What do you think?
Rate this book
The Skull of Alum Bheg: The Life and Death of a Rebel of 1857
In 1963, a human skull was discovered in a pub in Kent in south-east England. A brief handwritten note stuck inside the cavity revealed it to be that of Alum Bheg, an Indian soldier in British service who was executed during the aftermath of the 1857 Uprising, or The Indian Mutiny as historians of an earlier era described it. Alum Bheg was blown from a cannon for having allegedly murdered British civilians, and his head was brought back as a grisly war-trophy by an Irish officer present at his execution. The skull is a troublesome relic of both anti- colonial violence and the brutality and spectacle of British retribution. Kim Wagner presents an intimate and vivid account of life and death in British India in the throes of the largest rebellion of the nineteenth century. Fugitive rebels spent months, even years, hiding in the vastness of the Himalayas before they were eventually hunted down and punished by a vengeful colonial state. Examining the colonial practice of collecting
and exhibiting human remains, this book offers a critical assessment of British imperialism that speaks to contemporary debates about the legacies of Empire and the myth of the 'Mutiny'.
and exhibiting human remains, this book offers a critical assessment of British imperialism that speaks to contemporary debates about the legacies of Empire and the myth of the 'Mutiny'.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2018
21 people are currently reading
374 people want to read
About the author
Kim A. Wagner
11 books21 followersKim Ati Wagner is a Danish-British historian of colonial India and the British Empire at Queen Mary University of London.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 17, 2020
The book starts with an interesting discovery: a skull with a note stuck into the eye socket of the skull.
That is the genesis of the book.
The subtitle – the life and death of a rebel – is misleading, because there is almost nothing about Alum Bheg in the book. This is not surprising, as the odds of finding any information about an obscure military person in the 19th century, are remote.
He pronounces Alum Bheg as innocent of murder, and assumes that the man was caught up in the event of the times, before being blown up by a cannon.
Much of the ground has been covered, yet it is interesting to read what Kim Wagner has written. I like that he calls it The Great Uprising, and not The Great Mutiny. The Great Uprising is better, as it does represent, to some extent, the Indian perspective.
He does cast the actions of the British in a darker light, and this is how it should be.
Sialkot has not been covered by writers of The Great Uprising and this is a good addition to the literature on the events of 1857-58.
That is the genesis of the book.
The subtitle – the life and death of a rebel – is misleading, because there is almost nothing about Alum Bheg in the book. This is not surprising, as the odds of finding any information about an obscure military person in the 19th century, are remote.
He pronounces Alum Bheg as innocent of murder, and assumes that the man was caught up in the event of the times, before being blown up by a cannon.
Much of the ground has been covered, yet it is interesting to read what Kim Wagner has written. I like that he calls it The Great Uprising, and not The Great Mutiny. The Great Uprising is better, as it does represent, to some extent, the Indian perspective.
He does cast the actions of the British in a darker light, and this is how it should be.
Sialkot has not been covered by writers of The Great Uprising and this is a good addition to the literature on the events of 1857-58.
May 23, 2018
THE SKULL OF ALUM BHEG
The book is more a collective study of indian sepoys and their common characteristics. It’s about all those lives lost in the uprising of 1857 which we also know as first war of independence .
The skull of hundreds of Indian sepoys were taken by British officer to their country as a sign of great valour shown by them in the war of 1857. However, these sepoys were denied their burial rights as per their religion. This book made me aware that such kind of problem exists and as we know repatriation is not that easy, so the skulls cannot be claimed by someone and brought back easily to India.
In the book “Phrenology” and “Craniology” is also talked about, which is study of the skull. Hundreds of graves were looted, bodies were dissected and collected , also left to decompose so that the skulls could be collected and studied and sent to museums.
The author has also mentioned that the book is in no way written to show whether the british rule in india was good or bad. It’s about violence and death that took place in 1857 and also about colonial practices within british empire during those times.
Also how the use of cartridges which where said to be greased with cow and pig fat lead to the revolt is talked in great deal in the book.
