the form of a mutiny of sepoys of the Company's army in the garrison town of Meerut, 40 mi (64 km) northeast of Delhi.

It then erupted into other mutinies and civilian rebellions chiefly in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, though incidents of revolt also occurred farther north and east. The rebellion posed a considerable threat to British power in that region, and was contained only with the rebels' defeat in Gwalior on 20 June 1858.