Kenny Bishop, age 16, of Henderson, Nev., for his question:

WHAT WAS THE SEPOY REBELLION?

The sepoys were Indian soldiers in the Bengal army. Sepoy comes from the Hindi word "sipahi," which means "soldier."

In May, 1857, the Sepoys revolted against their British officers. Before the mutiny was finally put down in 1859, it had spread over a large part of northern India and resulted in the end of the British East India Co.

The rebellion was not a mere army revolt or a nationalistic uprising. Before 1857, several Indian mutinies had reflected discontent and distrust among the people. They saw threats to their institutions and beliefs in the gradual reduction of the old Indian aristocracy, new ideas of education and economic discrimination.

An immediate cause of the rebellion was a British order that sepoys use greased cartridges. Some were greased with cow or hog fat. To use them, the sepoys had to bite the end patches from them, and, in doing so, taste the fat. This was prohibited by the Hindu and Muslim religions.

The rebellion had far reaching consequences. It led to the transfer of power in India from the British East India Co. to the British government and it stimulated widespread nationalism.