The book is more a collective study of indian sepoys and their common characteristics. It’s about all those lives lost in the uprising of 1857 which we also know as first war of independence .
The skull of hundreds of Indian sepoys were taken by British officer to their country as a sign of great valour shown by them in the war of 1857. However, these sepoys were denied their burial rights as per their religion. This book made me aware that such kind of problem exists and as we know repatriation is not that easy, so the skulls cannot be claimed by someone and brought back easily to India.
In the book “Phrenology” and “Craniology” is also talked about, which is study of the skull. Hundreds of graves were looted, bodies were dissected and collected , also left to decompose so that the skulls could be collected and studied and sent to museums.
The author has also mentioned that the book is in no way written to show whether the british rule in india was good or bad. It’s about violence and death that took place in 1857 and also about colonial practices within british empire during those times.
Also how the use of cartridges which where said to be greased with cow and pig fat lead to the revolt is talked in great deal in the book.
May 24, 2018
A different interpretation of 1857. Wagner posits that the uprising was not rooted in nationalism and a desire to throw off the shackles of colonisation, but as a mere protest against what the Indians deemed a threat to their religious beliefs and practices. In this perceived horror, both Hindus and Muslims were united against the British. He portrays their utter cruelty and indifference exposing the myth of British fair play and justice.
April 16, 2020
Prima facie, this book is an attempt to trace the history of Alum Bheg, a rebel soldier who had participated in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 and was later caught and sentenced to death. His skull was found in a pub in England in 1963, almost a century after he was blown from a canon for his role in the violent uprising. Alum Bheg was a Non-Comissioned officer in the 46th Bengal native infantry(BNI) stationed in the far post of Sialkot, in present-day Pakistan. It discusses how Sialkot was a reluctant rebellion as compared to the far-off uprisings in Meerut, Delhi and Cawnpore and further tries to trace the entire story from the rebellion, the killings and plunder by the sepoys, their quick defeat by the infamous Movable Column of General Nicholson at Trimmu Ghat and their eventual year-long hunt and capture. It dwells on issues and aspects much beyond the immediate historical events surrounding the mutiny in Sialkot.
In the beginning, a serious attempt is made to understand the complexities and reasons underlying the revolt of the Bengal Army, the colossus that East India Company had built over a century that eventually became its undoing. The author has tried to investigate the oft-repeated claims that reason behind the revolt was the British decision to use cartridges greased with the fat of cows and swine which was anathema to both the Hindus and Muslims, respectively. It is shown that the among the sepoys the rumours and feeling that the use of such cartridges was infact part of a larger conspiracy by the Company to attack their religion and render them effectively outcastes or infidels. However it must be recognised that this was a mere trigger in the whole scheme of things and real reasons for the revolt were far more complex and perhaps lay elsewhere. For instance, the missionary activities which had increasingly begun to receive unofficial sanction from the authorities had a huge role to play and even after the uprising was suppressed many had failed to assess and admit this aspect. Andrew Gordon, an American missionary stationed at Sialkot writes in his memoirs, “One thing is certain: they cannot blame on the missionaries. I hope they will attribute to their indifference to Christianity and favour towards idolatry.”
Further, the book delves into purported justification of the barbaric retribution carried out by the British. In an attempt to control the rebellion the British carried out death sentences with blowing by the canon. Hundreds and thousands of mutineers and their accomplices were killed on mere suspicion to set an example to preserve British authority and as justification against the vile and egregious acts of the sepoys. The mutineers were all painted out be vicious rapists and barbaric murderers. ‘The British ultimately assumed that the violence was the only language Indians understood and mass-executions by cannon enacted this logic in a highly systematic manner.’ As Sir Charles Metcalfe the former Commissioner of Delhi succinctly summed up:
‘Human nature itself has to be vindicated; the feeling of the personal
inviolability of the English race in India has to be restored, and the right-
-eous indignation of our nation at the strange and horrible atrocities which
have been perpetrated upon our women and children has to be appeased.
These are indispensable conditions of success.’
