A striking feature of the Indian Mutiny is the contrast between the relatively small military scale of the event and its enormous impact on the British consciousness. The rebellion spread mainly in the northern and central provinces while much of the country remained uninvolved or loyal to the British. The Mutiny erupted on 10 May 1857 in the town of Meerut and involved a series of attacks on the British in several places but did not evolve into a centrally-organised movement. Initially surprised by the rising, the British took action fairly quickly, suppressing the Mutiny within about a year. The fall of Gwalior on 20 May 1858 marked the actual end of the rebellion, despite the subsequent minor skirmishes.

The political consequences were far-reaching, however: after abolishing the East India Company, the British Empire took direct control of India, establishing the Raj and carrying out reforms both in the government of India and the Indian army. At that time the British rule in India was strengthened and formalised but, as Gautam Chakravarty claims from his contemporary Indian perspective, the Mutiny heralded an awakening of India's desire for independence. He treats the Mutiny (which he prefers to call “rebellion”) as a foreshadowing of future global conflicts: