William Stephen Raikes Hodson (19 March 182111 March 1858) was an English leader who raised and commanded an irregular light cavalry regiment during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was known as "Hodson of Hodson's Horse".
The most celebrated action during his military tenure was to apprehend Bahadur Shah II, the Mughal Emperor of India. The following day, Hodson rode to the enemy camp, heavily outnumbered by the rebels, and demanded the surrender of the Mughal princes who were leading the rebellion around Delhi; he led the captured princes back to the walled city, and, upon finding surrounded by a large group of common citizenry, proceeded to shoot his prisoners before the astounded populace.LJ Trotter, A Leader of Light Horse, pages 200-202
Hodson's career received praise from a number of senior military commanders, such as General Hugh Gough,Old Memories 1897 memoirs published by H. Gough but there were dissenting voices from other members of the military. There were also politicians who felt the killing of the Mughal princes by Hodson had been "dishonourable".From a speech delivered by Thomas Perronet Thompson, MP for Bradford, in the House of Commons, February 1858. Cited in Michael Edwardes, Red Year: The Indian Rebellion of 1857, London: Cardinal Books, 1975, p. 165 However, Hodson's career received praise from more senior politicians including the British prime minister and the secretary of state for India.Hansard; 14 April 1859
Hodson is credited with being jointly responsible for the introduction of the first khaki uniforms in the presidency armies, the military forces of the British East India Company that were eventually reorganised into the British Indian Army before spawning into the modern Indian Army following its independence in 1947.
Early life
William Hodson was born on 19 March 1821 at Maisemore Court, near Gloucester, third son of the Rev. George Hodson, later Archdeacon of Stafford. His older brother was Rev. Dr James Stephen Hodson who served as Rector of Edinburgh Academy.
He was educated at Rugby School under Thomas Arnold and at Trinity College, Cambridge. He accepted a cadetship in the Indian Army at the age of twenty-three, and after joining the 2nd Bengal Grenadiers he saw action in the First Anglo-Sikh War, where he was wounded. He was soon after transferred to the 1st European Bengal Fusiliers. In one of his letters home at this period, he calls the campaign a "tissue of mismanagement, blunders, errors, ignorance and arrogance", and outspoken criticism such as this incurred him the enmity of others throughout his career, who made the most of his character faults.
A contemporary described him as "a tall man with yellow hair, a pale, smooth face, heavy moustache, and large, restless, rather unforgiving eyes… a perfect swordsman, nerves like iron, and a quick, intelligent eye". Hodson delighted in fighting and his favourite weapon was the hog spear. He was a brilliant horseman with the capacity to sleep in the saddle. He was described as "the finest swordsman in the army".
The initial assistance he gave in organising the newly formed Corps of Guides in December 1846 had been one of Sir Henry Lawrence's projects in which Hodson excelled. The Guides Corps had Lt Harry Burnett Lumsden as its commandant and Lt Hodson as adjutant. One of his duties was equipping the new regiment, including choosing the regiment's uniform. With Lumsden's approval, Hodson decided upon a lightweight uniform of Khaki colour, or "drab" as it was then referred to. This would be comfortable to wear and "make them invisible in a land of dust". Accordingly, in May 1848 he liaised with his brother Rev. George H. Hodson, in England, to send "drab" cloth for 900 men as well as 300 carbines.pages 50-51 from Twelve Years of a Soldier's Life in India, published 1859first edition of the biography on Hodson by his brother George As a result, Hodson and Lumsden had the joint distinction of being the first officers to clothe a regiment in Khaki, which many view as the precursor of modern camouflage uniform.
Later on, he was transferred to the Civil Department as Assistant Commissioner in 1849 and stationed at Amritsar. Thereafter, he travelled in Kashmir and Tibet. In 1852, he was appointed commandant of the Corps of Guides.
On 5 January 1852,Lionel James Trotter A Leader of Light Horse (W. Blackwood and sons 1901) p. 129 he married Susan Annette (died 4 November 1884), daughter of Capt C. Henry, RN, at Calcutta Cathedral; she was the widow of John Mitford of Exbury and he had known her prior to her first marriage. A daughter, Olivia, was born in 1853 but died in July 1854.Twelve years of a soldier's life in India: being extracts from the letters of the late Major W. S. R. Hodson ed. by his brother, the Rev. George H. Hodson; p119At Murree, and is buried there in the Christian cemetery. See Charles Allen, (2000) Soldier Sahibs, pp. 230 and 235
While it was unusual at that time for a British soldier in India to be a Cambridge graduate, William further differed from the norm by enjoying classical literature for relaxation. He was a keen linguist and had an interest in learning the main languages of his host country at that time. On his arrival in India he started first learning Hindustani and later Persian, with help and encouragement from his mentor, Sir Henry Lawrence.Trotter, Hodson of Hodson's Horse This apparently was of intellectual and cultural interest to him, particularly as his army quarters offered him little in the way of culture or reading matter, save for the "usual copy of the Bible and works of Shakespeare". He even asked for "a formidable collection of classics" from his brother, although he probably did not see anything unusual in spending three hours a day studying Persian. He even "found it relaxing to read untranslated Xenophon".pp.40 B. Joynson Cork, Rider on a Grey Horse
Indian Rebellion of 1857
Following the outbreak of the Indian Rebellion, Hodson was praised for riding with dispatches from General Anson from Karnal to Meerut and back again (a distance of 152 miles in seventy-two hours) through areas designated as hostile. Following this, the commander-in-chief empowered him to raise and command a regiment of 2,000 irregular cavalrymen, which became known as "Hodson's Horse", and placed him at the head of the Intelligence Department.