In the culminating chapter, the author has tried to analyse the macabre and shockingly repellent practice prevalent among the British to collect human skulls and other body parts and the pride with which they were exhibited back home. Beginning with how Captain Costello might have collected the skull of Alum Bheg and the way it ended up in pub in south-east England almost a 105 years later, he pans out to understand why such a horrid fetish came about to be so common amongst the British soldiers in Asia and Africa. The reader is also regaled with tales and controversies surrounding skulls and body parts of the defeated enemy from the Xhosa and Zulu rebellions in Africa. The symbolism of the skull is analysed and such a trophy becoming ‘merely a slight improvisation and logical extension of the formally authorised mutilation of his body.’ The author finally makes an interesting assertion that unlike the repatriation of human remains to indigenous communities in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, any movement in the subcontinent for the repatriation of such remains from museums is conspicuous by its absence. However in my mind it is quite perplexing at the same time that there have been repeated demands by leaders of the South Asia for the repatriation of rare jewels like the Kohinoor diamond.
Overall, this one is an interesting read and will keep you engaged because of the fascinating storyline, impeccable writing style and the sheer uniqueness of the narrative.
In the beginning, a serious attempt is made to understand the complexities and reasons underlying the revolt of the Bengal Army, the colossus that East India Company had built over a century that eventually became its undoing. The author has tried to investigate the oft-repeated claims that reason behind the revolt was the British decision to use cartridges greased with the fat of cows and swine which was anathema to both the Hindus and Muslims, respectively. It is shown that the among the sepoys the rumours and feeling that the use of such cartridges was infact part of a larger conspiracy by the Company to attack their religion and render them effectively outcastes or infidels. However it must be recognised that this was a mere trigger in the whole scheme of things and real reasons for the revolt were far more complex and perhaps lay elsewhere. For instance, the missionary activities which had increasingly begun to receive unofficial sanction from the authorities had a huge role to play and even after the uprising was suppressed many had failed to assess and admit this aspect. Andrew Gordon, an American missionary stationed at Sialkot writes in his memoirs, “One thing is certain: they cannot blame on the missionaries. I hope they will attribute to their indifference to Christianity and favour towards idolatry.”
Further, the book delves into purported justification of the barbaric retribution carried out by the British. In an attempt to control the rebellion the British carried out death sentences with blowing by the canon. Hundreds and thousands of mutineers and their accomplices were killed on mere suspicion to set an example to preserve British authority and as justification against the vile and egregious acts of the sepoys. The mutineers were all painted out be vicious rapists and barbaric murderers. ‘The British ultimately assumed that the violence was the only language Indians understood and mass-executions by cannon enacted this logic in a highly systematic manner.’ As Sir Charles Metcalfe the former Commissioner of Delhi succinctly summed up:
‘Human nature itself has to be vindicated; the feeling of the personal
inviolability of the English race in India has to be restored, and the right-
-eous indignation of our nation at the strange and horrible atrocities which
have been perpetrated upon our women and children has to be appeased.
These are indispensable conditions of success.’
In the culminating chapter, the author has tried to analyse the macabre and shockingly repellent practice prevalent among the British to collect human skulls and other body parts and the pride with which they were exhibited back home. Beginning with how Captain Costello might have collected the skull of Alum Bheg and the way it ended up in pub in south-east England almost a 105 years later, he pans out to understand why such a horrid fetish came about to be so common amongst the British soldiers in Asia and Africa. The reader is also regaled with tales and controversies surrounding skulls and body parts of the defeated enemy from the Xhosa and Zulu rebellions in Africa. The symbolism of the skull is analysed and such a trophy becoming ‘merely a slight improvisation and logical extension of the formally authorised mutilation of his body.’ The author finally makes an interesting assertion that unlike the repatriation of human remains to indigenous communities in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, any movement in the subcontinent for the repatriation of such remains from museums is conspicuous by its absence. However in my mind it is quite perplexing at the same time that there have been repeated demands by leaders of the South Asia for the repatriation of rare jewels like the Kohinoor diamond.
