Summary of the Lee Enfield Rifle – History Essay

Summary of the Lee Enfield Rifle – History Essay
The Lee Enfield Rifle was a new weapon introduced to soldiers of the Bengal Army. In order to effectively use the rifle the tip of each cartridge needed to be bitten off before it was loaded. There was a rumor

spread amongst the soldiers that the tips were greased with pig and cow fat, both of which were against the religions of Muslims and Hindus.

When soldiers refused to bite the tips off of the cartridges they were humiliated and in some situations relieved of their service. This event was one of several that lead to the Revolt of 1857, but this was the last straw. On May 10, 1857 a group of sepoys in Meerut in northern India massacred the English residents of the town, and marched on Delhi. Sepoys elsewhere heard of this and flocked to join the rebel cause