In his double role of cavalry leader and intelligence officer, Hodson played a large part in orchestrating the reduction of Delhi. His major achievement at this time was the sacking of Delhi and capture of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II, his favourite wife Zeenat Mahal, her young son Jawan Bakht, and a few other members of the Royal Family.See Edwardes, Red Year, p. 58. He and his men's violent treatment of the Mughal royal family and the brutal, undignified execution of three Mughal princes (Emperor Bahadur's sons Mirza Mughal and Mirza Khizr Sultan, and his grandson Mirza Abu Bakr) incurred notoriety.
The British understood that the old King of Delhi (also referred to as emperor of India) was proving to be a focus for the uprising and the mutineers. The king, his sons, and a few of their men had taken refuge outside Delhi at Humayun's Tomb. The General in command said he could not spare a single European after the walled city ad the Red Fort had been sacked and violently looted. Hodson volunteered to go with 50 of his irregular horsemen to finish what he started. This request was turned down, but after some persuasion Hodson obtained from Colonel (later General) Archdale Wilson permission to ride out to where the enemy was encamped.
Hodson rode six miles through captured territory into the Emperor's camp, containing some 6,000 or more armed revolutionaries, who are said to have laid down their arms when he ordered them to but most likely did so under duress as their families were captured and held hostage in Delhi.Edwardes, pp. 58–59.
Hodson forced the surrender of Bahadur Shah II, the last of the Mughal emperors of India, promising him that his life would be spared.Hansard, 11 December 1857. The capture of the emperor in the face of a threatening crowd dealt the mutineers a heavy blow. As a sign of surrender the emperor handed over his arms, which included two magnificent swords, one with the name "Nadir Shah" and the other with the seal of Jahangir engraved upon it, which Hodson intended to present to Queen Victoria.Illustrated London News, 20 March 1858. The talwar and scabbard of Jahangir he received from the emperor were presented by Hodson's widow to the queen and is still in the Royal Collection.
The sons of the king had refused to surrender, demanding guarantees of safety.Which Hodson refused, see Edwardes, p. 59. On the following day, with a few horsemen, Hodson went back and demanded the princes' unconditional surrender contrary to his promises to the Emperor. Again a crowd of thousands of mutineers gathered, angered by the duplicitous character. Hodson ordered them to disarm again, which they did under duress after being reminded of the fact that their families faced death within the walled city. The princes agreed to save their peoples’ lives. He sent the princes on with an escort of ten men, while with the remaining ninety he collected the arms of the crowd.Edwardes, p. 59.
The princes were mounted on a bullock-cart and driven towards the city of Delhi. As they approached the city gate, a crowd of people again started to gather around them, trying to save their princes. Hodson, seeing these princes as sparks of rebellion and hope for their people, ordered the three princes off the cart and to strip their top garments. He then took a carbine from one of his troopers and shot them dead before stripping them of their signet rings, turquoise arm bands and bejewelled swords. Their bodies were ordered to be displayed in front of a kotwali, or police station, and left there to be seen by all.It was later spun that Hodson wrongly believed that some Englishmen had been killed at this place. Edwardes, p. 59. The gate near where they were killed is still called the Khooni Darwaza, or "Bloody Gate".
The actions were controversial even at the time.And remained so for quite some time later too. Much can be said on both sides, for the situation during the Mutiny/Rebellion remained very volatile and considerable violence was done on both sides. In the matter of the princes' execution, it is quite certain that Hodson was earlier negotiating with an agent of the Queen of Delhi, Zeenat Mahal, for the surrender of the Mughal king/emperor, as well as herself and her young son Jawan Bakht, and a few other members of the Royal Family. However, the executed princes were not mentioned or included in this 'deal' and a lot of speculation is also attached to Zeenat Mahal's own possible ulterior motives, although this in no way exonerates Hodson. See Edwardes, p. 58, and T. G. Metcalfe, Two Narratives of the Mutiny in Delhi, London, 1898, which mentions some of the court intrigues in Delhi, briefly, too.
The future Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, then a junior officer serving in the Delhi campaign, would later call it a "blot" and criticised "an otherwise brilliant officer" for exposing himself to criticism.See also his Letters Written During the Indian Mutiny, London, 1924. Other first hand accounts, such as William W. Ireland, also questioned the exigency of his actions. Hodson's service record showed that he had often behaved in arbitrary fashion before, and he had previously been removed from civil duties by the then Governor General of India, Lord Dalhousie.
Bahadur Shah II was put on trial. However, as Hodson had previously guaranteed his life, he was exiled to Rangoon, Burma, where he died in November 1862 at the age of 87.Charges against Mahomed Bahadoor Shah, ex-King of Delhi reprinted in Perth Inquirer & Commercial News, 7 April 1858.
Accusations of corruption