Chandigarh (Punjab) [India]: The skeletons of 282 Indian soldiers who participated in India’s War for Independence in 1857 were found during the excavation near Amritsar, said Dr JS Sehrawat, Assistant Professor, Dept Anthropology, Punjab University.
“These skeletons belong to 282 Indian soldiers killed during India’s freedom struggle against the British in 1857. These were excavated from a well found underneath a religious structure in Ajnala near Amritsar in Punjab,” said the assistant professor.
“These soldiers were revolting against the use of pork and beef greased cartridges, a study has suggested. Coins, medals, DNA study, elemental analysis, anthropological, radio-carbon dating, all point towards the same,” Sehrawat added.
The Indian war of Independence of 1857 was a major resistance in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the garrison town of Meerut, 40 mi (64 km) northeast of Delhi. It then erupted into other civilian rebellions across the country. (With inputs from ANI)
