IfnotforthefamousIndianmutiny-rebellionof1857,theSantal“Hul“(rebellion)of1855wouldtodayberememberedasthemostseriousuprisingthattheEastIndiaCompanyeverfaced.Instead,thisrebellion-towhich10percentoftheBengalArmy’sinfantrywascommittedandinwhichatleast10,000Santalsdied-hasbeenforgotten.WhileitsmemorylivedamongSantals,Britishofficerspublishedlittleaboutit,andmostofthesepoysinvolveddiedin1857.InthewordsofoneBritishofficer,theHulwas“notwar...butexecution“,andperhapsthuswasdismissedasunworthyofattentionbymilitaryhistorians.DrawingforthefirsttimeontheBengalofficers“voluminousreportsonitssuppression,PeterStanleyhasproducedthefirstcomprehensiveinterpretationoftheHul,investigatingwhyitoccurred,howitwasfoughtandwhyitendedasitdid.DespitetheBengalArmyvirtuallyinventingcounterinsurgencyoperationsinthefield(andtheSantalsimprovisingtheirfirstwar),theHulcametoanendamidstarvationanddisease.Butbetweenitsbloodyoutbreak,itsprotractedsuppressionanditsfar-reachingeffects,StanleydemonstratesthattheHulwasmorethanjust“execution“-itwasindeedawar.
