Detailed Summary
The 1857 uprising in India, marked by widespread unrest among sepoys and the general populace, elicited a furious response from British authorities. The Governor General, Canning, suggested that leniency and clemency might help win back the loyalties of the sepoys. However, his proposals were met with ridicule in the British press, where there was a clamor for harsh vengeance against the rebels.
Cartoons from sources like Punch depicted Canning as a paternal figure attempting to shield a bloodied sepoy, emphasizing a perspective that viewed moderation as weakness. Instead, the prevailing sentiment among British leaders and the public leaned heavily towards bloody retribution as a means to restore order and assert dominance. The section illustrates how war propaganda influenced public opinion in Britain and contributed to the legacy of violence associated with the suppression of the revolt.