HistoryModern India: Rebels and the Raj

A Punch caption of 12 September 1857 reads: news of a terrible massac…

A Punch caption of 12 September 1857 reads: news of a terrible massacre produced an outburst of fiery indignation and wild desire for revenge throughout England. Where was this massacre?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 4

The correct answer is Option (4) → Kanpur

The caption of the Punch cartoon "Justice" names the massacre at Cawnpore (Kanpur) as the news that stirred a wild desire for revenge across England.

NCERT (2026-27): “5.3 Vengeance and retribution …
In one such image (Fig. 10.13) we see an allegorical female figure of justice with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Her posture is aggressive; her face expresses rage and the desire for revenge. She is trampling sepoys under her feet while a mass of Indian women with children cower with fear. …”

“Fig. 10.13 Justice, Punch, 12 September 1857 The caption at the bottom reads “The news of the terrible massacre at Cawnpore (Kanpur) produced an outburst of fiery indignation and wild desire for revenge throughout the whole of England.””