Question

What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?

Answer 1

The Muslim sepoys didn’t like it because they had to grease it with pork based grease. The Hindu sepoys didn’t like it because they had to grease it with beef based grease. They had to use their mouth to rip open the bags so they were against it.

Answer 2

The issue of new gunpowder cartridges for the Enfield rifle led to objections among the sepoys. A rumor was spread that the cartridges were made from cow and pig fat. Loading the Enfield required tearing open the greased cartridge with one's teeth, therefore being indirectly ingested by the Muslims and the Hindus. This led to objections based off of religious beliefs.