Overall, this one is an interesting read and will keep you engaged because of the fascinating storyline, impeccable writing style and the sheer uniqueness of the narrative.
September 23, 2019
While this book does follow the journey of Alum Beg, firstly as an alive human being and then as a skull, it also touches upon the general practise of trophy hunting by the British and other Western colonisers in different parts of the world. Some of the chapters are more of a commentary on the events of the mutiny and the tactics used by the Bristish to suppress/ avenge the same.
The author expects that you know about the details of the mutiny in general as some of the references may ‘bounce’ over your head if you do not already have knowledge of the major events in the mutiny of 1857.
Overall a good read. As others already mentioned gives you an alternate read to the Sepoy Mutiny.
The author expects that you know about the details of the mutiny in general as some of the references may ‘bounce’ over your head if you do not already have knowledge of the major events in the mutiny of 1857.
Overall a good read. As others already mentioned gives you an alternate read to the Sepoy Mutiny.
October 21, 2025
Read for a Victorian England course. Lovely novel that does a lot of great Anthropological work by stitching together sources of information, context, and primary sources. Though it starts with a great narrative set up with the skull itself, works better as a book that demonstrates how impressive the feats of anthropologists and historians are and the extents and methods they use to reconstruct history, and the respect for the colonized victims of empires.
September 24, 2022
The book is well researched and has a lot of information on the events … but does little justice to the title … Alam Beg was alas used just as a prop for the entire book
Finding all about Alam Beg would be impossible, the author did his best to find what best he could … the title could have been different …
Finding all about Alam Beg would be impossible, the author did his best to find what best he could … the title could have been different …
October 1, 2025
Gotta love an Empire that slaughters people in various horrible and painful ways and then desecrates their corpses in order to tame the "savage barbarians" they are colonizing and stealing land and property from. There really is nothing new under the sun when it comes to Western (white)countries invading and trying to civilize (or democratize). Great book
March 7, 2018
Excellent research. While at times conjecture is visible, I do not entirely blame author, with just a skull to go on , cant be helped. Writing is easy. Should be easy read for everyone.
February 5, 2019
A cool story, sadly not much meat to the bones.
December 30, 2019
Amazing book. The book takes one right back to 1857 and how it may have been for people living at the time in South Asia.
October 27, 2020
Good story !! Though lacking substance
October 16, 2021
Marvellous. The history of 1850s colonial India told though the lens of micro history. And how well!
Could have used more snappy editing in a few chapters, but still a great read.
Could have used more snappy editing in a few chapters, but still a great read.
March 14, 2022
An insight into Colonialism seen through a unique perspective
July 25, 2022
A grim testament of British brutality in colonial times in India and Africa.
December 9, 2020
Alum Bheg(or Alam Beg) was an NCO in the British India Army and the discovery of his Skull along with a note was found in an English pub. The note pronounces him as the leader of mutiny and him being blown away by cannon as a cause of death. But this book isn’t all about Alum Bheg, although he is present in the title of the book. Kim Wagner, the author has made a serious attempt in understanding reasons for the “Great Uprising” or “Mutiny” as you may prefer to call it. The cause of mutiny lay way behind the glorified “Greased cartridge of Enfield rifles”. It was the systematic oppression of religious identities of soldiers, stagnant pays, ruthless British army commanders, undue interference in Hindu and Muslim ways of life, and not much-publicized (for known reasons) but critical factor of works of Christian missionaries in parts of India. The story is based on Sialkot mutiny and not the much-written mutinies of Meerut, Barrackpore, or Cawnpore. Treading and stating the causes in the first few chapters, the author then analyzed the imperial barbarism which Britishers displayed while dealing with mutiny, especially the practice of collecting body parts as war trophies. To justify their actions, Britishers invoked the much-ployed remark of native barbarianism(who was barbaric every one knows). It is an honest attempt to time and lives of then sepoys and their European masters. In the ending chapters, the barbarism of Britisher is then traced to South Africa and Sudan.
All in all, A different interpretation of 1857
All in all, A different interpretation of 1857
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews