The Devil's Trap

This history of the Siege of Cawnpore and the massacre of British noncombatants in Colonial India reveals the human side of the struggle.

During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the strategic garrison at Cawnpore was surprised by an extended siege. Many British noncombatants were holed up in a makeshift entrenchment, suffering from thirst, starvation and disease, all while being bombarded with cannon balls and bullets. After nearly two months, the company surrendered to the rebel leader Nana Sahib in exchange for safe passage out of the city. But when the survivors reached Sati Chaura Ghat, a landing on the River Ganges, they were massacred.


Much has been written about the siege of Cawnpore and the political events which caused it, but there less known about the people who suffered the ordeal. In The Devil's Trap, historian James Bancroft studies official documentation and primary sources from both sides to offer a more human understanding of events and shed light on the lives of the victims.