ORDER OF BATTLE // June 8, 1857
Siege of Delhi
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 15,000 estimated
British Empire
3,000
Medium-confidence figure
Mughal Empire
12,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Siege of Delhi was a decisive engagement of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, in which sepoys of the Bengal Army rose against the authority of the East India Company. The rebels sought to restore the Mughal Empire as a unifying symbol, rallying around Bahadur Shah II and concentrating forces at Delhi. The city functioned as the political and symbolic center of the uprising: lacking overall direction, many who subsequently rebelled across northern India also converged on Delhi, making its fate central to the rebellion's coherence. The British force, outnumbered roughly four to one, sustained over 1,200 casualties against an estimated 5,000 on the Mughal side. The outcome of the siege directly shaped the trajectory of the wider conflict, determining whether the rebellion could consolidate around a restored Mughal authority or would be denied its organizing center.
‹ Full battle dossier